Hungry for Great Content? Tasty Tips for Building a B2B Blog Template.
by MGB2B
If you’re hosting this year’s Thanksgiving meal, I bet you’re starting to plan the perfect menu lineup. Will you stick to mom’s mashed potato recipe? Or try a new concoction? Will you risk the kids (and let’s face it – some adults) growing impatient, and serve the meal in three or four courses? Or are you planning to lay everything out at once? And if you’re heading elsewhere this year, what will you bring to the table that will add something new?
These are the very same questions you should be asking yourself as you begin every blog post for your company, minus the food (though I think we all tend to think more clearly on a full stomach, no?). Think of the menu as the outline of your post, and each item as its own piece of the whole. With that in mind, here are recommendations for building a B2B blog template, served fresh and ready to consume.
The Meat. This is it, the core of your blog’s message. It’s the main point you want your readers to recall once they’ve walked away and digested your blog. Let’s say your blog is introducing a white paper about how contractors can secure return customers. Depending on your blog’s length and format, your audience might get to The Meat right away, or have to get through a few courses first. But it should be obvious where The Meat is – don’t bury it under garnish!
Side Dishes. Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole translate into your most important points, after the main course. In this example, your side dishes could include details about how your customers can use online reviews to their advantage, or takeaways from the latest email marketing stats. They are important, supporting facts that can come before or after The Meat, as long as it’s clear The Meat is the star.
Gravy. When it comes to dressing up your plate, what can’t use a little gravy? It’s what draws you into the flavors that lie beneath, and you need it in your blog. The gravy is an infographic. It’s your snappy headline. It’s the promise of more good stuff to be found, once the reader is first pulled in. This is especially important if beyond enjoying your blog, you’re encouraging readers to download your latest white paper. Don’t forget that even after the Thanksgiving meal is over, you can still serve up leftovers – and repurpose your content.
Dessert. This is my personal favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, and it’s not just because I have a massive sweet tooth. I enjoy seeing how everyone represents the classics like pumpkin and apple pie, or brings something new and unexpected. And with so many choices, it’s easy to share and enjoy a little bit of everything. In the blog metaphor, these are your social media channels. By encouraging your readers to share your blog on social, you’re inviting them to put their own spin on your content and sweeten it up for the benefit of their own audiences.
Building a B2B blog template that won’t leave your content feeling stale doesn’t have to be difficult. Considering how you will present your Thanksgiving meal can help you identify the key pieces in your blog, and how to arrange them to attract your target audience and keep them satisfied. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tags: B2B content marketing, building a B2B blog template, Thanksgiving, white paper