In the financial industry, they talk about the power of OPM (other people’s money). As a professional ghost blogger offering business blogging assistance, I talk about staying up on trends through OPB (other people’s blogs).  Just the other day, I read a really interesting post from Steele Marketing Concepts called “Intent vs. Reach”. I thought the points made in that article were highly relevant for business blog writing.

“The goal with most advertising and promotion has always been the greater the reach of my message, the higher the odds it will connect with someone who is interested in buying my product,” the article starts out.  My translation: The more bread you cast on the proverbial waters,  the more likely you’ll see some ROI (return on invested effort).  Spot on, Steele Marketing; in discussing blog marketing strategy and tactics development with clients, I mention the power of frequency in business blog writing. In other words, when it comes to search engine optimization and getting indexed, more is better. 

Steele Marketing makes the point that social media have the greatest reach and the highest level of buyer intent.  Therefore, “not using online marketing tools tied to your website and other media means you are missing out on those buyers with the greatest intent to buy.”

This is the essential point that drives my work in providing blog writing services as well as corporate blogging training. Potentially, your reach through business blog writing is enormous – the entire blogosphere is the oyster for business owners! But even more important, I explain to new business owner clients, the people most likely to find their way to your blog are those already interested in what you do, what you know about, and what you sell – in other words, those with at least the potential intent to buy! In fact, as a freelance SEO copywriter, I write for, and to, already delineated target readers, the ones who have needs my client’s business is in a position to satisfy.

“I believe the implications are clear,” concludes Steele. “…if you are not already doing some level of email marketing, social media, and website optimization, is to get started.” As a ghost blogger offering corporate blog training, all I have to say is “Amen!”

One good rule to keep in mind when blogging for business is to provide information that’s actionable. After all, isn’t the whole idea behind all the effort to provide relevant, frequent action to win friends and customers?
 
Like all rules, even good ones, though, it’s meant to be broken every once in awhile. Sometimes, if the facts you present in your blog are intrinsically interesting, even if they are things that are actionable by readers right then, it may be worth including them. For fun. To add variety. To demonstrate your own curiosity and knowledge in your field.

And, speaking of including fascinating, if not immediate actionable, material in your blog at least once in a blue moon, what’s the origin of that expression “Once in a blue moon”?

Lunar mechanics may not seem related at all to what you do or what you have to sell in your business, but everybody can relate to the expression “once in a blue moon.” Just the other day an acquaintance remarked on the fact that my Say It For You professional ghost blogging business address starts with the number 1313, saying it’s fitting for a ghost to be situated at such a location!

Here’s the scoop: In most years, there will be one full moon per month, three times for each season of the year. Seven times every nineteen years, though, there comes a year when there are thirteen full moons during the year. According to the now-defunct Maine Farmers’ Almanac, “this was considered a very unfortunate (hence “blue”) circumstance, especially by the monks who had charge of the calendar…..it upset the regular arrangement of church festivals.”

What’s more, we learn, in each season, the first full moon was called “early”, the second “midsummer” (or midwinter, midspring, or midfall), with the third being called “late”.  So as not to upset this system, a different term needed to be found for the “extra” moon, so they chose “blue moon”.

This type of “so-now-you-know!” material can add interest and variety to business blogs. Yet, in order to make the details relevant to the corporate blog “mission”, as I teach in my blog content training sessions, It’s a good idea to establish a tie-in to your own topic.

• Landscaping company – using blue formula to enhance the look of ponds
   
• Dry cleaners or laundry appliance company – bluing white garments
   
• Pet care company – whitening dulled hair on a pet with bluing
   
• Lighting company – The wave lengths of different colored lights and which colors of light are most appropriate for different uses
   
• Electronics store – Blu-ray technology

But, since frequency is one of the criteria for winning search, please – don’t blog just once in a blue moon!