Tie In Tidbits and “So What’s” in Blogging for Business

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Last week in my Say It For You blog, I used examples from three different websites, all related to bedroom furniture companies, to illustrate three different blog content writing “lessons”:

Consistently posting blog content to capture prospects’ attention at the precise moment when those prospects have a need (Furniture Today)

Using blog posts to share company news and announcements (American Freight)

Reinforcing customer loyalty and gaining credibility through publishing testimonials as part of a corporate blog (Bedroom Furniture Portland)

Today, though, I want to use a bedroom furniture blog post to illustrate a business blog writing technique that was not used very effectively.

First, let me explain that, in corporate blogging training sessions, I often recommend including interesting information on topics related to your business (or, if you’re a freelance blog content writer, related to the client’s business). If you can provide information most readers wouldn’t be likely to know, so much the better, I add.  Tidbits and “startling statistics” are important in blogging for business, because that information helps engage online readers’ interest.

The La Pallissa bedroom furniture company blog started out with some fascinating information, enhanced with photos:

 “Ready to learn something today?  A Masia is a type of rural construction common to the Iberian Peninsula, particularly during the ancient Kingdom of Aragon…”

So, what’s the problem here?  If the information is so interesting and unusual, why do I think La Pallissa writers might use some business blogging help?  Because the information is never tied to the reader’s problem or need.  Because there’s no call to action. Because there’s not a word of that blog content that says why the writer cares about that information or why that information could make a difference to readers.

We’re never told that the Aragonians were used to sleeping on stone, rather than expecting the kind of firm softness that modern and luxurious La Pallissa products would provide. All the blogger does is end with the question: “What do you think of this earthy and modern architectural specimen?”

A reminder for Indianapolis blog content writers: Online searchers must be assured they’ve come to the right place to find the information, products, and services they need. Without guidance, those searchers are unlikely to make the connection between Aragon home construction and the bedroom furniture they might buy! 

Create a clear thought path – from those fascinating tidbits in your business blog writing to the benefits online readers stand to gain, Tie your tidbits to the answers to readers’ “So what?” and “Now what?” questions.

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How To Write a Love Letter – or Blog for Business

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“When it comes to writing a love letter, remember: It’s not a card.  It’s a letter,” cautions Tom Chiarella in a wonderfully sentimental Readers Digest piece.

Sometimes, in corporate blogging training sessions, I find myself issuing a similar caution: " When it comes to blog content writing, remember: It’s not an ad.  It’s a blog.”

As a professional ghostwriter of blogs for business, I’m keenly aware of the fact that when people go online to search for information and click on different blogs or websites, they don’t want to “be sold.” Sure, readers know the providers of the information are out to do business, and that the business owners and professional practitioners sponsoring the blog would like to convert them into clients or customers. But, if the material is valuable and relevant, the readers will stick around, so long as the blog doesn’t come on too strong in its Calls to Action.

Blogs, I explain to newbie freelance blog writers in Indianapolis, are more like advertorials than advertisements.

And, while blogs aren’t love letters, either, a lot of what Tom Chiarella had to say, I found, could be applied to writing for business and can be used by anyone who provides business blogging services.

“First, sit. Letters take time.  Writing takes a while.  Three lines can’t do the work of three paragraphs.” Crafting your message when blogging for business takes time and discipline. A website cannot tell your story completely, nor can it engage your potential and current customers with fresh content in real time. Blogging is more effective than any other medium at communicating your story in a timely manner, spread over time.

“Be loyal to the past you share. Use detail to show what you remember and that you remember.” Blog content writing reveals your story.  Why this business or profession?  How did you get started?  What connects you and your readers?

Remember, it’s not an ad.  It’s not a website page. It’s not a long article.  It’s a blog.

 

 

 

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Shoes and Business Blogs – Some People Care If They’re Shined

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Nice to know I’m not alone. Just because I’m a business blogging trainer and professional blog content writer in Indianapolis, doesn’t mean I’m the only one who thinks paying attention to detail is important.

In the span of one short week, I heard two different people advise my Butler business students to pay attention to details, explaining that those details can make a big difference in what kind of first impression you make.

Cautioning our sophomores in Real Business Experience class (I serve as team mentor in this class) to present their final papers mistake-free and properly formatted, Professor Zach Finn summed it up as follows:

“Think of it like shoes – some people care if they’re shined.”
 

Later that week, at the freshman Top Dawg business plan competition, volunteer contest judge and local business leader David Harding advised students:

In business, dress up. Put on that coat and tie. I know your generation likes to be
informal, but, believe me, how you present
yourself will make a big difference in your career.
 

