It seems that every company has a blog these days. B2B businesses are even more likely to have a blog than B2C companies. In fact, the latest CMI report revealed that 79% of B2B marketers are now blogging.
There’s no escaping the fact that to keep pace and remain competitive, you need to be regularly creating content.
But in such a crowded online marketplace, how do you ensure your B2B blog gets heard above the noise?
Generating quality content, actively promoting it and keeping those creative juices flowing can be a challenge at the best of times.
The great news though is that your blogging strategy needn't feel like a chore if you keep a few simple and practical content creation ideas in mind.
Here are 12 strategies to help you produce relevant and engaging blog content that will delight your manufacturing prospects and keep them coming back for more
At the heart of a successful strategy for blogging for manufacturing is the ability to be able to write about often highly technical subjects in a way that communicates your expertise, but that remains fresh, accessible and enjoyable to read.
A key element of this process is to agree on a clear and consistent ‘tone of voice’ for your company or brand.
But what exactly is your tone of voice?
And how can it help you to engage with your audience, increase rapport and better tell your story?
In an age of content fatigue, we’re becoming less tolerant of intrusive and interruptive marketing.
Cold calls, spam emails and TV ads can all be blocked at the click of a button, and the power is truly back in the hands of the consumer.
When we have a problem or a question, we set up our chosen device and begin the quest for content.
We flick from article to article, blog to blog, white paper to ebook, trying to find the answer we’re looking for.
We choose where to go next, and who to give our precious information to in exchange for more content. We're completely in control.
The internet is full of blog posts and articles suggesting the ‘perfect’ blog length and frequency; ‘To reach number one on Google, you should post X times a month’, ‘The most read blog posts are XXXX words long.’
Creating evergreen content is a proven strategy for upping your search rankings and driving traffic to your site. But what exactly is it? Why is it so useful? And how do we go about creating it?
In this blog post we explore what makes certain content “evergreen”, why it’s so worthwhile, what differentiates it from other types of online content and how we can harness its benefits for our content writing efforts.
What makes content evergreen?
Evergreen content, as its name suggests, is any form of online content that is long-lasting (eternal or sustainable,) that is not time-sensitive, that offers tangible value and that addresses the needs of your audience.
For the past four years, Orbit Media Studios have been compiling statistics on B2B blogging trends. This year's findings make very interesting reading indeed:
Let's look at each of these in turn.
‘Content shock’ is real. And it’s happening faster than we think.
We’re reaching a point where the volume of online content is outweighing our human capacity to consume it. The rate at which content is being produced and published is doubling every nine to 24 months. And as a result, organic visibility is suffering.
Allegedly, 60% of content is dull and irrelevant to readers. And every content marketer is at risk of suffering from content fatigue if they fail to produce sturdy, sustainable content.
So what can you do to future-proof your content?
With over a million blog posts written every day, it’s crucial your blogging strategy does nothing but propel you to the front of the crowd.
Silly mistakes can have a pernicious impact on your online visibility.
If you’re frustrated that your blogging efforts are having little discernible effect on conversion rates, it’s worth checking you haven’t fallen into the trap of committing some of the biggest blogging mistakes.
Dedicated, targeted and consistent blogging can help immeasurably in building your company's authority and establishing you as a thought leader in your industry. But what’s the secret to coming up with consistently great ideas that will engage and delight your manufacturing prospects?
If your blogging for manufacturing is in a content creation rut, here’s a guide to 24 pain-free ways to generate a host of new blog post topics that will rejuvenate and enliven your efforts.
What’s the purpose of your blog? Why are you doing what you’re doing? Are you looking to drive conversions, increase subscribers, boost revenue, build authority, raise awareness or convey information? Or maybe it’s all of the above? Having a clearly defined goal will ensure your content creation efforts stay relevant and targeted.
Can you answer this question simple question?:
Why are you blogging?
Now think about that question again...how are you measuring this?
There's more to blogging that simply hitting the publish button and hoping for the best. To create a successful blog platform takes careful planning, consideration and strategy. But as content is the fuel of inbound marketing, it is essential you get it right.
As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."