There is nothing quite as tedious as reading yet another blog about what makes the perfect post.
If I’ve read it once I’ve read it one thousand times.
600 – 800 words is the optimum. Always tweet about it on a Tuesday. And definitely start with a joke. Everyone loves a joke.
It’s with great trepidation, therefore, that this blog post touching on that very topic is written.
But don’t flick over to Facebook just yet. This isn’t the usual gumpf giving ’12 crazy tips to make the perfect blog post’
This is a rallying call.
The problem is a lot of b2b blogs have become a bit plain boring. The plethora of content we see blocking up our Hootsuite streams talking about the same old thing.
‘Steal like an artist’, a fantastic book by the very insightful Austin Kleon, made us sit up and think about what really makes a great blog.
So where are we going wrong? And how do we get back on track?
Write about what you want to read. Not what you know.
It’s quite amazing the amount of ‘expert bloggers’ that write the same blog post with a different title on such a regular basis.
Do you really want to read about the same thing day in day out? No.
So write what you would want to read. What is really interesting? What is in the news that day? What is it, if you were the reader, that would make you glad you spent the last 10 minutes reading your blog and not getting on with that all important proposal? Only ever write what you would want to read.
So where do you start?
Staring at the screen isn’t going to help anybody. Reading the same old things are only going to make you write about the same old things.
What really interests you? What inspires you? How can you put a spin on this to make it relevant to your readers? We have recently developed a penchant for behavioural psychology – and believe what marketers can learn is huge. So we write about it.
Always inspire people. Always make them think. Always spark discussion. That’s what ‘social media’ is really all about. If you are not doing that, highlight your blog post and hit delete. It’s the best thing for it.
And stop writing about the same thing. Just because you are a social media, or a content marketing or an SEO ‘specialist’ doesn’t mean you spout the same old message in each post.
Get down on paper what interests you not your ‘followers’.
Some people will love what you have to say. Some will hate it. That’s brilliant.
And remember – sharing really is caring.
The blog is one of the founding fathers of social media. Social is about sharing. Not just sharing your blog but sharing your knowledge. Sharing your strategy. Sharing your unique ideas. It might get stolen. But that doesn’t matter. You can steal stuff yourself.
Not just from the B2B bubble but across the industry across the world.
What is the charity sector doing that we can learn from? What new technology is being used by Indian advertising agencies? How are small cake shops engaging their customers online? There is a wealth of knowledge to learn from out there. Take it.
Finally, always mix with the right people. Read the best blogs from other agencies. Chat up the right people at events and learn what interests them. Talk to your most intelligent clients about what floats their boat.
Some stuff you will agree with, others will make your blood boil. But use that to shape your next post. It’s a therapeutic process with great results.
So come on world. Fill up our twitter feeds with something people actually want to read. Not another 15 tips every average marketer needs to know.
Thank you.