3 Rules for Writing Content for Your Business Blog

I just read a great post over on the Marketing Professor blog by Travis Campbell, 3 Rules for Using Twitter for Business. These same three rules should apply to all of your content marketing, but they are particularly relevant for writing content on your business blog.

(Travis must be doing this right, because I found him on Twitter and I'd never heard of him or his excellent blog before today.)

1. Have a Strategy. Here are some strategy points to consider:

Give them a reason to read: Is your content useful to your target market? Do your blog posts give readers insight into you as a person, as well as useful information?

Show them you care: You have to be more than a lecturer or teacher. Get real. Be human.

Mix it up: While building a profile for business, remember people ultimately do business with with people. Feel free to mix up your updates with some of your own questions, observations, and your personality.

2. Have Targets: Here is Travis' guideline:

5% - About yourself
50% - Useful information for your target market
5% - Thoughtful questions (which create responses)
20% - Industry news (other sources) with your commentary
10% - Stuff which can make your readers lives better (who doesn’t want  save time, money or energy?)
10% - Resources available on your site or other people's sites

3. Plan to Participate: Involve yourself in a two-way conversation. Write using the pronouns "I" and "You". Ask questions, give opinions, admit mistakes.

What do you think about these "rules?" They make sense for me.

As for using them for Twitter, I'll have to sit down and think about this, for sure. For now, I'm just been lurking and occasionally "tweeting" on Twitter because I hate to miss out. But I don't have a strategy or a purpose and I've been wondering if it's really worth it. Like most things on the Web, it's easy to be distracted by the latest bright shiny toys.

I need purpose, I need strategy. What are yours?

Let me know your thoughts.

Comments

[Travis Campbell]

Patsi-

Kind of you to reference the post in such a complimentary way. Your ties to blog content seem to work well, and I hadn't thought if it in the same way until your comment and this post. Now you got *me* thinking! ;-) I like how you are encouraging conversation in your posts, a great example of a valuable blog.

Glad to be in touch.

[Fred Krazeise]

This was very helpful to me. I especially liked the "breakdown" of what your blog should contain. Good stuff, thanks!

[Jenny Pilley]

I think that many people are still under the impression their business blogs have to be stuffy and full of jargon. However, this won't make anyone want to read them, therefore the purpose of blogging is futile.

Great advice, I think this will help a lot of people review their blogging technique.