Freelance Writing 335 Lesson 3: 4 Points on Blogging
Posted on June 17th, 2010 in Small Business | No Comments »
The term “meta” gets thrown around a lot (read: way too much) these days but it fits today’s post nicely. That’s because today–on this blog that’s technically the “Company Blog”–we’re going to explain how to blog for companies. Follow us down the rabbit hole and we’ll try to make it worth your while.
Before we get starterd, we should clarify that this lesson is about the general direction you take the blog. If you want specific instructions for crafting an individual post, we highly recommend this post by Trevor Spinks over at Arkayne (we actually linked this on twitter a couple of days ago, too). There’s not much we would add to that, so we won’t waste your time talking about crafting individual posts. Instead, this lesson is mainly about how to generate content (and what direction to take that content). So with that in mind, here are four things to keep in mind when writing a blog for a client:1) Do not turn the blog into a constant stream of advertisements*
We live in a cynical age. By and large, people don’t trust corporate blogs, which makes them a pretty poor choice as an advertising platform. Using the blog that way would actually be even more wasteful if people did trust it: you’d be squandering a chance to develop an actual, meaningful relationship with your customer base. In any case, that argument is largely, academic: people won’t read a blog that’s obviously just a giant advertisement for the very simple reason that that’s boring. A blog that nobody reads is of no value to anyone (excluding, perhaps, the existentialists). We note, in passing, that this does not mean that you should never write about the company–especially when your company does something newsworthy. But the posts about new features and posts that solicit customer feedback should be genuine, they shouldn’t look like they belong on the odd-numbered pages of a magazine. When you write about the company, you should be writing about something that your audience would actually want to know. Supporting information that would be useful to the company’s customers (even if that information is about something not related to the company) is good; ham-handed advertisement is bad.2) Out of all the blogs in the Blogosphere (/Blogdom/Blognited Blogs of Blogmerica) give your audience a reason to read yours
This is actually easier than it sounds. The big thing you need to figure out is what niche are you going to fill. The niche should be something that attracts the business’ target market (this blog, for example, is geared towards providing tips for student freelancers and small businesses) which is actually very helpful in narrowing down your focus. Blogging is also the type of freelance writing that most rewards having a strong voice. Don’t be afraid to make your writing stand out–just make sure that you’re not offensive or excessively verbose (yeah, we know, we’re hypocrites). 3) Cultivate a sense of “community”
Probably the worst mistake you can make is to ignore your comments section. In just about every other medium, businesses come across as these giant, faceless monoliths (it probably doesn’t help that corporations are, in a legal sense, sort of people unto themselves–massive, powerful, often socially stunted people). The blog should be an exception. It’s a businesses’ chance to let customers interact with “the business” on a more personal level. A good blog encourages social interaction (given our lack of comments, we’re afraid of what that says about this blog). Encourage people to comment and, when they do, make sure that you reply!
4) Be Genuine
To be honest, you could probably collapse this whole post down to this fourth point (provided you’re already confident in your ability to write interesting content). You can’t fake caring about a company’s product nor about a company’s customers. If you genuinely care–and you have talent–you’ll find yourself writing a good, useful company blog.
*Disclaimer: your mileage may vary. We’ve had the good fortune to be involved pretty much exclusively with companies that put a lot of stock in user satisfaction and community building, but some businesses have different strategies and different ways of making money. If you get hired by a client that wants you to write a blog that’s nothing but a steady stream of posts advertising products–and he’s adamant that that’s what he wants from you–then your choices are really either turn down the job (if you’re not comfortable with the project) or give him what he paid you for. As the saying goes, “the customer is always right.”
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- Freelance Writing Tips: 4 Ways to Make Yourself More Attractive to Clients
- Freelance Writing Tips for College Students: Introduction
- How Much Am I Worth? A (Short) Guide to Freelance Rates For Students
