8 Tips on How to Structure a Business Blog Post

Writing a blog is a great way to connect with your audience and share your business knowledge.

It’s a way of telling your story and showing yourself as an expert in a particular area. As Editor of the Chamber magazine and one of the team who approves blogs on the Business West website, I regularly read blogs of different quality. Many businesses find it hard to write content, but using this simple 8 point structure should help you to craft a snappy,  blog post that your clients can engage with.

1. USE A DESCRIPTIVE TITLE

Choose a short simple title that tells the reader what your blog is about. Keep it concise and to the point.  Also bear in mind SEO, so be mindful of the keywords and phrases people may use to search on your topic and use them in the title and body of your blog.

2. A CLEAR INTRODUCTION

Map out what your blog post is about. Draw the reader in, tell an anecdote and perhaps explain what experience you have to write on this subject.

3. USE HEADINGS

We are all overwhelmed with information so use heading to keep people’s attention. Allows your reader to skim a post, understand its content and whet their appetite.

4. KEEP PARAGRAPHS SHORT

Break up your blog to make your post easy to digest. Implementing one idea per paragraph works well. Try and write in an informal, conversational style and don’t do the hard sell – it’s a sure way to alienate your reader.

5. WRITE IN SIMPLE ENGLISH

Use simple English and make the language accessible for all. Avoid jargon and acronyms that may exclude some readers. Apply the KISS Principle when constructing sentences – Keep it short and simple. Make sure your content is unique, written by you and does not appear on other websites.

6. CHOOSE INSPIRING IMAGES

Use compelling images that relate to your content. Pretty images will catch people’s eye and get them to pause when scrolling.

7. HAVE A CONCLUSION

Wrap things up with a conclusion, summing up key points made.

8. DON’T FORGET THE CALL TO ACTION

Why are you writing this blog? You’re writing it to share your expertise and provide value to the reader whilst raising your profile. Take an action, for example, click on a link for more information on the subject or to access a related activity or other materials e.g. to book onto a related course or to download a more detailed guide.

Also, do encourage them to share your post and leave a comment!

According to Susie Parker, Digital Marketing Manager at Business West:

“Members tell us they want access to channels to raise their profile and promote their business. Our top performing blog on businesswest.co.uk ‘How to Promote your Business through Social Media’ drives significant traffic to our website; it is a great example of a topic that is relevant and in demand by our audience, and a blog that offers readers value. Relevant, strategically produced content is key and should continue to form a big part of your marketing strategy in all its forms."

IN CONCLUSION

Be sure to structure your blog to create maximum impact. And once you apply this principle, you will find it easier to blog again and again. So, use the KISS principle, be specific and get to the point. 

Remember, the general attention span of readers is on the decline. Research by Microsoft shows that human attention span is declining rapidly: 8 seconds for millennials (21-39 yr olds) and 4 seconds for Gen Z (16-21 yr olds) so stay on point and don’t waffle on! 

And please don’t forget to properly proof read and cut down irrelevant and repetitive content.

AND FINALLY

Repeat, repeat, repeat. Promote your blog via different channels (email, social media, websites, partner websites/collaborations). Repurpose your content into different formats (videos, images, slides, text, podcasts). Retarget to get people to see your content again and again.

CALL TO ACTION

So, what’s my call to action? I want you to make it YOUR mission to write a blog in 2020!! Our aim is simply to help chamber members to raise their profile and content is key. Read our submission criteria guidelines here and email your submissions to me at laura.ross@businesswest.co.uk