More Lessons on Best Business Blog Openers

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“Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs, or at least they think they do” is the captivating opening line of stylist.com’s “50 Best Children’s Books” list.

Since, according to litreactor (“Top Ten Opening Lines in Novels”), nothing is “as deeply important as the opening line,” this week I’m focusing my Say It For You blog posts on creating effective blog post openers. The opening line of George Orwell’s 1984 (“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen”) served as a good example of a compelling opener. Still, as a corporate blogging trainer, I cautioned that blog opening lines need to be definitive rather than mysterious, making sure readers know they’ve come to the right site for the information, products, and services they’re seeking.

Offering unique, little known information:
In “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” opening line, author Jon Scieszka is promising more, offering to let readers in on some special, little-known “scoop”.  And in blogging, whether you’re doing business-to-business writing or writing SEO marketing blogs for a professional practice or retail business, taking online searchers “behind the scenes” makes for content that is more compelling.

Taking the other side of the “debate”:
“Nobody has ever heard my side of the story.  I’m the Wolf.” Think about opening a blog post by presenting an opposing view or an alternative approach offered by a competitor.  Then, only after having fairly and fully presented the “other side of the story", come back to explain why you prefer to run your business or practice the way you do.

Presenting profiles of people who think they’re doing things correctly, but who aren’t:

A second LitReactor Top Ten Opening Line winner is this one from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:  “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” Indianapolis blog content writers can take a valuable tip from that J.K. Rowling opener. Blog posts can “open” with a description of people who think they are “perfectly normal”.  Those people believe they are properly maintaining their health, their skin, their HVAC systems, their swimming pools, their financial planning, etc., etc., but they are, out of ignorance, inviting future problems (problems the business owner or professional featured in the blog can help prevent).

Would your blog post opening lines qualify for Top Ten status?
 

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The Deeply Important Line in Blogging for Business

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“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,” reads the opening line of George Orwell’s novel 1984. That line earned a spot on ClassicLit.com’s list of "Top Ten Opening Lines".

Would that same Orwell line make the grade as an opener in business blog content writing? Let’s take a closer look:

“A novel is made up of many thousands of sentences, but none is so deeply important as the opening line,” says litreactor. “It should be mysterious and compelling, either poetic or shockingly abrupt.”

  • A blog post might consist of a few dozen, rather than thousands of, sentences.  Still, as a corporate blogging trainer, I’d have to agree: No line is as important as that opener.
     
  • Abrupt? Opening with a startling statistic is certainly one tactic blog writers can use to demonstrate to online readers that business owners and practitioners are familiar with the reader’s problem and know how to deal with it.
     
  • Compelling? Yes, that opening blog post line needs to be that.  But, mysterious? Not such a good idea, I’d caution freelance blog content writers.  In fact, one critical function served by the first line of any SEO marketing blog post is reassuring readers they’ve arrived at precisely the right place to find the products, services, and information they were looking for in the first place.
     
  • Poetic or shocking? The first line of a business blog could take either approach, depending on the target audience.  A spa, for example, might want to evoke a sense of relaxation and peace, whereas a home security systems company might want to take the opposite approach, “shocking” readers into appreciating the dangers of a home break-in.

The opening Orwell line about the clock striking thirteen does set the right tone for a science fiction book. One lesson newbie freelance bloggers must learn is to stay style-true to the “brand” of each client’s business or practice. Still, even though blogger “the Twisted Spinster” loves the line for its rhythm and slight weirdness,  as a blogger, I’d have to give it a “Meh” (so-so) because it doesn’t confirm the “match” with the reader’s search.

“I do have a fondness for short opening lines,” observes the Twisted Spinster. So do I, but opening lines, like blog post length, can and should vary depending on what is being communicated — and to whom.  In terms of how short an opening line should be, the rule I cite when offering business blogging assistance: is  “Make blog posts as long as they need to be to get the point across (choosing just one point to emphasize in each post to begin with), but not a single sentence longer”.
 

Opening lines in novels and in blogging for business may not be long or deep, but they can certainly be deeply important!

 

O

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Tucker Talks Real Estate; Say It For You Talks Blogging for Business

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I always enjoy the “how to” lists in the “Tucker Talks Real Estate” newsletters my friend Katrina Basile is kind enough to send along to me each month.  Along with some great recipes, I almost always find ideas that can be of help to my Say It For You freelance blog writers Indianapolis. The focus in this latest issue was on making house guests feel comfortable…

1. “Less is more. When it comes to décor, this tried-and-true adage is a smart one to follow.  Don’t clutter space with extra knick-knacks.”

Less is certainly more when it comes to content marketing strategy through writing for business, I stress to newbie freelance blog content writers. . Online readers, though, can absorb only so much in a sitting, so bloggers need to keep each blog post focused on one main idea, avoiding “cluttering” the space with extra “knick-knacks”.

2. “Clear the closet….try to leave some room for guests to hang up clothes.”  

The lesson for blog content writers in Indiana? SEO marketing blogs are meant to draw visitors. Make room for those visitors’ views by soliciting – and providing opportunities for them to give you feedback.

3. “Offer the basics. An alarm clock, extra toiletries, magazines or books, additional towels or sheets, a box of tissues, and bottles of water can come in handy for guests.”

As blog content writers in Indianapolis, we at Say It For You are not directly involved in initially selecting the right keyword phrases, setting up the widgets on the blog platform and on the website software, choosing domain names and tags, and creating a clear navigation path from the blog to the website landing pages and shopping cart.  But if these crucial mapping details have not been attended to, the results can be disappointing for all concerned. Online visitors need to be able to respond with minimum effort to calls to action presented in corporate blogs.
As Tucker Talks Real Estate advises, “Don’t hide the outlets.”

