For those of you who regularly look to Kapost for insights on B2B marketing know-how, you’ve probably read one of my posts. While each submission covers different topics and tips, there are key strategies I leverage to engage readers, as well as inform them. Every blog post you create for your brand should do the same.
B2B blog posts offer a brand the chance to connect with readers and potential customers around a specific topic or purpose, but they also offer the opportunity to drive customers down the funnel. Creating a high level of engagement and connection requires marketing teams to develop content about timely topics for every stage of the sales pipeline, while also doing something else very important—showing why your specific brand is the most reliable, informed, and capable in its field.
The fastest road to blogging success is producing consistently high-quality content and developing an editorial calendar to ensure it’s written, edited, and posted on a regular schedule. Once people know they can expect valuable and reliable content from you, they will be back for more.
To craft high-quality B2B blog posts that hit all the right buttons, here are some tips for the basic building blocks, as well as some higher level elements to sprinkle in. Now let’s get started!
Breakdown of a Top-Quality B2B Blog Post
Of course, every blog is different. But there are some key elements that all successful pieces of content incorporate—and incorporate well. Check it out:
1. Precise and Pertinent Keywords
Choose a focus keyword for each post that’s relevant for your audience, business, and industry, and craft a title around it. There is something to be said for having a list of keywords that can be used as inspiration for titles. Even if you decide to change the title after writing the content (and don’t be afraid to refine it as needed), letting the keyword be your guide is essential to staying on topic, while also performing due diligence with regard to SEO.
2. Stay Focused
Select a purpose and focus for the post. Are you trying to teach something? Build interest in a new feature? Explain the nuances behind a fresh industry trend, and why people should care?
Knowing your purpose for the post, besides hitting the keyword ratio and word count, makes writing so much easier. And it clarifies what type of stats, tips, or links to other relevant content should be included. While writing posts with keywords gets rankings and keeps a brand relevant, remember also to offer value. Look to social media accounts and insights from sales or customer services to tap into potential new topics. You might also find a more thorough perspective or twist on an old topic.
3. Audience First
Write about current topics of interest to an audience, not only what’s best for the brand. While B2B blog posts are a marketing tool, it’s important to understand how to balance the brand presence within a post. Whether a member of the marketing team or a freelance writer is submitting, make the content about sharing insights and information, not pushing the brand down people’s throats.
To help keep things in balance and hit key messages, develop a short and sweet content guide to direct writers toward topical subjects.
4. Think Outside of the Box
Offer a fresh perspective or actionable tips that empower the reader. When you share solid tips, you demonstrate how someone can do something more effectively in their own business and offer insights that substantiate your leadership in the industry. This is the blog sweet spot! People want a quick way to learn and apply something, confirm they know something, or debunk something. Make it easy for them. Then you’ll shine as a knowledgeable B2B star.
5. To Answer, or Not to Answer, the Question
Ask a relevant, well-crafted question, then choose to answer it within the post or leave it as a parting thought at the end. A question can be a powerful way to garner engagement. While providing an answer informs and educates, leaving a well-crafted question at the end of B2B blog post can inspire comments or conversation on social media.
6. Do Your Research
Include recent stats (within the last two years) from an outside source and quotes from industry experts.
Make sure you share insights from internal sources if the post is about a new product or service the brand is offering. Use outside, legitimate sources if the post is covering an industry insight, an opinion about a trend, or a trade show.
7. Images and Meta-Data
B2B blog post images are important, but so are the alt tag keywords and links that go with them. Use quality images for the main picture of a post, and include a text overlay personalized to the topic of the piece. Make sure to use relevant alt tags for the image.
If a post is long, add additional images that feature a question, statement, or statistic to balance the visual proportions. For infographics, links to eBooks, or other freebies, ensure the content is of a high quality and the links work before publishing.
8. Time is Money
Be mindful of how long the post is versus the value it’s providing. There’s nothing more annoying than getting through a really long post to find there’s no relevant or actionable information. As a benchmark, posts that are 500-1000 words are an appropriate length for a blog, depending on the posting schedule and topics covered. Daily or every-other-day posts can be shorter (around 350 words) because they are meant to be more focused. If the content is too long, split it up into a series of posts to make it easier on the reader—and to fill more spots in the editorial calendar.
Now you have a few insider tips on how to improve blog content development, review your process, and make improvements. Just remember: the more natural the tone and the more insightful the content, the easier it is to create B2B blog posts that are relevant, engaging, and turn sales leads into customers.