Blogging:

An Introduction To Writing Your First Blog

 Buyers habits have changed.

Therefore, the way we sell must also change.

Overview

• What is a blog?

– And why should you be doing it?

• Blogging basics
– Dos and Don’ts of Blogging
– Types of Blogs
– Blog Structure

• Blogging Exercise
 What is a blog?

A blog is a discussion or informational

site published on the World Wide Web
and consisting of entries ("posts")
typically displayed in reverse
chronological order.

Multi-author blogs (MABs) have posts

written by large numbers of authors and
are professionally edited.

Microblogs, such as Twitter, help

 Why should you be blogging?

Blogging helps establish credibility.

Today’s technology buyer does 60% of research on

the web before interacting with a sales person.

It’s all about providing value to the

buyer and establishing yourself as a
subject matter expert.
Produce great content and customers
will come to you.
1 - Hubspot
Blogging Basics

Know your audience and write with intention.

Intentional blogging is a simple concept of writing by design with a

desired outcome in mind.

Before you begin to write, consider the following:

– Why are you writing a blog?
– Who is the target reader of your blog?
– What message would you like to convey?
– What style, tone, and narrative does your message sound like?
– What is the intention of your blog?
Dos and Don’ts of Blogging
Do
• Be original
• Be consistent
• Be professional
• Have a clear voice – use language and
vocabulary your audience can
understand
• Check spelling and grammar
• affect SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) position
Use relevant keywords
• Reference resources
• Write to the C-suite (It's all about
relieving a pain to them…)
• Maintain corporate brand and image
• Establish credibility
Don't
• Plagiarize
• Use profanity or inappropriate slang
• Steal Photos
• Ramble on and on and on and on….
• Use overly complicated words
• Duplicate content
– Posting the same blog on multiple sites can negatively
– Sharing your blog post by posting a link to it on multiple
sites is OK
– Do not post your link into groups, forums, or comments
unless you provide valuable information that is relevant to
the conversation. Otherwise, it will be marked as SPAM.
• Be negative
• Write lengthy paragraphs
• Forget to fact check
 Types of Blogs

1.Curated blog entries

educate, engage, and
attract readers and
customers. It usually a
collection of valuable
information found, and
curated, by the author.
Curated blogs offer
unique content with a
fresh perspective.
2. How-To blog entries teach readers how to do something by breaking
it down in a series of steps. Readers assume they will learn how to do
something faster, cheaper, or better than before.
3. List-Based blog entries provide information in an easy to read
format. When creating lists – aim to be consistent so that each item is
roughly the same length and tone as the others.
4. Newsjacking blog entries capitalize on current news and trends to support the
post. When the story is relevant, writing about it can benefit the business. Always try
to make it relatable by tying in corporate solutions or experiences to add
perspective.
 Blog Structure

Each blog entry is made up of an

introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction – set the stage for the information you are about
to present to the reader.

Body – explain or elaborate on your key takeaways. How the

body is structured will depend on the type of blog you are
writing. It can be written in paragraphs, bullets, numbered lists,
section headings, or a mix.

Conclusion – wrap up your blog with a brief statement that is

reflective or summarizes what your readers just read.
Blog Optimization

Write for the target audience – not SEO. In doing so, a lot of the SEO best practices will come
naturally. There are, however, a few additional tips you can do to further optimize your blog and
extend its reach.

• Add a keyword in the title

• Keep the title no longer than 55 characters
• Add images with Alt tags (Alt tags allow Google bots to “read” the image)
• Use link-backs to add credibility and extend reach
– Linking to a study you read, a webpage with more information, or a related blog post provides a way for the reader
to get more information as well as help to increase web traffic and SERPs.
• Share blog posts
– Every link that points to our website improves its relevancy for specific keywords and helps our SERPs. Google
heavily weights inbound links to determine page rank. Links should always point to the most relevant page on the
website (want them to contact us? Link to the contact us page.)
Let’s get started!
Now that you know the basics, you are ready to begin blogging!
 Blogging Exercise

• Remember to write for your intended audience, what pain, goals or challenges do they face that you can help with? You can craft a blog
based on industry, seniority, function, region, or a combination of each.
• Once you’ve got a topic in mind, think of three ways to alleviate pain, overcome challenges, or reach goals.
• Great! Now that you know what you are going to write about, lets get to it!
– Write a compelling introduction that empathizes with the reader on the pain, goal or challenge they face. The introduction should
explain the topic, empathize with the reader, and provide insight about what they will learn from the blog post.
– Add a bold headline to separate the Intro to the Body. Your body can be written in paragraphs, with bullets, numbered lists, multiple
headings, or a mix of all of these. Each new point should begin in a new paragraph, number, or bullet and have a minimum of 2-4
supporting sentences to add additional context.
– Conclude your blog entry by summarizing what the reader learned, or how they benefited from your post. Add additional value by
offering them a way to get more information. This is generally referred to as a “Call To Action” or CTA. Make sure the CTA is relevant to
the topic to increase engagement.
• Now that you’ve written a blog, read and refine it to make sure that it makes sense, flows well, and does not get off topic. Once you are
satisfied with your post, it’s time to think of a title. The title sets the expectation of what the post is about; therefore they should be
compelling, clear, and concise. Also, blog titles should never be longer than 55 characters according to SEO best practices.

Next steps: Once you have successfully crafted your blog, list three sub-topics that pertain to this one. Think of additional pains, goals or
benefits of the solution/service you just wrote about. These can be used for future blog topics!
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Questions?

H ap
B l o py
g gi n
g!