B2B blogs can be a challenge for even the most experienced content marketer.
There’s the issue of tone, for example. You have to maintain one that’s professional, yet still readable and friendly. That can be difficult, especially when you’re working in a highly specialized industry.
Then there are things like images – how do you find interesting images for each and every blog post? You can subscribe to a stock image service, or better yet, have an intern or employee skilled in photography take a collection of shots of the office, your products, company employees, etc.
But perhaps one of the most difficult parts of maintaining a B2B blog is simply figuring out what to write about. B2C blog topics are generally easier to come up with because you can appeal to so many different people’s interests. B2B topics, however, generally cover a narrower, much more specific range.
So how do you beat that B2B writer’s block? One way is by checking out our list of foolproof B2B blog ideas below.
1. Case study
If you don’t already have a regular case study feature on your B2B blog, commit to this idea right away.
The great thing about case studies is that they’re an excellent – and interesting, if you do them right – way to illustrate the real-world results that your company gets for its clients.
Maybe you provide cargo shipping, for example, and one of your clients is a nonprofit that uses your services to ship vaccines to Africa. You could write a case study about how your services helped this nonprofit save money, or reduce shipping times, ultimately allowing them to help more people.
Include hard numbers, if you can – if you saved that organization $504 per shipment, say so.
Focusing on this “real-world” aspect of your business allows you to not only produce content that is engaging and interesting to read, but also to quantify the benefits you can offer potential clients.
2. Interactive content.
Just as video is slowly but surely taking over the internet, interactive content is slowly taking over B2B blogging.
Why? Well, first, it’s because interactive content is usually a lot more fun, and potentially a lot more useful, for readers to engage with than a simple text post.
And second, it’s because creating this kind of content is getting easier and less expensive as time goes on.
Some ideas for interactive content include a quiz, like this one from Ashar Group, a secondary market and valuation specialist.
The quiz is short – just 7 questions – and it offers valuable information to the company’s audience, financial advisors. Advisors can take the quiz and get a good idea of whether or not a client’s life insurance policy will qualify for a life settlement, which is what Ashar Group provides.
3. Infographics.
This B2B blog standby isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Infographics are a perfect way to visually represent data that otherwise would be dry and boring. Take this example from Kova Corp., a company that sells software solutions for public safety organizations and contact centers:
Seeing the numbers laid out like this is a whole lot more interesting than reading them in a simple list.
4. Expert/blog roundup
Roundups of experts or blogs that you think those in your industry should follow are more than just a great way to show your knowledge of your field.
They also let you create outbound links or links that take readers out to other sites rather than within your own site. These can be an excellent way to expand your reach – by contacting the experts and bloggers whom you’re including, you’ll make it more likely that they’ll share your post with their own followers.
5. Interviews
Contact a leader in your field and interview him or her about the state of the industry. Interview your CEO. You could even interview a lower-level employee about what his or her day is like.
Just like a blog or expert roundup, one of the positive things about doing an interview post is that the person you interview can share it with their own social media following. Plus, according to Hubspot, 96 percent of B2B buyers want more blog posts with input from industry thought leaders.
6. The latest and greatest from your company or industry
Is there a new gadget or product that your company is working on? Has your industry experienced change recently? Is there a big story in the news that is impacting your product or service? Blog about it – you’ll be showing your thought leadership in addition to creating highly searchable content.
7. Book or podcast review
Seek out media like books or podcasts that are related to your industry – or even simply related to business in general – and write a review. You get to read a good book (or listen to several episodes of a great podcast), make a connection with an author or host, and boost your link building.
8. Write about a past or upcoming event
If you have a party, conference, educational event, or charity fundraiser that’s either coming up or just recently happened, use your blog to showcase it.
If the event is already past, go image-heavy and post plenty of photos. If it hasn’t happened yet, use your blog to talk up the event and help promote it.
9. Highlight a client or vendor
This is similar to a case study, although instead of focusing on numbers and results, you can take a more personal approach. Blog about a client who’s been with you for years, or a vendor that’s become a close partner (with their permission, of course!).
10. Answer a frequently asked question or address a concern from social media
Are there questions or concerns that you see frequently brought up in social media, or other industry blogs? Maybe there’s a part of your business that’s often misunderstood. A blog post is a perfect way to address these issues.
11. Use your already existing content to create new blog posts.
If you’ve got content assets like webinars, ebooks, infographics, etc. you can get more mileage out of them if you break them up into blog-post-sized pieces. These are generally pretty quick to turn out too since all you really have to do is repurpose what already exists.
12. Use a tool like BuzzSumo to see what topics the most popular bloggers in your industry are writing about, and brainstorm from there.
If you’re a content marketer who’s never used BuzzSumo, get ready to make it your new favorite tool. It allows you to see what topics are trending online, and who’s writing about them. It’s a good way to not only brainstorm new blog topics but also to find influencers in your niche.
13. “Best of” companies using social media
List posts are always popular, and one good list for B2B blogs is a roundup of some of the top B2B social media profiles.
According to those same Hubspot statistics, more than 84 percent of B2B companies use social media in some form or another. “Best in class” posts are useful, interesting, and relevant, and can offer strategies for B2B companies to adopt.
14. Write an opinion post on a popular blog post or news story in your industry
Opinion posts are a strategic way to piggyback off of popular blog posts or news stories, as well as demonstrate your industry knowledge.
15. “Behind the Scenes” posts
Why not give readers a glimpse into your company culture with a “behind the scenes” or “day in the life” post? These are fun to read, and gives you the chance to “sell” your company on a more personal level.
There you have it! If you’re still at a loss for blog post topics after this, try some of the brainstorming tactics laid out here: “How to Brainstorm Content: 6 Tips to Catalyze Ideas.”
