So much positive feedback came in from Say It For You readers about my wordsmithing tip series, I decided to add a second set of tips this week.  Needless to say, I encourage all my Indianapolis blog writer friends to submit their own tips to me as well.

“People in different companies and industries often don’t speak the same language,” observes one of my favorite wordsmiths, Milo O. Frank (How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less).

My own observation, based on working with different industries doing corporate blogging training, is that lack of clarity between writer and reader is worse with business-to-consumer corporate blog writing.  But even among suppliers, consultants, and retailers within a single industry, there’s no question that the clearer the words are to all the parties, the easier it becomes for transactions (obviously one of the end goals of SEO marketing blogs) to happen.

In his book, Frank offers a great example of a better way to get a complex point across to an audience through a metaphor:

Not-so-good version:
“Bypass refers to the use of telecommunications services…to circumvent the local telephone company network.  This will deteriorate revenues and increase costs to residential consumers.”

Much better version:
“Think of your local telephone company as the Main Street Bridge, which costs $100,000 a year to operate regardless of the amount of traffic.  A big company builds a new bridge just for trucks.  Now the cars have to pay more to cross the Main Street Bridge because there are no trucks to help carry the costs.  That is bypass.”

Freelance blog writers are reminded to paint a picture for their online readers. (In Frank’s example, it’s the image of the bridge that gets the point across.)

Business blogs are all about getting found, then getting the point across.  Words and pictures are your two tools in blogging for business!

According to Natural Health Magazine, “If there’s one thing the food industry is good at, it’s nutritional sleight of hand.  In “Health Food Shockers”, nutritional medical professional Beth Reardon does some debunking worth noting by anyone involved in mythbusting through corporate blog writing.

Reardon lists several “sneaky” food items we all think of as healthy. She debunks some of the myths surrounding each food, offering health hints. As a professional ghost blogger offering "healthy blogging tips” to business owners and freelance blog writers, I couldn’t help reflecting on some uncanny parallels:

Corporate blogging for business is supposed to be unqualifiedly healthy for business owners’ and professional practitioners’ bottom line, but there are some “sneaky” aspects to avoid in SEO marketing blogs just as there are in food choices.

Natural Health Sneaky stuff: Store-bought vegetable juice
Real deal: Many of these juices are heavy on starchy vegetables, with sugars and salt added for flavor.
Healthy hint: Make your own juice in a blender to keep as much fiber intact as possible. One serving shouldn’t exceed 15 grams of carbs.

Sneaky stuff for Indianapolis blog writers: Posting blogs telling about the company’s products and services.
Real deal:   Other people, specifically online searchers, are interested, first and foremost, in themselves and their own needs, wants, and interests.
Healthy hint: Never forget – now the online visitors have arrived at your blog, they want to find content that demonstrates you understand their needs, not content that boasts of what you know and what you have!

Natural Health sneaky stuff: Dried fruits
Real deal: The drying process removes a lot of water, and the product becomes a concentrated source of sugar. Many brands add sulfur as a preservative, which causes bloating in the body.
Healthy hint: Opt for organic (no sulfur) and “no sugar added” products.

Sneaky stuff for Indianapolis blog writers: Testimonials from customers.
Real deal:  Many clients ask the business owner to write a testimonial paragraph for them, or to give them a fill-in-the-blanks form..
Healthy hint: Give clients questions to answer in their own words. Executive coach Larry Laswell gives some examples: “What perceptions and misgivings did you have before you hired me?” “What did you really find?” “What was the result?”


Healthy hint for blog content writers:  Blogging for business is an ideal way to debunk myths and clear up common consumer misunderstandings. Be yourself in your blog and allow visitors get to know what makes you and your company tick.  Those readers will be able to tell – you’re the real deal!