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October 22, 2018 Content Chat Recap: B2B Blogging Tips

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B2B blogging tipsBlogs are a staple for many businesses, but B2B blogs can be a tough nut to crack at times. In this #ContentChat with Kapost’s Aubrey Harper (@Aubrey__Harper) we focus on common issues with B2B blogs, and how to ensure you set your content strategy off on the right foot.

Q1: Is blogging still a valuable strategy for #B2B companies to reach their customers and prospects?

Blogging is still incredibly important in the B2B world, and blogs provide multiple opportunities to build brand awareness, generate and nurture leads, and improve your customer experience.

That said, blogs must have a purpose and overarching strategy that each post points toward.

Q2: What is the primary reason B2B blogs are not successful, and how can we overcome that issue?

Blogs miss the mark when they lose sight of their audience, their needs at various stages of the engagement or buying cycles, and the meaningful content that can help meet those needs.

Other times, blogs feel like just another box to check, without the appropriate planning and resources available.

Q3: Everyone in the organization thinks they have a great idea for a blog post. How can I be respectful of and responsive to topic pitches and keep the blog attracting viewers?

This enthusiasm from your team should not be taken for granted, and you can help coach individuals to tweak topics to better align with content that your audience needs. This could take the form of in-person meetings, or a blog guidelines document that team members review before submitting ideas.

Q4: How do I determine the right topic mix for a #B2B #blog?

It all comes down to your audience and their needs. Blogs can answer questions, provide how-tos, delve into industry topics/trends, share company updates, etc., as long as your audience needs are at the forefront of each post.

If you’re stuck in a rut, listen to your audience about what they want to see. This can be through user feedback, conversations with your sales team, or tracking KPIs to determine what content is being most used.

Q5: What does #B2B blog success look like? Are there any benchmarks to help me determine how we’re doing?

While specific success metrics need to be defined on a case-by-case basis, your content should largely be measured against sales.

Q6: Should we consider inviting guest bloggers to blog? What are the pros and cons?

First warning: Don’t enlist guest bloggers solely as a way to save time or money, because the time investment can be equal to or more than that with in-house writers.

Second warning: Do your diligence of ensuring the guest is a credible voice for your audience, their personal brand aligns with your corporate values, and that their motive in contributing is genuine.

If you’re OK on the above, guests writers can be a great way to lend credibility to your messages and bring a fresh perspective in for your audience.

Just ensure you give them guidelines to follow and have an appropriate balance between guest content and company content.

Q7: We struggle with getting content approved. How do you set up a blog content process that ensures you keep up a regular publishing cadence?

The key to a healthy content cadence is proper planning. Have an editorial calendar in place, and ensure you have multiple pieces in development at a time.

Keep your team focused with regular meetings to discuss all upcoming content. If any team members are notoriously behind on deadlines, a little hand-holding goes a long way.

When in doubt, the old “fake deadline” trick is a safe bet. (Sorry Diane, your secret is not so safe anymore.)

Q8: What are some great #B2B blogs to read for inspiration and ideas we can put to use in our own blogs?

There’s a multitude of great options for inspiration and ideas!

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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