For many small business owners, the hardest part of blogging is coming up with unique ideas to write about their industry.
There are thousands of alarm and security blogs. Many are recycling ideas that someone else has had. While there are no new ideas in the world, there are some topics that can be different, interesting and fun.
In the industry, the standard blog is a listicle with “the best alarm systems of 2022” or something like that.
Here are ten ideas that aren’t that. Some are even unique.
Low-tech alarm and security ideas
Talk to your readers about why they might create alarms for their homes, cabins, businesses that don’t involve a lot of high-tech equipment. How about balancing a bottle on the doorknob in case someone tries to get in? Bells on window frames? A small slide lock on every window? Be creative and look for things that can be done with no or few tools that don’t require batteries or electricity.
How to plan exterior lighting
A short blog on how to make sure there are no dark spots without having to light the house up like Las Vegas. Talk about how to position a light or illuminate an entire alcove or how to aim a light so it shines over the lawn.
You might even talk about how they can use a motion-sensing light to wake them up by shining into a bedroom window.
How to hide valuables without a safe
Look for some old-school hiding techniques, like hollowing out a book to put jewelry in or pulling up a floorboard. Show your reader how they can keep their precious items protected without a lot of expense or effort.
Also, talk about unusual places to hide valuables, like in a bag in a toilet tank. Burglars aren’t likely to look in a toilet for jewelry or gold coins.
Filing a police report after a break-in
Guide your readers through filing a police report. Of course, you don’t know where they are, but you can mention the things they should put into the report, what evidence to preserve, and what to expect.
How to set up a home security system
It can seem counterintuitive to tell people how to do your job, but there are some complexities here that they might not want to deal with. Explain how you calculate coverage, which angles need to be covered, and how to avoid dead spots.
For you, this is all nearly instinctive, but for someone new, this is a lot of work. They’ll call you rather than have to figure all of that out on their own.
Getting a security audit
Tell your readers how and why to get a security audit. What should they expect? How long does it take? How much will it cost?
It can also be helpful to tell your readers when to get a security audit and even how to do a short one for themselves.
Top 10 home security cameras
Listicles, a blog that lists things like this one does, are very popular. They’re easy to scan and get information from.
If you do anything that a consumer can buy for themselves, put prices right in the titles of each device. “Sonalo XR-153 Home Security Camera $159.” You can even make a little extra money by being an Amazon affiliate and linking to the devices on Amazon. Be sure you put in a paragraph at the top (and the bottom is good, too) that tells readers you might make money if they use the links, but that it doesn’t cost them anything.
Increasing neighborhood safety
Help people learn to work with their neighbors to make everyone safer. It can include hints for forming a community watch, aiming cameras at each other’s houses, and having a call list in case someone suspicious is running around the neighborhood.
Making your house home invasion-proof
It’s sad that we have to talk about fortifying our houses so no one can break in and hold us hostage, but that’s where we’re at. Talk about how to install a front door cam, a back door cam, even how to install a door bar or what the best door is for a house or apartment.
This type of advice might help someone understand how they can feel more secure in their own homes without a lot of effort.
The top 10 most stolen items
If people know that they have some of the most stolen items, especially if they’re visible from a window, they might protect themselves.
A list like this can give them some understanding about what burglars want and how to keep it from them. It’s a simple way to avoid problems, by simply not flashing that you have something they want.
How to secure garden decorations
This might seem odd, but some items in people’s yards are worth hundreds of dollars. Often, they’re stolen just as vandalism, not for resale. Tell your reader how to use chains, cables, or stakes to make their lawn decorations harder to steal.
Make your content useful
Many times, companies want to spend all their time telling their readers why they’re outstanding. This is fine once in a while, but no one wants to read a commercial over and over.
Make all of your blogs useful to your readers, even if it means sharing your “secrets.” Nothing is secret any more. They will learn what they want from someone. It should be you.
Most times, the things you’re talking about are hard to do. It can be complex. They’re more likely to call you to do it if you’ve shown them you know how to do it well enough to teach it.
Teach your readers and they will hire you to do it. A great example is changing the oil in your car or truck. You probably know how, but most of us don’t do it. Why not? It’s time consuming. You need some specialized equipment. It’s a hassle. It’s “cheaper” to let someone else do it and we move on with your day.
