Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to DevelopYour Business Online

Chapter 66. Blog Topics for Business-to-Business Customers

Writing for business-to-business (B2B) readers is only slightly different than writing for business-to-consumer (B2C) customers. If you think about it, in both cases, real human people read both kinds of posts, so they are, of necessity, similar. The differences come from what is covered and, sometimes, how it is covered. One reason it's tricky to write B2B content is that it's sometimes far more dry than a consumer post might be. But you don't have to be dry. Here are some ideas and topics.

IS YOUR CUSTOMER ONLINE?

Recently, I met a guy who sells shiny concrete polish. I'm not kidding. Should he be blogging? Sure, if his user base is online. If you're to believe studies, I'd say there are lots of customers online whom we don't know are there. Check Technorati for your company, product, or general industry name. If you find other people discussing you, you might consider getting online and telling your own story, too.

10 SEXY HEADLINES YOU CAN USE TODAY

Okay, I won't really list 10 headlines, but the idea is inherent in the headline. Stealing a page out of Copyblogger's book, write headlines patterned after current consumer magazines. They draw our attention in grocery stores for a reason. Alter them to match your business needs. For example, with some minor manipulation, "Five summer makeover tips she needs to know" becomes "Five summer makeover tips your data center needs now." Easy, eh? Try it.

THINK HARD ABOUT THE CUSTOMER/USER ...