The typical business blog post is boring.
Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s dry, bland and formulaic.
We talk about features, specs and sprout random numbers. What’s missing is context, concrete benefits, and any personality.
While we know automation is the future, we don’t need to be this robotic to keep up with the times, friends!
That’s why I love exploring new ways to approach business blogging and how we engage with customers, overall.
The reason we’ve divorced our business copy from anything resembling human is because now we’re not speaking to people (like you might in business to consumer), we’re addressing the faceless business.
Think of this way: who’s working at this business? People, right?
That’s why I am happy we’re seeing an emergence of different ways of thinking about business to customer engagement, like human to human marketing.
I found a podcast this week that discusses how to write the best story if you’re a journalist. Immediately, I saw the potential for corporate content, and I’d love to talk you through it here.
In the podcast over on Journalism.co.uk, Jacob Granger speaks with Robert Cottrell, former foreign correspondent and founder of Browser.com. Browser shared advice for journalists on writing the perfect story to captivate readers.
There are tons of valuable insights in the discussion, and I’ll relate a few that have practical applications for business blogs here.
These are four magic ingredients if you want to cook up an enchanting blog post.
The Power of Compelling Headlines
There’s a reason everyone makes a fuss about headlines.
Good headlines can move readers to action, boost engagement and attract shares.
One study showed 59% of people would share a story they haven’t even read – based solely on the headline.
I’ve written about digital media publishers like BuzzFeed and Upworthy and the science behind their headlines. These publishers have generated millions of shares. Now the content is compelling, but it was the job of a snappy headline to attract the reader in the first place. (They probably would have dominated the internet perpetually if it wasn’t for digital giants, Facebook and Google.)
That’s why is important to flex your creative headline muscle.
How do you get right that?
Why, I’m happy you asked because I am in the middle of a long, winding journey with headlines.
Like with everything in life, if you want to get good at headlines, you need practice.
Start with identifying headlines you like. Examine these headlines.
Why do they intrigue you? Take your favourite headlines apart. During your dissection you’ll learn more about how to construct your own winning headlines.
If you get stuck, include Copyblogger’s How to Write Magnetic headlines in your curriculum. This free ebook examines why certain types of headlines perform well. The combination of knowing the types of headlines readers enjoy and why they achieve success is an excellent entry point as you embark on your quest to write better headlines.
Intriguing Intros
You penned a seductive headline. It worked.
Your reader has clicked on your post. Now you need a fascinating intro to pull them in. You have a story to tell, after all.
This is something you learn when you set foot in journalism school. Now, I studied journalism in 2003. Way before the competition for attention and content overload. Even back then, we were taught to focus our energies on writing compelling intros.
I expand on the structure of a solid news story here. Its’s all about the lede: draw the reader with something that builds on the promise of your headline.
If you’re struggling with intros, you’re not alone. Writing for reader’s online is especially hard. I copy intros I love into a folder and flip through them for inspiration.
Have Conversations
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?
Have a conversation with your reader. A good ol’ chat. What’s so hard about that?
So, when I started blogging things just got weird very quickly. It felt jerky and forced and I was scrambling to find the words I needed to tell my story.
Think about this. An average adult utters over 10 000 words per day. But now when it comes to blogging, when’s down to writing content that will help our businesses, suddenly we’re tongue-tied.
Gah! It’s horrible. But get this, it doesn’t have to be.
I pretend I’m talking to my husband or best friend. It’s so much easier. Remember this, you can always go back and edit. The beauty of this approach is that it loosens you up.
Tell the Story Only you can tell
Folks, it doesn’t matter how saturated your industry is, you have a unique perspective.
I’ve had the opportunity to write about companies in the same industry offering similar services, but their unique value proposition was totally different.
Sometimes, we think things have been said before. Not only has the idea been said before, but you might be worried that it’s been expressed better. More succinctly.
Get rid of that noise. You bring a unique perspective based on your knowledge and experience. Let that shine through in your business blog.
Maybe it’s a case study? Perhaps you have a new angle on an important industry issue. You have an insight you’ve gained through your individual experience, and it’s an insight that can help your customer solve a business problem.
Coming up with engaging business blogging consistently isn’t always easy. But following some of these tips may help to guide your efforts. Try these techniques for your next post and see the difference.
