Copywriting for the Web: How to write winning business blogs

August 22nd, 2010, Category: Copywriting For The Web Misc

It’s all very well advising clients to parachute a blog page into their website – and advise I do. But when it comes to the of process writing, many people are left scratching their heads.

And it’s understandable.

What do I write about? What are my readers interested in? What do hope to achieve through blogging? Where are my car keys? These are just a few frequently asked questions thrown in my direction.

Business blogging for business thinkers

The nature of your blog content will depend on the nature of your business. It’s no good writing about polar bears if you’re a landscape gardener. By the same extension, avoid patter about landscape gardening if you’re in the polar bear trade.

Stick to what’s relevant. Business blogging is there to create a two-way relationship between you and your client base.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t rock the boat. As a freelance copywriter, I blog about all things copywriting – I also blog on the subject of film reviews. Why film reviews you ask? You’re right to suggest film review isn’t a direct extension of copywriting. Even so, it’s proved fruitful on a number of fronts.

Firstly, reviewing films allows me to flex my creative muscles and practise what I preach – writing/copywriting. On top of driving traffic to CreativePen, showcasing my copywriting prowess and enhancing my SEO quota, film review also helped build crucial contacts in the entertainment industry.

So how do I write an effective business blog?

This is a complicated question. I’ll give you a few hints and tips as to how I go about blog writing for my clients.

Where to start:

• Think about your business, think about your brand. View your business blog as a direct extension of your branding. Your principles should bleed through.
• Produce a content strategy to define how best to utilise your blog space. This often includes brand principles, key messages, target audience, keyword/key phrase research and analysis.

What’s next?

• Figure out what type of blog will satisfy the needs of your target audience. Is your blog going to be news driven? Is it going to be about you and your product/service? Are you going to have multiple blog categories in order to cover a range of sections? Whatever topics you cover, make sure they are keyword/key phrase heavy.
• Tone is crucial. You need to adapt your conversation so it speaks direct to the reader. Do you want to portray a professional or personal tone? Is humour appropriate? Will technical talk entice your readers?

All of these questions will be easier to answer if you produce a content strategy ahead of time. Plotting a clear travel of direction means that when you come to the writing stage you’ll be better placed to produce a business blog both compelling to read and effective on the marketing front.

Business Blogging: Page Layout

As with any form of copywriting, think about the visual layout of your business blog. Blocks of heavy paragraphs cascading down the page are never appealing to look at. Headings, sub-headings, bullet-points and lists will boil your blog down into content pleasing to the eye. And while you’re at it, why not throw some photos and images in for good measure?

Blogging gives your company an edge

There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to business blogging. Even so, you can earn a dedicated following which will bring extra custom, business contacts, further your brand and help you climb the Google ladder.

And don’t forget: keep your blog up-to-date with weekly posts if possible.

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