How to write a successful blog

Writing a blog post in a coffee shop

We always recommend adding a blog to your website as it’s so good for customer engagement and SEO.

It’s regular, rich content for search engines (which Google loves) and when written well it can help you be regarded as an expert in your field. As part of your wider digital marketing strategy the power of frequent blogging cannot be underestimated.

A common response is “I don’t have time to write a blog!” Yes, we all lead busy lives these days but most of us can find time to spend half an hour writing something once a fortnight or so. If you can post a blog article more regularly, then great. Set aside that time slot, say every other Friday, and if you think of something to write about at another time just scribble it down on a PostIt.

At Maroon Balloon we try to build this into our working week, setting aside half an hour every couple of weeks to come up with a new blog post. We often don’t manage this – it’s so easy to get buried in web development work, website launches and other day-to-day things that always seem to take priority. But even one new blog post per month is good. Just try and make it habitual.

Another excuse we hear is “I don’t have anything to write about!” You do, it just requires some creative thinking. Here’s some inspiration:

  • News and achievements – we English aren’t always good at celebrating our successes
  • Upcoming events – your own or those you’re attending
  • Tips and ‘How To’ guides – people love free information
  • Industry news – take a current affairs story and relate it to your service
  • General comment – keep it related to your business sector
  • Case studies – tell people about your past work
  • Behind the scenes – describe your average working day, ask each member of your team to write 100 words about their job
  • New services – if you’ve launched a new product or service, shout about it!

Take a look at our other blog posts and you’ll see we’ve covered most of these. And you might be surprised that we don’t always write ours at the desk – often those inspirational moments come when you’re in a coffee shop, on a train or on the way back from a meeting. Always carry a pen and notepad.

Finally, keep a consistent, professional business voice. Be authoritative – you are an expert in your field after all – and informative, write in plain English and do check your grammar, spelling and typos. Use appropriate imagery too. As they say, an image is worth a thousand words.

If you would like to add a blog to your website or need help writing content, give us a call. We have loads more advice to give on writing a blog and also have some excellent copywriters to hand who can transform your blog posts into engaging, relevant content. They’ll drop in the all-important keywords for SEO and can help with your social media strategy and digital marketing too.