5 Tips for Writing a Killer Business Blog
A blog is an intimate, personal communication medium, making it quite different from the more formal style of a business website. The fact is, writing for a blog differs form standard Web writing in a number of ways, and companies need to make the proper adjustments if they expect people to read and recommend their blogs.
Here are some writing tips will help make your blog stand out from the crowd.
5 Writing Tips for a Business Blog
1. Write a letter, not a dissertation. When I write a blog post, I imagine I'm writing a letter to a friend. This helps me keep the tone personal while trying to provide the reader with useful information. Also like a letter, a blog post should be a bit open-ended, perhaps leaving out certain information or asking questions that the reader can respond to and keep the conversation flowing.
2. Stick to a point. A site's product pages can be loaded with information and data, but blog posts have more impact when they are short and sweet. For SEO purposes, a blog post should be at least 300 words, but there's rarely a need to go much beyond 500 words. Assume your blog readers are busy. Feed them simple, digestible points that make their lives easier and more profitable. Long, rambling posts fill up the reader; you want them to be hungry for more!
3. Keep it simple. Avoid jargon: Your readers may not understand it. Don't use a big word when a simple one will do, and write simply structured, short sentences as much as possible. Keep in mind these suggestions may not apply if you are selling a technical product or service to technically oriented customers. As in all Internet marketing, knowing your audience is always the key.
4. Make posts easy to scan. Because your readers are likely to be in a hurry, help them catch the gist of your post without forcing them to read it word for word. Paragraphs should not be more than four or five lines. Use bullet points, strategically placed bold type, and straightforward, crystal-clear titles and subtitles. Captioned images that convey your post's central point are also helpful.
4. Be consistent. Finding your blogging "voice" takes time and a little experimentation, but at some point you need to find your groove so readers know what to expect. If a blog is funny one day and deadly serious the next, if it's sarcastic on Monday and weepy on Wednesday, people will drift away toward blogs that are more predictable. Having a unified theme and consistent style must be central to your blogging strategy.
Brad Shorr has been blogging since 2005. His freelance business, Word Sell, Inc., was among the first to introduce blogging to entrepreneurs and midsized firms. He is currently Director of Content & Social Media for Straight North, a Chicago-based Internet marketing firm. The agency specializes in B2B with clients that do everything from moisture wicking shirts to packaging fulfillment. For social media conversation, follow Brad Shorr on Twitter.
