How to write a good business blog
Business blogging can be tricky – your writing has to be professional, yet casual; informative, but not cut into the products/services you are selling, and (most importantly) open.
However, the work you put into it is extremely beneficial when it comes to your company’s branding, giving the world an insight into what’s behind the scenes. On top of that, writing a blog can grow your business as you position your company as a thought leader in its industry.
It’s important to realise that writing a blog can help your business, but can also end up being a big waste of time if no one reads your writing.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing a business blog:
· Tone. Your blog should be written in a different tone to your website, as its biggest strength is establishing dialogue with readers. In order to best engage with readers, your writing needs to have style, personality and knowledge behind it. Write like a person, not a professor. Also, keep posts short and to-the-point, especially if your target audience is time-poor.
· Audience. Who are you writing for? It is impossible to write for everyone, so make sure you write for a specific audience. Think about their demographic: size of their company, industry type, seniority, region and so on. Establish the bandwidth of people your blog is targeted at and the challenges they may face.
· Frequent posting. Posting a blog a few times a week is extremely beneficial as readers return more often, knowing they will find new posts. It will also benefit your search engine optimisation (SEO) and Google rankings.
· Subject. Company blogs are not about the hard sell – just concentrating on the business become dull very quickly. Company news is important, but make it relatable to the reader. Don’t be afraid to talk about the good and the bad; the achievements and challenges. If there is a newsworthy topic in the industry, exploit the buzz, seize the day and strike while the iron is hot by posting a blog with your thoughts on it.
· People. If you have a team backing you, make sure they post blogs as well. It gives your blog different voices and perspective, adding to the richness of its quality. Also, write about people if you can, and definitely mention their names. Most big identities and businesses have Google alerts set up – by writing about them, you’ll get on their radar. Of course, it’s important to exercise caution and be mindful of what you say.
· Popularity. After you get the ball rolling on your blog, analyse its traffic to see which blogs are popular among your readers. Is there a particular topic that leads to a spike of hits on the blog? Listen to your audience to see what works and what doesn’t.
Good luck with your blogs – please feel free to comment and share a link to your writing as well!
- Eliza Sum
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comments ( 2 )
Maria Alda Prawitera
10 Apr 2013Very good post! On social media, I agree that businesses should not treat consumers as consumers and themselves as businesses, everyone are friends, and the voice should represent a story/advice/solution from a friend to another.
ReplyAnother interesting point is the last one: that blogs need to be analysed -- most of businesses do not do this, when it is the most important step for improvement!
Will Bowman
11 Mar 2013Great post!
ReplyAs mentioned, blogging is a great way for people to keep informed on the activities surrounding your organization and its industry. Providing news, information and stories about the day to day performance of an organisation to your staff is a great way of keeping them informed about what the business is achieving and what events/activities are taking place.
It is also gives the organisation a different 'face' from an external perspective. As mentioned, blogs should be kept open and accessible, so anyone can read and engage with them.
Very interesting topic!