Blog Writing (part 1)
When it comes to blog writing for your business, you may wonder why it is useful and why you are spending your time writing and publishing a business blog.
I asked myself the same questions as I prepared for a 10-minute presentation at my weekly BNI Evergreen networking meeting.
In answering the questions, it occurred to me that others may be interested in these questions and others. So, below are the notes from my presentation and a bit extra.
What is the purpose of a blog?
The purpose of a blog is to educate and inform visitors to your website and social media pages.
A blog is about;
- generating awareness of your brand,
- your business,
- your area of expertise and
- even the type of person you are,
- the values you have and
- whether they ‘like’ or are aligned with what they perceive
A blog is a great tool for establishing credibility and trust online.
If a potential client is looking for an accountant, for example;
- They might do a search in Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest or other platform to find a local business.
- From there they may visit a couple of websites – the about us pages and blog page
- The About Us page will typically provide photos and information and experience of team members
- The Blog page provides information that might be relevant to the item they are trying to solve
- It will contain keywords and details that create credibility – all before the person has picked up the telephone or sent your business an email.
When is a good time to write a blog?
To put it simply, a business blog can be used to;
- share a product or service,
- create awareness about an issue,
- provide information or updates relevant to your business industry
- boast about an award or public recognition
- introduce new staff members
- share about a business rebrand
- simply to share something you or your business partners are passionate about
For more ideas about blog content check out Blog Topic Ideas.
How do I write a blog?
When it’s time to sit and write a business blog start with the five W’s and one H.
Who what when where why and how
When it comes to a business blog keep the language simple and explain acronyms.
A blog can be written in first person (I, me etc) in which case it could be signed by the author or include a photo or information about the blog author somewhere on the page.
Blogs can be written in third person (we, you, they etc) or story form.
For the more creative, poetry can also be used in a blog to impress readers.
What length should a blog be?
This is a commonly asked question and one that has multiple answers and depends on who you speak to.
From the perspective of SEO it ‘should’ be between 500 and 900 words.
From a reader’s perspective it varies from between 300 to 500 words.
I believe it depends on the content – as long as the content provides value then go for it.
Another way to manage long blogs is to break them into sections or chunks. Separating the blogs and linking back and forth to each, like this blog, is useful for SEO and keeps readers engaged.
Do you have questions about blog writing for your business? Drop me a line.
You may also be interested in;
Blog Writing (part 2) What to do when your business blog is written
Blog Writing (part 3) Pros and cons of blogging
Blog Writing (part 4) Blog Topic ideas