From Idea to Page in Corporate Blogging for Business

“Nothing is more exciting than the promise of a story in your head, but in order to get it on the page you need to figure out exactly what you need to make it work,” says N.M. Kerby in Writer’s Digest.  Beginning with the protagonist is one of those steps (see Monday’s Say It For You blog), but another is “announcing the stakes.”

Kerby’s article was targeted towards aspiring novelists, but, as a corporate blogging trainer, I found a lot that applies to SEO marketing blog writing.

“Great prose will go a long way – about 2,500 words, more or less,” he observes.  “After that, even the most literary readers want to know why they’re reading.”

When I’m offering corporate blogging training sessions to business owners and their employees, or talking to freelance blog content writers, I’m telling them the same thing. Needless to say, there’s no 2,500-word “window” of time to “get indicative” and capture readers’ attention – 25 seconds is more like it!

And, just as novel readers have selected that particular book after having read the blurb and perhaps a bio of the author, online readers who arrive at your business blog are there because they’re interested in your topic. Your task is to keep them engaged with valuable, personal, and relevant information, beginning with the “downbeat”, (which is my term for the first sentence of each post).

“If where you’re going (with your book) doesn’t match where you were going when you set out, focus on better defining those areas before you go any further.”

With business blog content being so much shorter than novels, planning and focus become even more important – and, to some extent, trickier to accomplish. Before ever sitting down at their computers, freelance blog content writers have lots to do in terms of planning. The general themes, or “leitmotifs” have (ideally) been chosen when the blog was first created; now a single focus within one of those themes should be singled out for today’s post.

Great blog posts will go a long way – about 400 words, more or less.  Long before that, however, even the most dedicated online readers want to know why they’re reading!