Interestinly, at the bottom of Page Two of the newsletter, there is a box with text calling me to action:  “As your neighborhood real estate expert, much of my business comes from friends, neighbors, and satisfied past clients.  If you know someone looking to buy, build, or sell a home, give me a call!”  

(Talk about a what-not-to-do example…) NO PHONE NUMBER was provided!  Had I been moved to immediately follow up on the Call to Action, I would have needed to return to Page One of the newsletter to find the number!
 
Readers find their way to your blog, remember, because the products and services they need or the kind of information they're seeking matches up with what you have, what you do, and what you know. Make those “guests” comfortable!
 

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13 Adventures, 5 Tactics to Try for Effective Blog Content Writing

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“Adventuress” Leslie Bailey finds “bucket lists” irksome. Rather than focus on things to do before you die, she recommends trying new things right now.

Whether I end up (or whether she does, for that matter!) going indoor skydiving or flying a helicopter during the coming year, I must say Bailey’s Indianapolis Star article “13 Adventures to Try in 2013” contains many of the elements that make for great blog content writing.

A number in the title
To freshen up blog post content, start with one idea about your product or service. Then try putting a number to it:

  • 2 Best Ways To Eliminate……
  • 3 Problem Fixes to Try ….
  • 4 Home Remedies…
  • 5 Tips…
  • 6 Knottiest Issues in…

Convenient navigation path to follow calls to action
Each one of Bailey’s suggestions ends with a phone number and website address readers can use to get it done. In other words, if I’m moved to actually try scuba diving, Bailey’s told me where to go to actually sign up. Ease of navigation (as I stress when offering business blogging help) is absolutely crucial to the success of any SEO marketing blog.

Varied sentence structure
Each one of Leslie Bailey’s paragraphs begins a different way. “Try fencing” begins: “Admittedly, it’s a chance to shout ‘Engarde!” at someone…  “”Go to the Kentucky Derby” begins: “I want the whole deal: big bets, bigger hats and lots of mint juleps.” “Ride a motorcycle” begins “Mostly to impress my Harley-Davidson-loving uncle.” Blog content writing, as I’m fond of saying during business blogging training sessions, is both science and art, with much of each relating to the words used in each blog post. And, the greater the variety in the parts of speech used and the sentence structure, the more interesting the writing will be.

“Pow” opening line to set the stage and grab attention
“At the risk of sounding too hipster about the whole thing, I have to tell you, the phrase ‘Bucket List’ irks me,” Bailey offers as her opener. A big part of content writing for blogs, I’ve found, involves getting the opening line” right. In fact, had Bailey been blogging rather than writing a feature article, an even  shorter and more direct opener might be (in bold letters)t “I have to tell you, the phrase ’Bucket List’ irks me.”

First-person writing
Leslie Bailey’s article is a grabber because she’s describing activities she’s either already experienced or which she’s challenging herself to try soon. I teach Indianapolis blog writers they’ll be at their most effective when they are at their most personal. Even professional ghost bloggers, I explain, can write in “I” format when sharing a personal experience that brings out some important aspect of the client company’s products, services, or corporate culture.

Many thanks, Leslie Bailey. I must admit it’s highly unlikely I’ll either try escargot or drive a NASCAR car in 2013 – or ever. What I can do, however, is use this wonderful 13 Adventures list as an example of engaging content writing!
 

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Business Blogs and Resumes – Sisters Under the Skin

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Business blogs and resumes have a lot in common, I reflected during a recent session for Butler College of Business sophomores.  Then again, not every one of the recommendations students were given for composing resumes is a good fit for blog content writing.

“Although there’s no one correct way to write a resume,” the workshop handout begins, “there are strategies to promote your abilities and to grab a reader’s attention.” Amen to that one, I’d say.  SEO marketing blogs are all about grabbing and holding readers’ eyeballs.

Resume writing tips that Indianapolis freelance blog content writers would do well to follow include:

  • “Keep sentences short’ and begin with varied action words.”
     
  • “Use clear and forceful language that stresses achievements rather than duties.”
     
  • “Since most employers “skim” resumes rather than read them, your resume cannot be an exhaustive list of everything you’ve ever done.”

    Each blog post needs to have a laser-sharp focus on one central idea. Online readers’ notoriously short attention span is one factor that dictates focus in blog content writing.
     

  • “Quantify your accomplishments – dollars saved, dollars generated, percentage increases in effectiveness and quality improvement.”
     
  • “Proofread yourself and others do that as well.  Read backwards to catch mistakes.”


On the flip side, the advice I’d offer business bloggers diverges from some of the resume-building tips:

“No personal pronouns.”

As a corporate blogging trainer, I stress exactly the opposite: First person business blog writing has one enormous advantage – it shows the people behind the posts. In first person, blogging for business can reveal the personality of the business owner or of the team standing ready to serve customers.

“Use telegraphic style, omitting ‘the’, ‘an’, ‘and’.”

While I mention in corporate blogging training sessions that bullet points in general are a good fit for blogs (notice how I used bullet points in this very Say It For You post), entire blog posts written entirely in telegraphic style wouldn’t have a natural, conversational flow.

“Many inexperienced resume writers make the mistake of cutting and pasting descriptions of their past job duties.” On this one, I’m in total agreement: Like powerful resumes, the key to powerful SEO marketing blogs is to present experiences and capabilities as accomplishments, describing the personality more than the job.
 

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