Fearless Blogging Tips for B2B Websites
It’s a shame, but too often entrepreneurs and business owners mistakenly think their blogs need to be great works of literature before posting them on their B2B websites. It sets in overwhelming, resulting in procrastination and a backlog of blogs that never get written. This means fewer opportunities to interact with customers. Follow these tried and tested tips and beat the terror of the blank screen and blinking cursor.
Stop negative thinking. Really. “But I’m a terrible writer.” “But I have nothing to say.” “Why would anyone want to read this?” These inspiration killers will sink your ideas before they set sail. Your blog does not need to be worthy of a Pulitzer. You simply need to connect with your customers by focusing on something your audience finds relevant.
Brainstorming is the biggest part of the battle. You know more than you think. Take a sheet of paper and draw separate columns for the following three questions: What is most important to my customers? What are your biggest concerns? What does my company offer to alleviate those concerns? Now list the answers to each of these questions for each type of customer you serve. Clever! Each answer is the subject of a new blog post.
Be yourself. Different authors have different voices and personality sells. You are an expert in your field; now just share it. Write in a simple, conversational tone. If you find your writing seems too formal, dictate your work into a tape recorder or have an actual conversation with someone. Grab a co-worker or friend and sit down with them for a few minutes as you explain your thoughts on the topic of your blog. Once you transcribe those thoughts, you’ll have a good chunk of unique, human-sounding blog content as a starting point.
Embrace the ugly. Too many people mistakenly think that every word has to be perfect before it’s put on the page. Save yourself the stress by writing it in ugly old English. Keep the bad grammar, fragmented thoughts, rambling anecdotes, and continuous sentences. Refraining from self-censorship will make editing much easier later on.
Now print it. Yes, on real paper. Hard copies allow you to work on your blogs in places that are inconvenient for a laptop, like your daily train commute or in bed at night. They also help you spot grammatical errors and typos. Increase the font size and enlarge the space before printing to make it easier for you to read. Try Georgia 12 point font with 1.5 paragraph spacing for readability and space for notes. Then go crazy with the red pen. Add, remove periods, commas and add more space between paragraphs. Now go back and write those changes. Then print it a second time and repeat this editorial process. Make this “2 drafts + revisions” system part of your personal blogging habit.
Hack your sentences. Be ruthless. Most of your sentences are probably too long. Cut as many as possible into smaller sentences. Minus commas and semicolons. More points and paragraph returns. Blog readers want to get in, get information, and get out. Remember what blogs on B2B websites are for: capturing the attention of your customers and giving them a useful tip or interesting information. Make it easier on your audience by breaking your thoughts into short, easy-to-read sentences.
Schedule a specific time to write. Maybe it’s in your office. Maybe it’s at home after your kids have gone to bed. But keep an eye on your sense of when he feels compelled to work on his blog. A pattern will begin to emerge. If you find yourself brainstorming blog ideas during your morning commute, use the audio notes feature on your smartphone for a quick brainstorming session. Simply transcribing your ideas later will generate a lot of quality words to start your blog post.
Just do it. It sounds cliché but it’s true. Work in whatever way is most comfortable for you, whether that’s dictating, writing by hand with pencil on paper, or jotting down a few ideas on the back of a poster during intermission. Momentum breeds momentum and once you start integrating blogging into your regular work cycle, it will soon fit seamlessly into your weekly to-do list.
Indicate your staff. You are not an island. You are surrounded by staff who understand your customers, your business, and where the two intersect. Your staff can contribute ideas or blog posts that are relevant to your audience and will also relieve you of some pressure.
Do like the pros: hire someone else. All the big brands use content writers. Do you think Richard Branson writes his own blog? What about Martha Stewart? Well, Martha Stewart might actually, but most major company executives hire ghostwriters for their corporate blogs and then just manage the message. Web development professionals are dedicated to researching and creating compelling content that supports your company and its mission.
Whether you go it alone or hire someone else, blogging will be easier, trust me. Every successful writer who hangs on to it knows this. Once you find your flow and personal style, the process will be less painful and, dare I say it, maybe a little bit enjoyable?