November 28, 2016
Hello agent. Sitting comfortably? We apologise for the chains and the blindfold, it is protocol. Please try not to struggle as you will misunderstand the brief. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to gain an understanding of blog writing and the associated content design principles. This is a fairly straight forward assignment but a detailed one nonetheless.
The Content Design Manual will guide you throughout your journey so use it wisely. Pay attention for more instalments of this series to come, your chances of failure without it are extremely high. To begin with though, you must first understand why you are tied up. Let’s talk to Diego…
We strongly advise you tell Diego everything that you know, in great detail and as loud as you can. Not just because he has a gun or because you’re tied to a chair. Tell him everything because he is looking for answers, just like your potential customers. Don’t just stop at Diego either! Tell as many people as you can, or as many people that will listen, everything that you know. Why? How else would you expect your blog to become useful and valuable to your audience? If your followers and distant admirers are searching for solutions to problems you can solve, why not communicate with them about it?
Providing industry-based knowledge and market insights will allow your company to become a trusted industry thought leader. Sure, your blog content should be unique and entertaining. But this is irrelevant if the content does not offer something of real worth. Showcasing your expertise in a clear and simple format will ensure your site becomes a trusted source of information for both users and search engines. The more value you can offer customers, the more valuable you become. It’s a fruitful cycle of information, conversion and repetition!
Blog writing is just something you do to keep your website fresh, right? Something to keep your content writer busy for a while, right? Well…yes and no. Of course, a regularly updated blog ensures your site does not become stale and shows that your business is active. You may or may not get a lot of readers but a blog will breathe life into your overall web presence, especially if you share your blogs on social media. Granted, it is highly unlikely that your news page will be your main sales influence, but it is still extremely important to your overall conversion process.
Without doubt though, the main reason to conduct blog writing is to please Google. All other search engines matter of course, but none so much as Google if you’re based in the UK or US. Increased blog activity will fire friendly signs to the search engine saying “Hey, look at us, we know what we are talking about!” This will in turn lead to higher search engine ranking positions (SERPs) and higher lead generation rates. So you see, it’s not just about pleasing humans, it’s about pleasing spiders too!
Here are some quick facts, figures and statistics to help you design, write and layout your blog content. All of these factors are extremely important and if you fail to take them in account you may as well not write your blog!
The most important element of blog writing is the ability to be different. No one likes to read something they feel they have read before. Originality is key here, but without being so outlandish that you alienate your target audience. The trick is to offer the same solutions, advice and information as your competitors but with a fresh approach that sparks interest.
So go ahead, tell Diego everything you know. It is the only way you will be allowed out of that chair and into society!
This is the first instalment of our blog series Content Design Manual. In this series we aim to provide a detailed insight into our most popular writing services and their associated content design principles. Keep a look out for the next part of your mission – where we will be recovering an almost-forgotten artefact!
