White Paper

A Blog Content Writing Guide for

Your Business

 

 

(800)  746-­‐3121  info@proprcopy.com  www.ProPRcopy.com  

   

2

Introduction

 

In  today’s  business  world,  it’s  more  important  than  ever  to  keep  in  constant  communication  with  your  customers  through  multiple  channels.  Putting  together  a  high-­‐quality  content  marketing  strategy  is  a  great  way  to  start  engaging  customers  with  your  brand,  and  perhaps  the  best  and  simplest  way  to  get  started  is  with  blogging.  

A  blog  is  a  terrific  marketing  resource  for  several  reasons.  First,  it  gives  you  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  your  current  and  potential  customers  about  important  issues  related  to  your  industry,  while  giving  them  the  ability  to  respond  and  engage  in  dialogue  with  you  in  the  comments  section.  This  type  of  back-­‐and-­‐forth  between  businesses  and  consumers  helps  to  inspire  brand  loyalty  and  adds  a  personal  touch  to  the  way  you  interact  with  your  customers.  

A  blog  that’s  consistently  updated  with  good,  informative  content  is  likely  to  be  one  of  the  most-­‐visited  sections  of  your  website.  It  also  can  do  wonders  for  your  search  engine  optimization  (SEO)  efforts.  

This  white  paper  addresses  how  you  can  develop  compelling,  informative  blog  content  on  a  consistent  basis  —  and  then  promote  that  content  online.  We’ll  start  by  establishing  a  sound  process  for  your  blog  writing.  

3

Developing Your Process

Creating  quality,  engaging  blog  content  on  a  consistent  basis  isn’t  easy.  It  takes  persistence,  creativity  and  a  commitment  that  lasts  longer  than  a  few  months.  Your  blog  is  always  a  work  in  progress.  

The  following  are  some  steps  you  can  take  as  you  work  on  your  blog  writing  process:  

Prewriting  and  topic  generation  

Everyone,  including  the  most  seasoned  writers,  get  writer’s  block  from  time  to  time.  You  can  probably  relate,  no  matter  what  level  of  writing  you  do.  That’s  why  it’s  so  important  to  focus  first  on  forming  some  ideas  before  you  sit  down  to  write.  

If  you’re  completely  stuck,  try  carrying  an  idea  notebook  or  download  a  note-­‐taking  app  on  your  phone  to  make  sure  you  have  a  place  to  jot  down  any  ideas  that  come  up  as  you  go  about  your  day.  Once  you  have  an  idea  or  topic  in  mind,  expand  on  it  before  getting  started.  

One  of  the  best  ways  to  do  this  is  through  free  writing,  which  allows  you  to  write  anything  that  comes  to  mind  without  worrying  about  formatting  or  style.  In  other  words,  just  sit  down,  write  and  don’t  stop  to  edit—you’ll  have  time  for  that  later.  

Getting  started  with  a  rough  draft  

As  you  write  the  first  draft  of  your  blog  post,  don’t  focus  too  much  on  proper  grammar,  spelling,  word  count  and  the  general  nuts  and  bolts  of  your  content.  Instead,  concern  yourself  only  with  getting  your  ideas  into  a  workable  draft  that  you  will  condense  or  expand  on  later.  

At  this  stage,  it  is  important  to  set  aside  some  quality  alone  time  to  concentrate  on  writing.  Find  a  comfortable  place,  such  as  a  coffee  shop,  quiet  restaurant,  library  or  your  home.  Turn  off  your  cell  phone  and  steer  clear  of  email  and  browsing  the  web.  It’s  time  to  focus  on  writing.  

At  the  end  of  this  stage,  it  might  be  a  good  idea  to  let  someone  else  read  through  your  piece  to  give  an  opinion  on  the  readability  and  interest  of  your  writing.  Make  sure  it  is  someone  you  trust  both  personally  and  professionally.  

Edit  and  fine-­‐tune  

After  you  have  a  rough  draft,  it’s  time  to  revise  and  edit  for  general  flow.  This  might  take  some  time,  as  many  writers  go  through  several  rounds  of  revisions  before  reaching  a  final  version.  

