Warning to Blog Content Writers: Don’t Assume!

As a content writer in Indianapolis, I give web designers’ and marketing directors’ different views about writing for business a serious listen. Most of the time, I must say, I gain valuable insights into the best ways to offer business blogging help.

Occasionally, though, I realize that a false assumption lies behind the advice of the person pontificating about corporate blog writing.  Remember the old sports coach’s saying "Don’t assume. It makes an a-s-s out of u and me." Well, as an Indianapolis blog writer, every so often I find that saying right on the mark when it comes to blog writing services.

I read a great, true story in Mental Floss Magazine that perfectly illustrates what I mean.  In the 1940’s and 50’s, painter Mark Rothco used the Multiform art style, consisting of huge abstract rectangles of color, intending for his paintings to invoke a "religious experience" in viewers.

When collectors began buying his paintings as investments, Rothko was devastated, and started to purposely create bad art, knowing collectors would buy whatever he put out. 

In Say It For You corporate blogging training sessions, I stress the importance of putting out only quality work to represent the high quality of your business. So, when I hear a business owner being advised that, in an SEO marketing blog, only keyword use matters (to the exclusion of high quality writing), I fume. After four years of studying – and, in my capacity of ghost blogger – writing thousands of blog posts, I never consider quality dispensable. Yes, blog writing is more casual and personal in style than the typically more static website text, but I never advise disrespecting online searchers, thinking "They’ll read whatever I put out."

A second erroneous assumption is that corporate blog writers don’t want them to read it! Isn’t the goal, after all, to have readers scan, then click through to the shopping cart?

The best possible business blogging service I can bring to any entrepreneur is to repeat that old saying about assumptions making a you-know-what out of you and me.  To the extent there is a sure-fire strategy when it comes to blog content writing, I believe it’s this: In writing for business, aim content towards a reader who is intelligent, on the search for information, products, and services.  You’ll end up getting found based on what you look for!