Blog

Blogging, in addition to any online presence, is becoming just as important as having a company website. Customers, clients, and potential clients want to read a blog. They want to see what companies have to say when they aren’t pushing a commercial or promotion or event. They want to get a feel for the people behind the company name, as well as interact online with companies they like.

But how do you blog so what you write is worth the effort and people will actually read it? Turns out, anyone can blog sufficiently enough to draw in readers. After all, you already have a client base and that’s a pretty hefty reader base.

Purpose:

When setting out to write a new blog post you need to have a purpose. Without purpose, there is no reason for anyone to read your post—and possibly by extension, no reason for anyone to support your company.

When sitting down to write your blog post ask, “What is the point of this post?” If that is hard to answer, reconsider your topic or—better yet—figure out the purpose! Follow it up with questions such as, “What do I want people to know? What service will this post provide? If I had to convey my message in just one or two sentences, what would I say?” In answering those questions, you come up with the meat of the story.

Style/Format:

In traditional news writing, reporters often use what’s called the “inverted pyramid.” This refers to writing a lead (or first paragraph) that sums up the most important facts of the article and captures the attention of readers. The lead answers who, what, where, when, and why. Subsequent paragraphs fill in more detail with decreasing importance as you go down the line.

While this is a good starting point, blogging is typically a lot less rigid and incorporates more tone and personality than does straight up news. However, while it might be fun and a good idea to mix up your format as you go, keep in mind that most readers don’t read entire articles or even entire blog posts—even if they’re moderate in length.

In short, get to the point and get to it within the first few paragraphs.

Voice/Tone:

Because your blog is representative of your company it is important to decide what voice or tone to convey. Do you want the tone to be light and friendly? Do you want readers to be met with a serious tone that conveys authority and experience? Do you want to be serious yet approachable? Do you use colloquial terms or maintain proper grammar at all times?

Choosing a tone comes down to the messaging and presence your company already has, as well as what new feelings you might want your audience to see.

Regardless of your particular tone or voice, it is a good idea to write in the first person. The success of blogging comes in part from the sense of immediacy that readers receive while reading. Using words such as, “I, me, we, us, you” make the reader feel like someone is talking directly to them, instead of feeling like a vague body is spewing information into cyberspace.

Images/Graphics:

Humans are visual. Even blogs with excellent writing, useful information, and interesting perspectives can be bypassed because of a lack of visual stimuli.

Pictures, graphs, infographics, etc. all serve to add deeper meaning as well as catch the attention of readers. If your company has an art/graphic design department or specialist, it might be well worth it to enlist their skills for your blog.

Length:

There is no set rule for length when it comes to blogging. There are blog posts ranging from two paragraphs long to 20 and beyond. The length should be determined by your topic and goals with that particular post. In a blog post be concise and beware of “fluff,” but don’t skimp on the goods either.

Key words:

Before writing your post, consider what terms people might use in a Google search to find your area of expertise or topic. If possible, incorporate those key words into your post. However, don’t make the mistake of writing your entire post around those key words. Key words are important, but the content and quality of the writing are what matter most.

Blogging shouldn’t be stressful, but it is an important addition to any company website. By following these few tips you can make a great start on your blog and begin some substantial interactions with your clients and customers.