Next,  you  should  check  for  grammatical  errors,  hard-­‐to-­‐read  paragraphs,  spelling  mistakes  and  other  issues  that  might  impact  readability.  Many  writers  have  found  that  they  are  most  successful  when  they  print  out  a  document  rather  than  reading  off  a  screen.  Again,  it  might  be  necessary  to  have  someone  else  review  your  blog  post  to  catch  any  errors  you  could  have  missed.    

4

Brainstorming Topic Ideas

One  of  the  most  challenging  aspects  of  business  blogging  is  coming  up  with  fresh  topic  ideas.  The  following  are  nine  creative  steps  you  can  take  to  brainstorm  new  subjects  to  cover  in  your  blog  content:  

1.  Ask  your  readers:  Poll  your  readers  on  the  topics  about  which  they  would  like  to  learn  more.  Think  about  some  of  the  common  questions  your  customers  have  asked  you  recently.  This  will  give  you  a  good  idea  of  the  subjects  your  target  audience  finds  interesting  or  useful.  

2.  Brainstorm  with  coworkers,  friends  and  other  bloggers:  Set  aside  an  hour  or  so  to  sit  down  with  your  colleagues  or  other  industry  professionals  to  brainstorm  new  topics.  This  is  often  much  more  effective  than  going  at  it  alone,  as  you  get  the  benefit  of  multiple  perspectives.  

3.  Interview  an  expert  in  the  industry:  Find  someone  you  respect  or  admire  and  ask  that  person  10  questions  about  the  industry  in  which  you  compete.  It’s  a  great  way  to  come  up  with  interesting  content,  and  you  may  even  reap  additional  rewards  in  the  form  of  networking.  

4.  Work  with  a  professional  copywriter:  Writing  all  of  your  blog  content  yourself  is  time-­‐consuming,  and  few  entrepreneurs  or  business  owners  can  keep  up.  That’s  why  so  many  blogs  fall  by  the  wayside.  Working  with  a  professional  writer  helps  your  brand  remain  consistent.  

5.  Review  a  product,  service  or  book:  Find  a  new  product  related  to  your  field,  try  it  out  and  write  an  honest  review  on  it.  If  you’ve  recently  read  a  book  connected  to  your  industry,  share  what  you’ve  learned  with  others.  Making  sound  recommendations  is  a  great  way  to  get  people  to  read  and  engage  with  your  blog  content.  

6.  Bring  back  popular  posts  or  articles:  If  you’ve  been  blogging  for  some  time,  you  may  have  found  that  certain  posts  were  particularly  popular  with  readers.  Consider  reusing  this  content  by  providing  updates  or  building  on  what  you  previously  wrote.  

7.  Consider  the  trends:  Pay  attention  to  trends  in  your  industry  by  following  other  blogs,  reading  trade  publications  and  engaging  with  others  on  social  media.  Work  any  recent  trends  into  your  blog  posts  (when  applicable)  to  grab  readers’  attention.  

8.  Make  it  fun:  Some  blog  topics  are  inherently  more  interesting  than  others,  but  even  if  you’re  writing  on  a  fairly  lackluster  concept,  try  to  find  ways  to  bring  humor  or  fun  into  the  content.  Put  yourself  in  your  readers’  shoes  and  think  about  whether  your  content  is  engaging.  

9.  Share  something  personal:  Sometimes  it’s  intimidating  to  put  yourself  and  your  thoughts  out  there  for  all  to  read.  However,  by  sharing  some  personal  details  or  anecdotes  on  your  blog,  you  show  readers  that  there’s  a  human  being  behind  the  content.  This  can  help  you  connect  with  your  target  audience  much  more  effectively.  

5

Promoting Your Blog Content

Once  you’ve  established  your  blog  and  written  some  content,  it’s  time  to  make  sure  readers  have  access  to  it.  However,  it’s  important  find  the  right  balance  between  contributing  to  an  online  community  —  such  as  a  social  media  network  —  and  being  overtly  self-­‐promotional  in  your  efforts  to  bring  more  attention  to  your  blog  content.  

