If you want to write better blogs
about business technology, you need content that’s uniquely personal,
compelling and relevant.
And you better get typing because
the best blog posts have between 1,000 and 1,500 words, and the best bloggers
churn them out once or twice each week.
That’s according to Anita O’Malley, who speaks from experience.
O’Malley is the founder and CEO of Leadarati
(Lincroft), a social, digital and public relations B2B marketing communications
firm that’s certified. She’s also an avid blogger, and has authored hundreds of
blogs for clients.
She imparted her wisdom to some 40 professionals
during a Jersey Shore Women in Tech
gathering in Asbury Park on February 19.
Her blog is called Marketing TECHniques. It focuses on the best use of today’s digital and online communication channels to help B2B and tech pros and their companies gain business opportunities. Topics have included social selling, social media for business, press releases, branding and content marketing.
O’Malley’s talk and presentation, called
“Blogging for Thought Leadership,” focused on ways to create compelling content;
develop a manageable, organized publishing process; and promote blogs to boost
readership.
“We all want to look like thought leaders, right? We all want to be
branded as experts in what we do,” she said, noting that a blog can “showcase
that leadership.” She added, “We can use it to increase search engine
optimization ranking. We can use it to build opportunities for our businesses
and ourselves and our careers.”
It’s important to create original content based on personal insight,
she said. “No matter what you do, even in your own little corner, you have
unique experiences that nobody else has.” You might have experiences in product
management, for example, or as a managing web developer or app developer, she told
the audience.
While planning for the optimal blog, “we want to find a niche,” said
O’Malley. She noted that the best bloggers use an analysis of keywords “to find
out where you rank. You have competition and global monthly searches. The ideal
is to find low competition and high searches: There are not a lot of blogs on
that topic, but a lot of people want to read about it. That’s your sweet
spot.”
Writers should focus on creating content that is personal and
compelling. Never try to sell the readers, she said.
While working on titles, bloggers can wade into a subject matter with “How
to …” or “ A Guide to …” or “When Should You …” and “Everything You Need to Know
about … ,” and then get typing.
Blogs fail when writers try to widen the focus to a big topic.
Everybody is writing about the big topic. Stay away from generalities. Blogs
also fail when authors write about various problems in their industries, but do
not provide solutions. They should instead provide answers drawn from personal
insights, she said.
Bloggers should embrace metrics. O’Malley suggested that the best day
to post blogs is Wednesday, after 3 p.m. And the best word count is between
1,000 and 1,500 words. The least optimal days to post are Monday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.
A lack of consistency can sink a blog fast. Writing one post monthly,
weekly or twice weekly is solid advice, she said. “Try to post it repeatedly.
You post it a bunch of times to give it legs.”
Every blogger faces the dreaded writer’s block, but to snap out of it,
O’Malley recommended using visuals and answering readers’ questions as part of
the blog. A blogger should also cite industry articles, write about industry
events, invite a guest blogger and add videos to breathe new life into her
pieces.
O’Malley told the group that the best blogs bring value to businesses and
to professional careers.
Bloggers should also use social media sites to build readership. “If
you are a blogger, you need to have a community and use and build your social
media sites. If you don’t have a community, it’s difficult to gain a subscriber
base.”
O’Malley’s advice will be put to good use, said Brittany Jacobs, cofounder
of Jersey Shore Women in Tech and a software engineering manager at Vydia (Holmdel).
“Anita
provided many important tips and techniques for managing your blog content and
promoting your blog in today’s oversaturated market,” she said. “Our members
thought it was a fantastic evening, and were eagerly taking notes throughout
the entire presentation.”
Jackie Chalet, a marketing director at TetherView (Oceanport)
who blogs weekly, agreed.
“Anita
is successful and popular within her field of blogging because she understands
that marketing, and optimization as a whole, is always evolving. So should your
strategies to best optimize your content. She’s moving with change and always
seeking new outlets for each industry she writes within. …We’re in a field that
never stops, and she embraces that,” Chalet said.
O’Malley publishes a column on NJTechWeekly.com, is also a PR News writer and a sought-after expert for press and business communications initiatives, specializing in B2B technology companies. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Boston University and a master’s degree in corporate and public communication from Monmouth University.