A foolproof recipe for business blog articles

Many clients ask us whether or not ‘blogging’ is an appropriate fit for their business. Our answer is more or less always the same. ‘Yes’, with an accompanying asterisk.

Since the advent of the internet, the word ‘blog’ has been used to describe a great many things; travel journals, collections of recipes, fashion trends, online movements, business practices and pretty much every hobby under the sun. Such is the diversity of the beast, it doesn’t even need to be called a ‘blog’! Business owners can be uncomfortable with the title, citing it sounds casual and ambiguous. Sounds a bit bawdy, doesn’t it? Luckily, there are many and varied names for a blog including, but not limited to, Journal, Diary, Articles, Column, News, Updates and What’s on.

blog (noun)
a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group.

Now, getting back to that asterisk. We, at Argon, recommend keeping your online presence up-to-date, fresh and engaging. So, whether or not you decide to call your website’s ‘updatable content section’ a blog is entirely up to you. But every business should have an inbuilt, easily-updatable content section that reaches out to their customers on an ongoing basis. There are just too many undeniable benefits of ‘business blogging’ to disregard them completely.

Having a functioning blog is one thing; getting clients to click on your posts and engage with the content is another. This is often a challenge, but it’s worth it! The more impact you have on your readers, the more inclined they will be to use your services and recommend you as a leader in the field. Here are a few tips for writing compelling blog content.

Choose engaging article topics.

This is often the hardest step. Finding interesting, topical content that doesn’t sound distinctly promotional. If your post smacks of crude business advertising, readers will go searching for the ‘back’ (or even worse, ‘exit’) button. More than ever, the public is aware when products or services are being flogged to death (technical term) in an article.

Keep a majority of your posts light, entertaining and generally informative to appeal to a broad audience.

Don’t skimp on the title.

After selecting an entertaining subject and transcribing a thoughtful and considered response, it is tempting to rush the heading of your article. I mean, you just want to get the blog live, right! We hear you… but hold your horses. A title’s primary job is to grab a viewer’s attention and should always be budgeted into the time it takes to complete your blog.

Keep your headings concise and enlightening so they can be quickly absorbed by potential clients as they flick through their newsfeed.

It’s not all about the words.

While it’s the message in the blog that sells your business, it’s essential that all information is easily digestible. Big slabs of text are daunting for any viewer, so breaking up your content into clear headings, combined with breakout boxes and imagery, help the reader take away the insight that is most relevant to them.

Quite often viewers will skim down to the sections that apply directly to them. By segmenting your content, these areas become more accessible for quick-scanning readers.

Don’t forget the images.

Many clients are visual learners – meaning pictures, graphics and infographics spread, where appropriate, throughout your articles, help the messages become absorbed. Remember, reader engagement is the key focus here; imagery plays a central role in keeping your readers engrossed in the content.

Always upload a relevant image to your header and, if possible, use original, professional photography throughout your website. If stock imagery is your only option, be careful to select the best shots.