One of the top questions I get about starting a blog is, “What would I write about?” This question is particularly common for B2B marketers.
A blog is defined as a web site that contains writings based on experiences, observations, and opinions. For some B2B marketers, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would really be interested in news about our products and services.
I encourage my clients to think about the daily conversations they have in sales, customer service, with the media and within their industry. Follow other bloggers in your space and make note of what they write about. Keep a folder in your desk, a spreadsheet on your computer or an application on your smart device (like Evernote, thank you for the recommendation Craig Enenstein of Corridor Capital) to keep track of blog topic ideas.
Here is a list of possible blog topic sources:
- Customer service conversations – what questions are you answering on a regular basis? What if you could simply send a link to the blog post that provides the answer to a question?
- Sales conversations and presentations – your salespeople are the front line to customer needs and wants. They handle objections and answer questions of prospects all the time. Ask them what comes up commonly and blog about it.
- Industry news – has legislation that affects your customers changed? Have companies gone out of business or acquired others? Blog about industry happenings and position yourself as a leader in the industry.
- Customer case studies – how do customers use your products and services? These stories can be very relevant and valuable for sales and for existing customers. You can write about customer stories and you can video blog them as well.
- How-to guides – tell your customers (and better yet prospects) how to do things that include your product or services. For example, if you sell graphic design, explain how great design makes a difference on different media. If you are selling the how-to, then don’t give it away in the blog. Explain why they should buy your service and what it is instead. (See my previous post on this, B2B Marketing Content: How Much Should You Give Away?)
- Company news and announcements – some businesses post their press releases and announcements in their blogs. I like to see a separate news or media page for this kind of information, but it is acceptable way to post it on the blog as well.
- Detailed or technical information – if your company posts articles, whitepapers or user documentation, link to these documents from the blog to make sure customers and prospects know how to access them and what benefits they will receive from them.
- Employee spotlights – customers love to see their favorite contacts at your company featured. Births, graduations, marriages, awards are all great reasons to feature an employee – with a great photo, of course!
- Community service – if your business gives back to the community with employee volunteer hours, scholarships or other programs, write about it in the blog. People buy from people they like, and blog posts that feature how you give back is a plus for your company personality.
What other types of content can you recommend for B2B bloggers?
Do you need help with your existing blog or creating a new blog for your business? Contact New Incite today. We have been blogging for our own and our clients’ marketing results since 2009.
