Things Your Blog Content Writers WILL Tell You

“There’s no legal definition of a meteorologist, so anybody can call him – or herself one and get away with it.” That’s just one of the “13 Things Your TV Weatherman Won’t Tell You” in Reader’s Digest.

Things-your-whoever-won’t-tell-you is a useful format for SEO marketing blogs.  Michele Crouch, the author of the Readers’ Digest piece, advises readers, “Try to get your weather from someone certified by the American Meteorological Society.” As a corporate blogging trainer, I’d call that “selling by contrast”, in which blog  content writers direct blog visitors’ attention to the business owner’s or professional practitioner’s special expertise and credentials.

“The dewpoint – not the relative humidity – is the best measure of how humid it feels outside”, we learn. Interesting information tidbits like this can be used in blog content to engage readers’ attention.  In fact, it’s just this sort of information that gets “favorited” and forwarded by readers to friends and relatives.

Blog content that gives readers an “inside peek” into the workings of a business or practice is effective in forging a relationship with potential clients and customers.  “In many cases,” Reader’s Digest confides, “the meteorologist is the highest-paid person on the broadcast…That’s probably why the stations with the best weather people usually have the best ratings.” That’s precisely the sort of “inside scoop” designed to elicit an “I didn’t know that!” response from blog visitors.

“Being human means being effective in business blog writing.  People want to do business with people, and people have failings. “Our long-range forecasts aren’t very accurate.  We’re quite good at one to three days out and decent five to seven days out,” admits Crouch on behalf of her self and her fellow meteorologists.

In Creating Buzz With Blogs, veteran business technology consultant Ted Demopoulos explains, "Blogs create buzz because people will feel like they know you, and people like to do business with people they know." 

“Don’t take a shower during a thunderstorm,” warns Crouch. “You can get struck by lightning due to metal plumbing, which conducts electricity.” People getting “scared” into action is an important topic in marketing, including SEO marketing blogs. Specifically, business owners and those providing blog writing services need to weigh the effectiveness of fear tactics in galvanizing customers into action.

In business blog writing, while it’s important to appeal to readers’ need to avoid pain, (electrocution in the bathtub, for example!) you’re more likely to “win friends and influence people” in your blog posts by giving searchers a “feel” for the relief and comfort they’ll gain after using your products and services.