Last Updated on February 6, 2023 by Anthony
When blogging was first born in the early days of the public internet, it was thought of as a way to give the masses a voice in the arena of public discourse. Businesses were not blogging way back then. They are now. In fact, blog writing for businesses is one of our primary services here at Connotations.
A Cornerstone of Success
Blog posting is a cornerstone of successful business in the online era. As proof, check out the following statistics from Oberlo:
- 600+ million blogs populate the global web
- 92% of content marketers make business blogging part of their strategy
- 97% of bloggers promote their posts on social media
- Publishing 16+ blog posts per month increases traffic by 3.5 times.
More than 50% of content marketers consider business blogging their top inbound marketing strategy. That says something. It says that content marketers know blogging works. Whether they write themselves or hire a company like ours, content marketers know there is power in the blog.
Customers Appreciate Blog Posts
Something else content marketers know is this: customers appreciate blog posts. They appreciate them so much that 60% find them invaluable during the early stages of the buying process. Simply put, consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service after reading a blog post that connects with them.
So what is it about blog post writing that makes the practice so powerful? A well written post connects on a personal level. It answers a specific question, explains something that was previously unknown, or otherwise gives customers helpful and relevant information they can actually use. A well written business blog is not merely a collection of words.
Combining Business Blogging with Social
One of the statistics mentioned earlier reveals that 97% of all bloggers promote their posts on social media. This is true of both personal and business bloggers. Bloggers turn to social media because there is no promotional tool that offers as much reach. Think about it. Billions of people use social media.
The power of social media lies in the word-of-mouth principle. In the days before the internet, marketers valued word-of-mouth so much that they went out of their way to give customers reasons to recommend their businesses to others. Some of that still exist today, but social media does much the same thing in a more organic way.
Organic Referrals
Imagine putting in the time and effort to write a compelling blog post explaining one of the most misunderstood topics in your industry. You post that blog on your website and then share it on social media. You obviously share it on your business page, but you also repost on your personal page. Other people read it as result. If it is well written, relevant, and helpful, at least some of your social followers will like, link, repost, etc.
What you have just accomplished is an organic referral. Your business has been referred to other people as a result of your social followers liking and sharing your post. More likes and shares results in more referrals. You started with a single blog post and turned it into a marketing machine.
Not All Blog Posts Are Equal
Now we come to the challenging part of business blogging. As a company that specialises in blog writing services, we can assure you that not all blog posts are equal. They are not all equal in quality, relevance, and value. Making blog writing work for your business means not compromising on the finished product.
Ever wonder what makes a business blog successful? Check out these four things:
1. Relevance and Usefulness
Perhaps the number one factor in successful business blogging is relevant and useful information. Do not assume the purpose of blogging is solely to improve your SEO. That’s not the case. You want your blogs to connect with customers. You connect with them by giving them relevant and useful information in a more personal way.
2. Writing to the Reader
Productive blog posts are written ‘to’ the reader not ‘at’ the reader. There is an enormous difference. When you write ‘at’ your readers, you are giving them information from your point of view. You might be explaining something or giving your opinion. But when you write ‘to’ blog post readers instead, you are writing with their point of view in mind. You are having a conversation with your readers through the written word. This is how you establish the coveted personal connection.
3. Topic Selection
Far too many business bloggers make the mistake of zeroing-in on one or two topics and never deviating from them. They don’t realise how important topic selection is to making a personal connection. They also do not realise that focusing on just one or two topics eventually leads to derivative content readers find meaningless.
Imagine a company that sells mobile phone cases. If every single blog post is all about the cases themselves, it will not be long before all the original ideas are gone. Then what? Truth be told, there are lots of related topics readers would find interesting and helpful. It is okay to write on those topics. Not every post has to be about a mobile phone case.
4. Writing Quality
Finally, productive blog posts are dripping with quality writing. At minimum, they are free of spelling and grammar mistakes. They are also concise, easy-to-understand, and laid out in a logical manner. They employ proper syntax, too. By the way, we all know quality writing when we see it. Suffice to say that customers do not appreciate poor quality writing. They ignore it. They don’t come back for more.
Even if business blogging is not your thing, it should still be part of your company’s marketing strategy. Contact us to learn more about our blog writing services. We can take on the task for you, generating high quality blog posts that get real results.