Filling Your Trivia Basket for Business Blogging – Part A

Now that fall has officially set in, I’m reminded of Aesop’s Ant and the Grasshopper fable, cautioning us to begin stocking up provisions for the winter ahead. I like the concept, especially when it comes to stocking up materials for business blogging. Continually coming up with fresh content to inform, educate, and entertain readers – well, that’s a pretty tall order for busy business owners and employees. (Face it, that’s a tall order even for us professional content writers.)  And without a system for stocking up ideas, content creation can quickly get to the overwhelming stage.

That’s exactly why I’m constantly on the prowl for blogging “foodstuff” that we content writers can “store up” in preparation for those “winter of our discontent” days when ideas just won’t seem to present themselves. One “provisioning” tactic involves trivia.  

Trivia can be used in business blogs for defining basic terminology, sparking curiosity about the subject, putting modern-day practices and beliefs into perspective, and for explaining why the business owner or practitioner chooses to operate in a certain way.

This week, I’m devoting my Say It For You blog posts to trivia mentioned in Albert Jack’s book,  Red Herrings & White Elephants, which traces the origins of phrases we use every day.
In each case, I’m going to suggest types of businesses that might use that piece of trivia, but I challenge content writers to come up with their own ideas for turning trivia into writing “hooks”.

• Piping hot – The old church pipe organs would hiss in the same way water does when it steamed, so, ever since the 1300’s, when something was boiling, it was  described as “pipe hot”.
  What kind of business  might make use of this tidbit of information?  How about a heating and air conditioning firm? A company that insulates pipes for residential or commercial buildings? A professional carpet cleaner? An aesthetitician who uses steam to clean out facial pores?

• To thread your way through a crowd – Back in the 1500’s, mazes were a popular form of entertainment, and some people would take a clew (yarn or thread) and fix one end of it to the beginning of the maze, enabling them to find their way back out again. (The word “clue” derives from this as well!)
  To what kinds of business blog might this piece of trivia add special interest?  How about a tailoring establishment? A sewing or knitting supply shop? A surgeon??

Of course, stocking up on ideas for future blog posts isn’t all about trivia, as I explain to newbie blog content writers. Remember, the trivia tidbit is just the jumping off point for the message.