INBOUND ACCELERATOR

In some professions, there are no questions about how to get the results you want. Precise manuals spell out exactly how to replace an engine part or calculate the needed statistics in an actuarial table. But with marketing and content creation, the guidelines are a little more, let’s say, open to interpretation.

This includes writing business blog posts that deliver results – wouldn’t it be great if there were an absolute answer to what works? Then you would know whether to write long or “KISS” by keeping it short and simple. Unfortunately, the answer is not exact, but there are some statistics, best practices and complicating factors to keep in mind as you find the perfect length for your next blog post.

There is a lot of content out there. So much, that there simply is no place amongst it for content that is “just OK.” Content that is “just OK” won’t be seen, won’t be shared, won’t drive awareness, and definitely won’t generate leads and sales.

We believe that wholeheartedly, both for the content we create for our clients and the content we create for our own use — that’s why we have been known to take a completed infographic back to the drawing board and start all over from scratch because it was “ok” but not great.

Nearly everything you write as a marketer, and most public relations content as well, is intended to inspire the reader to do SOMETHING. Maybe that something is just to visit your website, maybe it is to sign up for a newsletter or download a webinar. Or maybe you want them to click “Buy Now” on your latest product.

Regardless of which action you want the reader to take, the rules for writing copy that converts remain largely the same.

Do you ever wish you had a blueprint that could guide you through the most important steps in creating a great business blog post? Something with some specs to refer to as you build from an idea out?

Luckily, Business2Community has drawn up plans for us, which fit well with what I’ve shared before (so I’ll link to more resources below the infographic).

How do you create content that strikes a chord with readers and can be easily found by those most likely to read, use and share it?

While the search algorithms and promotion strategies involved in reaching the maximum possible audience may be complex, a few simple rules apply to creating content that meets readers’ needs.

As humans, we tend to like our routines and habits. We set an alarm for the same time every morning. Breakfast looks identical most days. Following routines and doing things the same way every time is reassuring and comfortable.

But sometimes, it can mean you are stuck in a rut. And while our brains crave routine in what we do, they also crave new experiences in what we read and watch. As a marketer, or the writer of a B2B business blog, that means that while you feel most comfortable writing the same style of blog post every week (or every day), your readers are looking for something new and different.

Making the most of your marketing content, including data from original research, means repurposing information to fit a variety of audiences, formats, and distribution channels. It is a key tactic to increasing the ROI of your marketing efforts by getting more traction from a single idea or data point.

Start the process by creating an abstract the encapsulates the main idea of your content campaign and provides a foundation from which to work.

If your company is like most, not all of your official communications come from the same person. If you are with a medium to large corporation, there may be multiple teams in multiple locations, each tasked with a different objective.

A key element of a successful business blog is providing readers with useful information. That could be industry data and statistics, it could be insightful analysis and opinion piece on the latest trends, or it could be directions that help your readers solve a problem.

In a world where we are told that humans currently have an attention span roughly equal to that of a goldfish, it can be tempting to simply chase whatever the current “viral” topic happens to be that is setting the social media world on fire.