strong-electric-connectionBy Sue Carrington

Business blogging.  Everybody’s doing it.  That’s because it can bring huge spikes in website traffic – as much as 55%.

Though more businesses are taking the plunge, fewer are making a splash. Why? Their blog-writing voice hasn’t “dressed for the occasion.”

Writing’s a lot like clothes.  Varied venues call for varied styles.  Think of the new-media dress code as crisp khakis and brightly colored polos – in short, business casual.  Those who show up on the web in the old-media standard (think pinstriped suits and starched white shirts) are at the wrong event.

To find and keep readers, a business-casual blogging style is the right choice. Here are five tips:

  1. Choose an inviting headline.  Most web readers have the staying power of butterflies. Your blog title may be your only chance to net their interest.
  2. Be relaxed. Keep a friendly tone.  But remember: casual doesn’t mean careless.  Stay true to the rules of grammar, spelling, and “sentence sense.”  To stick with the clothes metaphor, no dirty jeans and tacky tees.
  3. Avoid worn-out buzz words.   Steer clear of terms like “state of the art,” “out of bandwidth,” and “run it up the flagpole.”  These “low-hanging fruits” were fresh at first, but all dried up now.
  4. Keep it brief.  Readers typically scan first, read second – if at all.  To hold their attention, the shorter the better – short words, sentences, paragraphs. “Chunk” your points with numbers or subheads for easy digestion.
  5. Make an emotional connection.  Write honestly.  Put your heart into it. Use humor and personal stories that help your reader know you.

Whatever you’re blogging about, a business-casual point of view will bring readers to your table – and keep them coming back for more.