5 Fresh Blog Post Ideas From the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Ask anyone who grew up in the 90s to finish the phrase, “In West Philadelphia, born and raised…” and odds are they’ll know what comes next. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air defined a generation, but you don’t have to record a catchy rap song to copy its hip style and instant success.

The Fresh Prince’s Guide to Fresh Blog Post Ideas

If you’re a blog writer looking for f ideas to build your brand and draw traffic to your website, try these ‘Fresh Prince’-inspired tips for creating blog post ideas that truly stand out.

1. Tell a Rich Story

People have always been curious about how the other half lives. Like a modern-day Prince and the Pauper, The Fresh Prince gave viewers the opportunity to vicariously experience real wealth, and to see Will Smith react to it as they might have themselves. But it wasn’t really the Banks’s money that kept viewers coming back.

The show was rich in comedy, drama and romance, and wasn’t afraid to tackle tough issues. Will was funny, but when he cried after his father walked out on him again, he touched viewers’ hearts. In the same scene we saw that although Uncle Phil was stern and strict, he cared about his family deeply. The characters were multi-dimensional and so were the storylines. Offer your blog readers something similarly rich. The first key to keeping your blog fresh, improving your blog topics, and keeping your readers coming back for more is to expand your idea of what a business blog should be. Allow your blog posts to tap into your readers’ emotions and use storytelling to engage them in your content.

If you’re a contractor, don’t just tell them why they should worry about a leaky roof; share the story of a disastrous winter cave-in from the perspective of a homeowner. If you’re a pet trainer, share a heartwarming story about a disabled child and her service dog.

2. Give Your Blog Audience What They Want

The writers on The Fresh Prince quickly identified the aspects of the show people enjoyed most, and made sure to give them more. Will’s pickup lines, the Carlton Dance and Uncle Phil’s penchant for throwing Jazzy out of the house became recurring themes. After four seasons NBC thought the audience had had enough, and made a move to cancel The Fresh Prince. Fans were outraged, and the show continued for another two seasons. NBC learned to give people what they want, and you should, too. Your blog is not just a platform for you to share whatever comes to mind. Find out what your readers want to hear. What kind of questions do you get asked most frequently? Are there blog topics that come up repeatedly in the comments? Check your reviews on Yelp and other sites. Is there a particular product, service or employee that everyone seems to praise? Use your blog to spotlight the parts of your company people love, and to shine a light on aspects they may find mystifying.

Another way to find out what people are looking for is to use targeted keyword research. Type in a search query, and you’ll also be given a list of popular related queries. These tangential topics can spark blog post ideas you may not have considered, and are great for generating SEO content.

Type in “gum disease”, and you might also see “gum disease symptoms,” “gum disease treatments,” “gum disease and heart disease”, and even “gum disease in dogs.” If you type in a search term and not much comes up, trying adding one extra letter. “Gum disease a” brings up half a dozen suggestions, including “gum disease and cancer” and “gum disease and pregnancy”. Try this with every letter of the alphabet and you’ll have plenty of new blog post ideas, from “gum disease abscess” to “gum disease zeolite.”

3. Don’t Hold Back

Will Smith was full of opinions, and he rarely kept them to himself. Nearly every episode included one of his frequent digs at cousin Carlton’s height or a moment of over-inflated confidence in his own appearance. “I can kiss heaven goodbye, because it’s got to be a sin to look this good!” Smith once bragged. Using your blog to put down a rival or toot your own horn isn’t a great idea, but sharing your opinion of products and services related to your industry can be a great way to engage your readers and establish yourself as an expert. For new blog post ideas you might review:

• Books – Use a blog post to highlight a book about your industry, or explain how the principles of an unrelated book can be applied to your business. If you’re a pet supply store, tell what you think of celebrity dog whisperer Cesar Millan’s Lessons From the Pack. If you’re a personal trainer, did you learn anything valuable from Lewis Howes’ School of Greatness?
• Products – The range of products available in any industry can make this a rich source of blog post topic material. An upscale beauty salon could compare several brands of dry shampoo and tell readers which works best. A residential contractor could outline the pros and cons of vinyl siding.
• Styles and Trends – Whether they are looking to update their fashion, their flooring or their 401K, readers want to know what’s current in your field. Review red carpet fashion trends in your blog posts and tell readers how they can copy their favorite looks. If you’re an investment consultant, share the backstory of the latest companies to go public along with your assessment of their prospects.

4. Air a Holiday Special

Holiday episodes have a short shelf life, but they are often the most memorable. Who can forget Ralph Scorpius, the psychic who hexed Will for calling him a fraud? What about that time Will decorated the mansion inside and out to give Ashley an extra-special Christmas? The neighbors, including guest star Evander Holyfield, petitioned to have the garish decorations removed until a chorus of carolers showed up compliments of the Banks.

Holidays, seasonal changes and special events are also a great opportunity to add unique content to your blog. If you’re a roofing company, plan a blog post topic on installing holiday lighting without damaging your rain gutters. If you’re a pet supply store, blog about the most popular dog costumes of the coming season. Include links for venues hosting pet costume contests. Preview an upcoming industry event or blog about it as it’s happening so your readers can feel like they’re right there with you.

This can also be a great time to invite special guests to your blog. If there’s a trade show, awards ceremony or industry celebration coming up, find out who’ll be there and ask them a few questions before or after the main event. You’ll get a fresh perspective, find new blog post ideas, and might also attract your guest’s followers to your site.

5. Take a Cab Somewhere New

The real draw of the Fresh Prince was seeing two very different worlds collide week after week. Buttoned-up Banks was the perfect foil to street-smart Smith. The show threw an East Coast Philadelphia urban youth into a bourgeois West Coast clan, and the result was both comic mayhem and entertainment gold. Don’t feel like your blog post ideas have to stay within the box of what your business has to offer. There are plenty of ways to keep blog posts relevant without turning them into bland, thinly veiled ads for your services. Content creation should be about offering your readers a new perspective, not just the same recycled posts.

Try pairing up two blog post topics that seem wildly different and see what happens. Find inspiration outside your industry’s usual box. What’s trending on the news or social media these days? Is there something happening in another industry that you could make relevant to your own? What might a pop musician or a historical figure have to say about a challenge your readers face? Use all of these methods and more to help generate new blog post ideas for your business.

Keep Blog Post Ideas Fresh

Don’t be afraid to approach your business blog from a wildly different angle. Coming up with great blog post ideas week after week is one of the biggest challenges of content creation. Don’t be afraid to show some emotion, share your opinions or try something new. Give your audience something unique and fresh and they’ll remember it forever.

Do you have any other suggestions for coming up with new blog post ideas? Do you have any favorite Fresh Prince of Bel Air pick up lines? Leave them in the comments below!

Banks Family Photo: http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fresh_prince_of_bel_air_1013.jpg