A blog is a powerful tool for any business. Content is a good way to engage audiences, connect with traffic and boost brand recognition. It also improves your SEO and allows more people to find your site organically and deliberately.
Blog content also gives you the opportunity to develop a brand voice, develop a reputation for excellence and become a leader in your industry. Simply sharing ideas, information and knowledge can give you an advantage over your competition and place you in good stead with your customers. If your blog is adding value to the experience of your audience and it consistently piques the interest of those in your industry, this elevates your business.
According to market research, 76% of B2B marketers report that blogs are a vital part of their content marketing strategy. While usually, people focus on B2C marketing goals in regards to blogging, the value of blogging for B2B businesses is likely far higher. People researching new products, seeking answers to industry-specific questions and hoping to establish strong relationships with suppliers will often start by searching blog information.
So let’s take a closer look at getting started with a B2B blog that reaches your target audience and boosts your brand:
What Is A B2B Blog?
A B2B blog is content that is more highly targeted than a regular blog. You can use industry jargon, assume some basic knowledge of the topic you are presenting and direct your opinions and solutions toward a highly engaged audience.
A great B2B blog helps a reader to understand elements of your industry that might not otherwise be discussed, are new, or that need to be addressed with new or better solutions.
Businesses generally have a few similar concerns, and whether your company provides solutions to those concerns or not. Some blogs can be read as good advice, experiences or cautionary tales. Those topics include:
- digital tools
- marketing and sales
- research
- hiring and human resources
- customer relations
The end goal with such posts is to promote your brand and create a network with businesses that support your vision and have a similar mission. This can lead to an expansion of your customer base.
A great blog goes beyond selling your brand. It creates a space for your business to connect, elevate and earn trust. Creating a blog that other business leaders turn to for information or inspiration can transform your prospects. Your blog does not need to be serious. You can provide the light relief your industry needs to laugh about the inside jokes, and solve some of the frustrations common to your business type.
Many small business owners and marketers avoid creating blogs. A common misconception made by some small business marketers is that their voice is not as important as some better-known brands. It’s not true. The size of your business is not important, the quality of your content is what matters.
Create a B2B blog that:
- builds brand reputation
- improves lead generation
- increases conversions
According to one digital marketing site, B2B companies that blog typically generate 67% more leads per month than those who do not.
When deciding to start publishing, focus on quality over quantity. Posting just once a month with new, engaging and exciting content is more meaningful than posting 250 each week. Producing just one blog per month can help your business generate new leads and secure relationships with existing customers.
The Benefits of Blogging
Blogging improves search engine optimization (SEO)
B2B blogging can help improve your company’s search engine optimization efforts. The more content that you have on your website for search engines to index, the better for your rankings – almost. You need to have original, high-quality content, the right longtail keywords and the right backlinks to be found. Websites that have a blog typically have 434% more indexed pages than those without, according to digital marketers.
Content that is focused on keywords that your target audience finds important helps to drive more organic traffic back to your site, giving you the opportunity to convert more potential leads.
A B2B blog helps you attract more qualified leads
Blogging helps to connect the right people with your business. The people who read your blog are already (mostly) qualified leads. They are interested and invested in what your brand has to say, and when they explore your website, they are likely to convert to sales.
When you blog about topics that are relevant to your ideal buyer, you are attracting highly qualified leads who have come to your website for an answer. If you can link your blog to your own products and services, it makes it even easier for your customers to follow your funnel from blog to sales.
B2B blogs can increase conversions over time
Content marketing builds trust. When your customers have confidence in your brand, and they feel they have established a relationship with the business because of repeat orders or if they rely on your informative content. Customers trust your brand because you provide more than just a product or service.
Conversion rates for blogs and other inbound marketing tactics are second only to optimized landing pages, according to marketing research. Blogging about specific solutions can generate leads, and including a CTA in your content ensures that audiences understand exactly how to access the solution you propose.
The Costs of Blogging
Blogging does not have to be a huge expense. As part of your digital marketing budget, there are a few ways you can approach content creation. A content marketing agency, freelance writer or in-house writer will vary in cost, quality and benefit.
An agency will cost more than a freelance writer. However, most agencies will request a contract term, and if you are unsatisfied with the results, it is hard to make changes. A freelance writer provides you with flexibility, but they might not be invested in your industry, and their work can vary in quality depending on what you are willing to pay for a professional writer. An in-house writer is obviously going to be connected with your company mission and have a deep understanding of your goals and objectives. They are also available for other tasks and editing, but you must employ that person, which costs you more long term. There are many things to consider.
If you are not managing your own site content, you need to have your web designer add a blog page to your site and upload the content when it is ready. They should use a style guide to create a cohesive look and feel for your blogs and include the links, backlinks and landing pages that make your blog a worthwhile investment. Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to see a positive return on investment.
Where to Start
Get started with your B2B blog:
- Create a strategy
- Research target keywords
- Create a content calendar
- Start writing
- Publish your blog content
- Promote your content
Create a strategy
What is the purpose of your blog? To inform, entertain, or direct? Is it a combination of these things or something different?
Market research of your target audience will give you a more informed idea of what audiences are reading and what gaps need to be filled. This data forms the basis of your strategy and will guide your content creation.
Research target keywords
Keywords are important hooks for your writing. However, it is important to note that your blog content is more important than longtail keywords. Crawlers do search content that answers questions, but the quality of your content should not be compromised by attempts to optimize your content for search engines.
That said, there are agencies dedicated to researching the keywords that will perform best for your website, whose job is to analyse data, traffic and trends and present you with the best options for SEO.
Create a content calendar
This content calendar helps your team manage content creation and output in line with other marketing. Your calendar should include:
- the topic of the blog post,
- the keywords you plan to use,
- the author,
- the publish date, and
- any other important information
This in-house guide keeps everyone on the same page about publishing and expectations Your social media team should be closely linked with your blog writing team to ensure there is consistent messaging.
Write and edit
Writing requires an effort. It must be researched, planned and composed. Good writing is edited many times, passing through a number of hands before it is published. Unfortunately, most blogs are written as throw-away material. Often factual, spelling and grammar errors are accepted as a part of blogging. This, however, needs not to be the case for your blog.
Demand that your blog is researched, well written and properly edited. This will help to elevate your blog among your peers. Depending on the type of blog you are creating, your writing should include lists, interviews, tips or other easily browsable pieces of information that can be used as hooks for those browsing your blog.
Publish your blog content
Posting your blog to your website is an easy process that does not usually need the expertise of your designer. Once the blog page is configured and the person whose task is to post blogs is familiar with the process, it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete, with headings, pull quotes, images, links and CTAs.
Promote your content
Once you’ve published your blog, it is essential to post links on social media, so your B2B audience is aware of your valuable content. Shorten the URL and use an image that not only draws attention but communicates the core of the article. Avoid clickbait headlines as you’ll erode trust fast using such tactics. Have confidence that your content holds value and promote your blog to the audience you identified as your core readership using social media channels.
Your B2B Blog
Content remains the best way for businesses to grow, be that in B2C or B2B. Creating a blog that becomes an industry standard is difficult but not impossible. Examine your opinions and consider how a blog could expand your reach and grow your customer base.
