Business Blogging Lesson: How to Blog With a Purpose
#writer's life
Do you know that everyone who
starts a business blog does so with the best of intentions? They’re going to
write regularly, give away valuable content to their readers, and really engage
with them.
Instead,
what you get is a blog that ends up being another news release platform for
you, and the last original content you wrote was 10 months ago. That’s okay.
Business blogs are the hardest marketing channel for business to keep updated.
According to
Andy Crestodina and Orbit Media’s Blogger
Survey, they found that over 10% of bloggers post “at irregular intervals”.
(This study encompassed everyone from business bloggers to SMB business owners
who blog for themselves.) Content Marketing Institute found that 80% of B2B
businesses use their blog for marketing purposes in 2015, a steady increase
over the last couple of years.
That’s
probably because they’re not really blogging for a purpose. They don’t
understand who to write for, and what they could gain from their blog. And
they’re really missing out.
Excerpt from
Feldman Creative Infographic Give your business blog some purpose
1. Be
consistent. Write regularly. That’s why
business blogs often fail, because they’re neglected after a while. Keeps the
momentum going after that initial excitement.
2. Use
images. It makes your posts easier to
read. That’s why infographics are so popular.
3. Make it
easy to read. Literally. Choose a good
font and colours on your business blog. Give it an easy-to-read layout on all
devices (aka make it responsive for mobile devices). Use good business blog
practices like lots of lists, numbered lists, white space, etc. This goes
double for longer posts.
4. Educate,
don’t sell. Business blog readers don’t want
to be sold to, so limit the disguised ads and press releases. Write
informative, educational content first. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or
can’t link to your sales stuff, just make it subtle. Link out to that content
instead. Always include good calls-to-actions (CTAs), regardless of your
business blog focus. You want readers to continue reading.
5. Remove
barriers to your content. Aka Make It
Easy For Your Readers. That means removing the number of clicks it takes to get
to your content or information. Don’t hide everything behind a gate.
6. Be a
storyteller. The best bloggers tell a great
story with their words. So regardless if you’re a professional writer, read the
masters, study the bloggers you admire, then emulate them. (Geek Confession: I
do this too. All the time in fact.) Do your best to tell your best stories all
the time, to the best of your abilities.
7. Be
authentic& passionate. There’s a
reason that you work for your current business, right? Let that passion and authenticity
shine through in your posts. If you’re excited about things, your readers will
be too. This is one of the reasons I talk about Geeks in my posts and in my
business. I’m passionate about Geeks and what they do, and it comes through in
my writing (right? You all see that, right? :-) )
8. Invest
wisely and seriously. Blogging is
a long-term strategy, and in order to get a good ROI, it needs the best tools
and writers you can finance. That means hiring writers internally or working
with a freelancer like me. That means attending in-person events to find out
what your market is talking about. That means investing in some software tools
that will help your blog succeed. If you’re not ready for that type of
investment, walk away now.
9. Show off
your successes and wins. Create
short-form case studies as blog posts and talk about how existing customers
overcame their obstacles with your products. We all love a good story with a
happy ending, and the case study is the quintessential example of this.
Plus there’s
the added bonus of readers identifying with the showcased customer, which means
if you solved that customer’s issue, you can probably solve the readers’ too.
10. Have fun
with your blog. Even in the
B2B realm, a business blog can be fun. Eliminate the jargon and techno-babble.
Use the same words your readers use as you tell the story. Show off some
picture of your staffers letting loose at a trade show or other fun event you
attended.
11.
Recognize others too. Whether
it’s by inviting industry leaders and experts to guest blog for you, or by
writing about customers, employees, and sometimes even competitors, those
positive vibes have a way of reflecting back on you.
12. Don’t
back down from a fight. I don’t mean
this literally, but use your business blog to be contrary and swim against the
current. Talking about the same things as everyone else is boring, and doesn’t
make you stand out. Taking a different stance or perspective from your
competitors makes you stand out and earns you more readers and shares.
13. Interact
with your readers. This is a
reminder that a business blog is not a one-way street, but rather, a
conversation. Respond to comments on the blog and feedback on the posts on
social media.
14.
Crowd-source your content. Keep up the
steady stream of content on your business blog through crowd-sourcing. By that
I mean writing posts that answer your reader’s questions, publish guest posts
from respected authors and thought leaders in your industry or market.
Get your CEO/CMO/CIO to write a regular post as well. It doesn’t have to all be up to you. This is especially true if the business blog is just one of your regular work activities. Spread the work around and give everyone an investment in making it succeed.
Get your CEO/CMO/CIO to write a regular post as well. It doesn’t have to all be up to you. This is especially true if the business blog is just one of your regular work activities. Spread the work around and give everyone an investment in making it succeed.
Have you
been blogging with a purpose? Share your
stories of business blogging in the comments. I’d love to hear how you’re doing
it.
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