The  following  are  some  tips  to  help  you  find  that  balance  when  promoting  your  online  content:  

•   Don’t  make  clicks  your  end  goal:  If  you’re  joining  other  online  communities,  don’t  make  clicks  to  your  website  the  main  reason  you’re  there.  Instead,  focus  on  developing  personal  connections  with  other  users.  The  better  you  get  to  know  people  within  the  community,  the  more  open  they  will  be  to  checking  out  your  content.    

•   Balance  what  you  share  on  social  media:  There  are  a  few  popular  ratios  you  should  follow  for  the  content  you  post  on  social  media.  You  could  follow  the  “rule  of  thirds,”  in  that  a  third  of  your  updates  should  be  about  you  and  your  content,  another  third  sharing  content  from  others  and  a  final  third  focused  on  personal  interactions  with  others.  You  could  also  follow  the  5-­‐3-­‐2  rule,  in  which  five  posts  are  content  from  others,  three  are  your  content  and  two  are  personal  updates  or  interactions.  

•   Comment  on  other  people’s  work:  Read  other  related  blogs  and  leave  quality  comments.  The  word  “quality”  is  important  here  —  you  should  actually  put  some  thought  into  what  you  comment,  because  a)  it  reflects  better  on  you  and  your  brand,  b)  it  makes  people  more  likely  to  want  to  come  to  your  blog  content  to  see  what  you  have  to  say  and  c)  it  removes  any  doubt  that  you  are  only  reading  and  commenting  for  the  purpose  of  self-­‐promotion.  

Ultimately,  even  when  you  follow  these  tips,  people  will  know  that  you  are  trying  to  promote  your  own  content.  But  by  making  a  valid  effort  at  being  a  part  of  a  community  and  contributing  something  meaningful,  you  will  get  more  attention  in  a  more  organic  way.  You’ll  likely  find  that  others  are  happy  to  return  the  favor  by  sharing  the  great  content  you’re  offering!

6

Answers to Common Blogging Questions

 

Our  writers  and  editors  work  with  a  wide  variety  of  businesses  across  nearly  all  sizes  and  industries  to  develop  articles  for  their  company  blogs.  Many  of  our  clients  have  never  had  a  blog  before  they  began  working  with  us,  so  naturally  they  have  some  questions  when  they  are  first  getting  started.  

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  most  frequently  asked  questions  we  receive  when  it  comes  to  creating  effective  and  informative  blog  content:  

Q:  Which  topics  should  you  cover?  

Generally,  you  want  to  keep  your  blog  content  topics  limited  to  those  that  relate  to  your  industry,  your  brand  and  your  niche.  Anything  you  think  your  customers  would  find  interesting  or  useful  could  make  good  fodder  for  your  content.  Some  types  of  businesses  have  narrower  verticals  than  others,  but  this  is  a  good  place  to  start.  

Q:  How  often  should  you  post?  

This  depends  on  your  overall  content  marketing  goals.  We  typically  recommend  publishing  a  new  blog  post  at  least  once  a  week.  Google’s  search  algorithms  reward  websites  that  regularly  post  new,  informative  content,  so  you  don’t  get  a  whole  lot  of  SEO  benefit  if  you’re  posting  less  than  once  weekly.  Posting  more  often  also  helps  keep  your  customers  coming  back  to  your  website  to  view  more  content.  

Q:  What  makes  a  blog  post  a  success?  

If  you  have  people  read  it  and  enjoy  it,  you  can  consider  your  blog  content  a  success  from  one  standpoint.  There  are  certain  elements  of  posts  that  position  them  for  better  success,  including  an  interesting  and  relevant  title,  easily  digestible  information,  related  images  for  more  visual  appeal  and,  most  of  all,  high-­‐quality  writing.  

Q:  Does  your  business  really  need  a  blog?  

