When working with B2B clients looking to get started with blogging, I often encounter the same questions and concerns. As with any new inbound marketing initiative, most questions are related to planning, implementation, measurement and best practices. Below, I have complied a list of the most common blogging questions I receive from B2B clients along with my supporting recommendations.
The answer really depends on your business and purpose of your blog. For example, if your blog covers breaking news, posting multiple times a day makes sense. For most B2B clients just starting out with blogging, however, I will often recommend they set a goal of one post per week and gradually increase to three to five times per week.
Setting realistic and maintainable goals is critical to your blogging success. Too often, I see clients invest ample time and resources into blogging for the first few months only for the excitement to wear off over time as they post less frequently, sometimes ceasing posting all together. A sudden drop in posting frequency can impact more than just your site traffic. One client saw leads cut in half from the previous month when internal roadblocks got in the way of publishing and promoting content.
Before committing to a schedule, first identify potential blog contributors within your organization. The natural choice will be members of your marketing team, but don’t stop there! Extending the invitation to be on the blog team throughout the company allows you to cover more diverse topics and unique perspectives.
For example, your sales and customer service/technical support teams often know your customers better than anyone within the organization. Blogs that address common questions received from customers make great blog topics. For tips on how to build your blog team, check out this post by Brianne Carlon.
The mistake many clients make is only publishing blogs about the company or the products and services of the company. While these topics are not off limits, they should only make up a small percentage of your total posts. Readers want to know you care for them on a deeper level; therefore, the majority of your posts should focus on addressing pain points and other concerns—not trying to sell them something.
Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you maintain a regular blog schedule with quality content, results will follow. A recent study by HubSpot found companies that blog 15 or more times per month get 5X more traffic than companies that don't blog at all. Those leads won't come pouring in the day after your blog goes live, but they will come. I promise.
Do you have additional B2B blogging best practices to share? Add them to the comments section!
Photo Credit: Mike Licht
Shannon Fuldauer has a B2B and B2C eCommerce Marketing background including roles as Vice President of Marketing & Sales Support, and subsequently Vice President of Public Relations & SEO Services, for CareerBoard.com. She has expertise in digital marketing and advanced email communications.