That’s exactly the point I try to make when it comes to creating SEO marketing blog content.
Yes, I know the online crowd likes to be informal, and yes, blogs are supposed to be less formal and more personal in tone than traditional websites. But when a sample of corporate blog writing is posted in the name of your business (or in the case of Say It For You writers, in the name of a client’s business), the business brand is being “put out there” for all to see.

Dress your blog in its ”best”. Prevent blog content writing “wardrobe malfunctions” such as grammar errors, run-on sentences, and spelling errors. Avoid redundancy. Tighten up those paragraphs.

You may be thinking: Most readers will merely scan your content and won’t pay very close attention to details like those.

Some might, though. Can you afford to have potential customers noticing your lack of care?

Think shoes – some people will care if they’re shined!

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Bedding Lessons for Blog Content Writers in Indianapolis

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 Never one to “nap” when it comes to corporate blogging training, I’m on the alert for ways to keep blog content writers awake and active. Three visits to websites in the blogosphere’s “bedroom community” sparked some great ideas business owners and professional practitioners can use to keep their SEO marketing blogs energized over long periods of time.

Furniture Today blog
“Bedding is an impulse item,” asserts Jim Green of furnituretoday.com. “When you want one…well…you want one… When the consumer gets the impulse to buy a new mattress, he/she will commonly act upon it quickly.” 

(Here’s the part that relates to blog content writing:) “The best merchants put the message out there on a consistent basis to capture the customer’s attention whenever it arises.”    That’s precisely true in blogging for business. To capture online searchers’ attention “whenever it arises”, it’s crucial for you to maintain frequency and consistency in posting blog content.


American Freight blog
“American Freight Furniture and Mattress is excited to announce that the Lakeland, Florida location has moved to a larger space and expanded its inventory.”  One excellent reason for posting  business blog content is to make announcements of news about the business or practice.

Clarifying ways in which you differ from your competitors is another: “American Freight is a warehouse-style discount furniture story open to the public that specializes in furniture obtain through dealer cancellations, factory closeouts, retain chain buyouts, and wholesale liquidations.” American Freight goes on to explain why that’s good for the customer.  As I often explain to business owners, in writing blog content in Indianapolis, always assume readers are asking themselves, “So what?”

Bedroom Furniture Portland blog
Like American Freight, Bedroom Furniture Portland is making use of their corporate blog to make an announcement: “We finally got our store hours up at the store!  Our hours for those who want to stop by and visit are by appointment Tuesday, Wednesday – Friday 10-5, Saturday 12-5, Sunday 12-5, closed Mondays.”

In another post, the bedroomfurnitureportland blog features a testimonial. “With just a few emails and phone calls, Susan was able to answer all my questions…In a couple of weeks after placing my order, the furniture came and I was completely satisfied with the quality and detail of the items.”   Customer success stories and testimonials like this one boost the credibility of your business with new prospects.  At the same time, I explain to Say It for You freelance blog writers who create content for clients, the process of providing a  testimonial reinforces the relationship that client already has with the business or practice.

You may not be selling mattresses, but, whatever the products or services you provide, always imagine that when online searchers want one…well…they want one. 

Will your business blog content be there to tell them you’re there, ready to satisfy their wants?

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Business Blogging is For Brand-Building, But It’s Important to Cut the Static

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Social media “should be part of every company’s outreach, because it has great potential for brand-building…”, asserts Linda Mansfield of Restart Communications, who recently served with me on an Indiana Motorsports Association panel to discuss marketing on the Web.

The static problem, explains Mansfield, comes from the fact that “all of the different social media avenues are vying for the same thing: people’s time and attention”. Of course, as we blog content writers in Indianapolis know all too well, “traditional” marketing message are part of the competition for consumers’ eyeballs and eardrums along with new media.

In corporate blogging training sessions, I emphasize that “winning search” through business blog writing is simply not enough.  As Mansfield points out, you have to “make sure that the people who are the ‘face’ of your company are approachable, likeable, knowledgeable, and available.”

Lucky for us freelance blog writers, blogging for business is the perfect vehicle with which to “face the nation”, our very own group of online readers and clients who share our interests.  While there’s more than enough information out there on every imaginable topic, including our own, blog content writing provides a unique and ongoing opportunity to talk about what we have, what we know, and what we do. Most important, we get to share who we are and why we’re so passionate about our work.

Business blogs – they’re where we get to be approachable, likeable, knowledgeable, and available!

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