Whether you’re looking to spruce up your business blog, or maybe just get some more traffic to your website, engaging content is key. In fact, businesses who blog receive 97 percent more links to their websites. Business topics are often dull and predictable, but that doesn’t mean your blogs and articles have to be! Finding a writing style and topics that work for you are the building blocks of creating content that people actually want to read.
Here are a couple ways you can rev up your pieces and start enjoying what you write.
Find Your Voice.
Everyone writes differently. Some people like to get straight to the heart of what they want to communicate, while others appreciate flowery language. Some are more serious, while other like to be playful. There’s nothing wrong with any of them, but your style should be consistent across all your pieces to create a unified voice for your brand. When deciding on your voice, you should start by thinking of your ideal reader or customer and what they want to read. If your audience is men older than 55 in the finance industry, it’s probably safe to say that a serious and to-the-point voice is what they would appreciate. If your articles should appeal a wider range of people, such as small business owners, a more fun and approachable tone might be better received. While you’re starting out, feel free to try out a few different voices to see which one gets the best feedback. Once you’ve got something that works, stick with it and make it consistent throughout your website and blog.
Don’t Shy Away From Controversy.
Controversial topics can be your best friend! Nothing hooks you in a movie or book more than a juicy and controversial plot line, right? The same is true when people are reading blogs and websites! If you want your readers to be hooked, don’t be afraid to take a side on an issue. Even if they disagree, they will likely still be intrigued and engaged. Amway did a great job at tackling a controversial topic with a blog titled, “What We Want You to Know About Amway.” In it the author acknowledges that Amway has been called a pyramid scheme and then takes steps to prove that it is not. While it would have been easy to stay away from that topic altogether, they tackled it head-on with an engaging piece that benefited their business. If your industry or your business itself has some controversial topics that you have an opinion on and there’s only a small chance it will poorly reflect on your business, go ahead and take a stand!
Stay Informed on Trends.
In order for readers to find you engaging and coming back for more, they also need to trust you as a source of knowledge. One way to establish trust is by staying on top of trends and events that impact your field. For example, say you are a travel agent and a new luxury jet has just been launched by an airline and it is making the news. Even though it may not be available yet and it may not directly pertain to your company, you should write about it in order to show that you are informed on the travel industry. Wordstream’s blog is a great example of keeping up with the times. They focus on online advertising, and any news related to their work has a new article within a day or two. People want to work with companies that they can trust to know the newest and best options available, so jump on those trends. Plus, staying on top of your industry news cycle will provide you with plenty of content ideas.
Creating engaging content isn’t an easy feat, but there are strategies you can take to put yourself on the path to success. Figure out your voice as a writer, find entertaining topics and stay on top of your industry and you’ll have a great start to an engaging blog and website.
