Writing blogs for a business that sells to other businesses or government entities is a lot like writing blogs aimed at consumers: they must be unique, relevant, and useful. But there are some key differences and knowing what they are will make you a better B2B blog writer.
The Not-So-Secret Formula to Writing Blogs for Business
B2B blogging has finally come into its own. More businesses are including it in their overall marketing strategy. They are learning to capitalize on social media’s contributions and produce content that B2B readers crave.
Here are three great tips on how to master the art of writing blogs for business to business clients.
1. Go Deep
B2B readers are a different breed from B2C ones in that they often thrive on posts that include lots of details and industry jargon. While you don’t want to overuse jargon in any blog post, its strategic use can make the reader feel welcomed, respected, and appreciated for their shared knowledge. The trick is in making the content easily understood by industry neophytes, but dense enough to establish an organization as an expert.
2. Embrace “Risky” Thinking
The audience loves learning about trends, but people really get excited about posts that predict what may be in store. Well-researched B2B blog posts that go out on a limb generate more sharing and feedback than strictly informational posts. And when the predictions prove to be shrewd ones, the return can be substantial. And don’t limit these “future of” posts to a January release. If there’s a trending topic in an industry, it’s worth theorizing on its future any time of the year.
3. Have a Purpose
Whether you’re writing content that focuses on lead generation, the customer journey, or a combination of both, be clear on what you want the post to achieve. Otherwise, how will you measure its success?
Good buyer personas let you write targeted content that talks to people in the right way. Pay attention to what buyers are looking for and write posts that answer their questions and concerns. To build personas that help you achieve your goals:
- Use surveys for in-depth insights that get to the heart of the customer’s problem.
- Conduct interviews to learn what made current customers buy (or not buy) a product or service.
- Learn from collected data how buyers interact with a company’s website and write posts that reflect common habits.
As a writer, you don’t always have easy access to this information, but you can get good data right online.
Visit forums like Quora and sites like LinkedIn to hear from experts in all sorts of industries. Data tools like BuzzSumo and Moz’s Open Site Explorer (soon to be Link Explorer) help track social shares and help you build smart link prospecting. And social media is an excellent source for fleshing out personas. All of these approaches will help you write content that is highly targeted and, most importantly, effective.
The Bottom Line
Writing well-researched, tightly focused B2B blogs can generate a substantial number of new visitors, leads, and conversions for any business. They’re an indispensable tool that, approached correctly, will result in blog posts that wow your readers and produce the numbers you’re looking for.
