Business blogging can be intimidating. Sure, we get it. Sometimes when we have to sit down and write for clients, we get the jitters, too. What if we don’t product quality blog copy today? What if no one comments? And so on. Of course, like we said we’re writing for clients, so our number one strategy is usually to just buckle down and work, even if it means we’re revising later. We do, too, revising and revisiting topics as necessary because we want to make our clients’ business blogs as perfect as they can be. Then again, we’re getting paid for our writing directly. When you’re writing a business blog and YOU are the business, the payoff for blogging isn’t as clear. Which is yet another reason so many business owners shy away from committing to writing a business blog.
But today I am here to tell you that you shouldn’t be intimidated! You shouldn’t worry about comments or the fact that your initial efforts don’t seem to be attracting any attention. And when writing a business blog, you absolutely shouldn’t be looking for a 1:1 ratio between effort and payoff. Blogging is almost always first and foremost a labor of love. You should be writing a business blog to inform and educate and entertain – when you write because you’re passionate about what you do, the attention will always follow. That’s the problem, though, isn’t it. Writing. I’d say we can’t all be natural born writers, but the reality is that very few writers are. Writing is just like anything else: Practice makes perfect.
With that in mind, here are 5 tips that will help you produce consistent quality copy when you’re writing a business blog:
1. An editorial calendar is a must, regardless of your business blog’s subject matter. Your editorial calendar is simply a list of topics that you will cover, organized by date. For example, you might post about Blue Widgets on Monday the 12th, the idiosyncrasies of your industry on Wednesday the 14th, and a how-to video about using widgets on Friday the 16th. Plan your post topics a month or so in advance, and you’ll never be without something to write.
2. Decide when you’re going write a business blog. Are you planning on posting three times a week, maybe Mon., Wed., and Fri.? Decide whether you will sit down and bang them all out on Sunday afternoon, or whether you’ll write each post in the a.m. of the days they are scheduled to go live. Treat business blogging like another workday to-do and insert it into your schedule.
3. Use guest bloggers! There are sites that will provide you with free or close to free content written by others, but if your industry is quite specific or technical, you may not find the kind of content you’re looking for. We recommend asking employees if they’d like to blog about their areas of specialization or interest or simply assigning blog writing to the most qualified employee.
4. Write about what you know. A business blog should be focused on your industry, but blogging is easiest when you feel like you’re in firm ground with regard to your subject matter. If you’re enthusiastic about the topics you’re writing about, your readers will sense your enthusiasm and respond in kind.
5. Decide on five or so types of posts you will focus on when writing a business blog. Maybe you’ll do how-tos, photo posts, Q&As, Top 5 lists, and interviews with clients. It doesn’t matter what types of posts you focus on, the point is having a framework within which you’re writing will make it a lot easier to come up with post ideas in the long term.
Image: woodleywonderworks
In a world that has grown to be centered almost entirely on the internet, business blogging is rapidly becoming a mandatory component of any marketing strategy. Aware of this fact, most companies have launched their own business blogs, but many fail to properly develop their latest technological tool. The reasons for this are many, ranging from time constraints to a perceived inability to learn new things to a belief that business blogging isn’t actually all that effective anyways. Regardless of your reasoning, the truth is that, when used properly, business blogging and other similar trends can draw attention to your business, help you to acquire new customers, and turn your existing clientele into diehard fans. It may seem complex to learn an entirely new way of attracting an audience, but in fact maintaining a blog is not all that different from maintaining a personal relationship. In fact, the five most common and fatal business blogging mistakes bear a striking resemblance to errors nervous couples make when trying to strengthen their connection.
Mistake #1: Fact Flooding
Just as you would not offer the same information about yourself on a date as you might give on a job interview, you should not post the same information on your blog as you do on your website. Reserve hard facts, press releases, and company statistics for your corporate site. Although your blog should be based on factual information, allow it to incorporate the opinions of your employees. Use your blog to define your company’s personality. Nobody wants to date someone who spits out boring data the entire meal, and nobody will want to read your blog if it is just a bunch of regurgitated facts from a newspaper. Spice it up, make it exciting. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Mistake #2: Not Committing
If you’re interested in someone, you will reserve a certain amount of time and energy for them. Do the same with your blog. Abandoning your blog, just like abandoning your significant other, is one of the most fatal mistakes you can make. No matter how much else you have on your plate, plan ahead so that you have time for what matters. Just as you schedule dates in advance, write down the days you plan to post on your blog and begin to prepare in advance. That way, if something comes up unexpectedly you will still have time to service your blog. Bottom line: if the blog matters to you, you will make time for it.
Mistake #3: Hogging the Ball
Blogging, like a conversation with another person, is a multi-party exchange. If one person dominates the conversation, or “hogs the ball,” the other parties lose interest and move on to something, or someone, more accommodating. Your blog should be a conversation. You should encourage feedback from your readers and also listen to their comments and validate them with responses. People will be much more likely to read your content if they feel that you care about their opinions and are willing to discuss your own views. Nobody wants to date someone who makes themselves the center of the universe and never allows anyone else to speak, and nobody wants to read a blog that doesn’t make room for multiple viewpoints either.
Mistake #4: Hiding What’s New
Humans, men especially, are notorious for trying to hide their feelings behind masks of security and stability. This instinct, as well as the imbalance in the quality between women and men, has created drama in relationships for centuries. If something happens in your life, whether good or bad, you should share with your significant other. Make it easy for them to learn about what’s new with you. Don’t make them pull it out of you. The same is true for your blog. If people can’t easily access the new information, they will move on. A site with nothing new only serves a purpose for so long, and eventually people will find a site that easily gives them access to interesting and updated information. Remember: you don’t have a monopoly on your product. If your readers want the latest information and you don’t have it, they will go somewhere else. You need to give the reader’s a reason to come back for more.
Mistake #5: Picking Out a Wedding Ring Before You’ve Gone on a Second Date
Everyone knows that when one party’s expectations exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances, it can be a destructive misstep. Fantasizing about a beautiful wedding or your honeymoon in the Bahamas before you’ve met each other’s friends is just plain impractical. Blogs are no different. Don’t expect your blog to gain followers and become an instant success overnight. If you do, you are bound for failure and are very likely to give up easily on your new endeavor. Be patient, give it time, and try to keep your expectations realistic.
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