If  you  are  serious  about  content  marketing  and  improving  your  search  engine  rankings,  having  a  quality  blog  can  only  help  you.  It’s  a  relatively  small  investment  that  can  pay  big  dividends  if  done  consistently  and  over  an  extended  period  of  time.  Nearly  all  businesses  and  organizations  can  benefit  from  blogging,  especially  if  they  have  a  unique  niche.  

7

Finding the Right Content Partner

 

One  of  the  greatest  challenges  businesses  and  marketers  face  when  outsourcing  their  blog  writing  needs  is  ensuring  they  maintain  quality  and  value  in  their  content  while  reducing  costs.  Many  copywriting  firms,  including  copy  mills  and  overseas-­‐based  companies,  fail  to  provide  consistently  strong  and  well-­‐written  content  —  impeding  the  effectiveness  of  content  marketing  strategies.  

But  does  it  have  to  be  that  way?  Some  outsourced  copywriting  service  providers,  such  as  those  based  in  the  United  States  like  ProPRcopy,  are  able  to  deliver  high-­‐quality,  professionally  written  content  at  competitive  price  points.  The  solutions  these  upper-­‐tier  firms  provide  are  worth  exploring  for  a  number  of  reasons:  

1.  Outsourced  content  writing  saves  on  costs  

The  main  reason  why  you  may  be  looking  to  outsource  your  content  writing  in  the  first  place  is  to  reduce  expenses.  Nowadays,  the  sheer  volume  of  content  businesses  must  create  is  overwhelming  for  in-­‐house  staff,  and  hiring  writers  to  take  on  this  work  is  cost-­‐prohibitive.  

Reputable  copywriting  firms  offer  a  much  more  affordable  and  scalable  solution,  allowing  you  to  essentially  reap  the  benefits  of  an  in-­‐house  staff  without  the  unnecessary  expenses  and  rigidity  that  come  with  it.  

2.  A  good  content  writing  firm  maintains  consistent  quality  

By  working  with  an  organization  that  staffs  professional  and  experienced  U.S.-­‐based  copywriters  and  editors,  businesses  and  marketers  know  who  they’re  working  with  and  gain  comfort  in  the  level  of  quality  they  will  receive  on  a  regular  basis.  Firms  like  ProPRcopy  allow  you  to  work  directly  with  an  editor,  giving  you  the  ability  to  develop  a  strong  working  relationship  around  shared  goals.    

3.  Experienced  content  writers  understand  the  target  audience  

When  companies  try  to  outsource  their  copywriting  needs  to  an  overseas  provider,  the  most  common  complaint  is  that  the  content  they  get  back  is  of  poor  quality  and  does  not  connect  well  with  the  intended  target  audience.  This  is  very  frustrating,  and  it  can  be  difficult  to  work  through  the  revision  process  —  if  the  provider  offers  revisions  as  an  option  at  all.  

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A  good  copywriting  service  provider  is  also  able  to  deliver  a  wider  range  of  services,  including  blog  content,  website  copy,  press  release  writing  and  distribution,  social  media  content  and  email  marketing.  

4.  Industry  knowledge  matters  

The  best  content  writing  services  have  people  on  their  team  who  have  written  for  a  wide  range  of  different  industries,  businesses  and  subject  areas.  It’s  helpful  to  work  with  copywriters  and  editors  who  have  created  content  for  your  industry  in  the  past,  and  who  you  know  are  able  to  understand  the  needs  of  your  business  and  its  various  customer  profiles.  

If  you’ve  been  exploring  the  options  for  outsourcing  your  copywriting  needs,  consider  the  benefits  of  working  with  a  U.S.-­‐based  firm  rather  than  a  copy  mill  or  an  overseas  provider.  Instead,  partner  with  a  firm  that  offers  you  the  high  level  of  quality  you  need,  while  delivering  some  much-­‐needed  relief  to  your  budget.  

 

 

Contact ProPRcopy

 

Learn  more  about  developing  strong  blog  content  on  a  consistent  basis.    Work  with  the  skilled  content  writers  at  ProPRcopy  today.  

 

 

 

 

 (800)  746-­‐3121  

info@proprcopy.com  www.proprcopy.com