People in the B2B industry are busy. You are here because you are busy. You want to skim a blog, cherry-pick the information you need and get on with your day. So do the people who read your blog. Although your high-quality content might be really interesting and include valuable data and insights, most people don’t have the time to pour over your masterpiece. Honestly, few people take the time to read a newspaper, and that is interesting content which is pertinent to all our lives. 

So how do you surpass boring?

Format

  • Use white space. Unless you are aiming to provide articles that fit into the online journal genre, keep your page clean. 
  • Use bullet points. Huge paragraphs are not inviting to the speed reader who wants to check a fast fact as they Uber to a lunch meeting. 
  • Include images. Photos and infographics are attention-getting, so include them whenever you can with a limit of one per every 250 words – don’t overwhelm your reader with images though, try and strike a balance, and if the image doesn’t add to the story, then scrap it.
  • Font matters. Sans Serif fonts are considered the easiest to read, while Verdana is considered the best web font. Don’t mix and match font types, only sizes.

Content

  • Diversify. You know the 80-20 rule, so stick to it. Make that 80% interesting by discussing current affairs, changes to regulations or even that dramatic meeting that saw you secure a game-changing account.
  • Answer questions. People check blogs to find answers, so provide them in ways that are accessible. Write in the way that you would talk so voice search will rank your blog higher in searches.
  • Share your knowledge. The Internet means we have no more industry secrets, not really. So you might as well share what you do know about your industry, learn from others and do it better than everyone else.
  • Care about what you do. Writing has a way of exposing an author, so make sure that when you write, you actually care about your topic.
  • Pick your side. Your blog is a discussion with clients. If you have a point of view, share it and stick with it. Allow others to engage you in debate. You might generate new leads just by being open to sharing your point of view and discussing it with panache. 

Post

  • Create a calendar. Your content calendar should be prepared for the year ahead, but allow flexibility for industry updates or business changes.
  • Tune in. Your social media manager needs to be responsive and proactive, so empower them to make decisions and host discussions.
  • Brand. Ensure that your omnichannel marketing campaign includes updating your brand and image on all channels to ensure that clients know it is your social media page they are reading your blog from.

Creating blogs that get attention is about more than the content. It is about how the work is presented, how accessible your content is and if it rates in searches. Content written for the B2B industry needs to be clear and concise. 

While many providers post long essays or interviews, in reality, most business people are too busy to really read more than 2 minutes of any blog. Keep it simple, and make it accessible.