12 Mistakes To Avoid In Your B2B Marketing Blog (And How To Fix Them)
How long have you been running a blog for your business?
A month, a year, more than that?
And what results do you get?
If you hear crickets when you open your blog analytics, even though you invest hours writing posts, there's a chance that something isn't working.
But just because your blog doesn't bring results now, it doesn't mean it can't. A blog for a B2B business can bring significant revenue, build credibility, and communicate your amazing services to the world.
But how do you do that?
Well, I will tell you what not to do when creating a content strategy for a blog and how to avoid the most common mistakes B2B businesses make.
What does a business marketing blog do?
I don't think anyone needs an explanation of what a blog is. Everyone knows it, and you probably have read at least one blog post in your life (you're reading this one, so here you go). Your B2B marketing blog is a cost-effective way to attract more visitors to your website, turn them into paying customers, and keep the bond so they would keep coming back.
A blog is your business connection with the outer world. You might say, 'well, but we have social media, it also communicates to the world.'
Marketing on social is great, but it doesn't generate the same results as a blog. A well-written and maintained blog can boost your business's SEO efforts, increase your credibility, and create more sales in addition to social media.
Do I need a B2B marketing blog for my business?
The short answer is yes. If you don't have a B2B marketing blog, you are missing out on great opportunities to be discovered through keywords, get published by other industry players, or be linked by reputable websites, creating that precious exposure and building credibility.
At least 77% of Fortune 500 companies use blogs. And even better, a blog doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Is B2B blogging good for business?
Again, I have to say yes, if it's done right. 70% of consumers prefer blog posts to ads. That doesn't mean that people hate ads, it suggests that people like engaging content. You can't provide as much information in an advertisement as you can write in a blog post.
And if you pay attention and avoid these 12 mistakes I'm about to tell you, you can pivot your blog to a customer-generating machine full of insightful information and valuable content that can turn even the most stubborn reader into a paying customer.
Let's go!
12 mistakes in B2B blog posts and ways to fix them
Mistake number 1: Using your blog to only post about your business updates
Treating your blog like it's 2008 and it’s your diary isn't a good idea in 2022. While updates about your business are important, your blog won't generate results if you focus only on yourself.
The primary purpose of a blog is to attract organic visitors, and chances are they aren't looking for your business specifically. They are likely looking for a service or product your company sells.
Let's say you sell hiking shoes. But instead of writing blog posts like "How to choose best hiking shoes based on your body type", you write "We bought a new chair for the office" - it won't work.
Maybe Laura from the accounting team will like it and share it on her Facebook page, but that is as far as it will go.
Even as a loyal customer, I rarely read such blog posts. Do you?
How to fix it?
Don't get me wrong, posting about your company's culture and life can be a fantastic way to create a more genuine connection with your readers. You can still do that, but choose other channels like social media or a separate section on your about us page to write about your team and meaningful business events. And instead — focus on the topics important to the reader.
Mistake number 2: Writing about too many unrelated topics
Let's say you are a fintech startup. On your brand new blog, you write about sustainable finance, sustainable fashion, and sustainable energy, then some posts about online payments, cybersecurity, and your team's life. These topics relate to your business to some extent, but they aren't consistent.
How to fix that?
Eventually, you might reach the point where it becomes hard to come up with new topics. But quality should always come first before quantity in a B2B marketing blog.
It's better to choose one or two main topics and keep up with them. You can always find trends, new exciting angles, and repurpose your old articles. It's better to post less but dive deep into those topics to produce long, informational articles.
Mistake number 3: not thinking about your reader
I often read blogs full of great information, but I can clearly see that the author wrote it for themselves. It's easy to do that because we forget about the reader and focus on putting the information as we know it.
But it makes your article hard to read and understand. Language and communication you know and use with your colleagues in your business can sound foreign to your customers.
How to fix that?
Before you start writing, think about a person who will read this. Don't think about a general audience, instead, imagine one person who'll read your blog posts and write to them.
It's easier to write a letter to a friend because you feel connected. So try to build that connection with your imaginary reader.
Mistake number 4: Not paying attention to SEO
Your blog is a primary SEO (search engine optimization) tool. So, if you aren't optimizing it, you're missing out on great opportunities (like ranking on the first Google page).
But what do I mean by not paying attention to SEO?
It can be as simple as not formatting your content right and writing articles that provide 0 value to the reader. But often, the devil is in the details. You don't use headlines, forget to add meta titles and descriptions, your URLs are poorly written, you skip ALT texts on your images, etc.
How to fix that?
The easiest fix is to find an SEO expert or agency that could help you build a strong keyword list and develop topics matched with your audience’s search intent. But you can do basic SEO research yourself.
I prepared a little cheat sheet for budget-friendly SEO tactics for small businesses. You can check it out to better understand how to improve your blog's on-page SEO.
With many free keyword-building tools online, you can optimize your headlines, URLs, metas, ALT text, and other article parts to make them more readable and indexable.
Also, don't forget that the most essential part is your reader, so make your content user-friendly and valuable.
Mistake number 5: Using SEO the wrong way
While keyword stuffing and unrelated keywords might have worked in the past, search engines are much more intelligent these days.
All these ways to manipulate search engine results can result in your webpage not being displayed. But most importantly, you’re just wasting your time with these techniques.
How to fix it?
Write for a reader, not for Google. Find the right keywords to target and use them sparingly. Approved SEO tactics will work much better and prevent your website from being penalized.
Mistake number 6: Not publishing consistently
It's hard to say what the ideal number of blog posts to publish is. Some say posting 2-4 times per week is great for generating results. However, I would always prioritize quality over quantity.
One quality post can rank and attract more readers than 10 poorly written ones. But if you post once in a blue moon, you won't generate enough traction and might miss out on many great SEO opportunities.
How to fix that?
In the beginning, one or two posts per month can be enough. The thing to remember is that they have to be informative and useful to the reader.
To be prepared, plan in advance. Think of several topics that could last you a couple of months and start writing. Eventually, you can increase posting frequency, but planning long-term will help you stay consistent.
Mistake number 7: poor formatting
Most readers scan the page looking for the most relevant information. If you put one massive block of text, no one will read it. And a simple detail like that can ruin otherwise an interesting and well-written post.
I remember back in university, when we were preparing our bachelor's thesis, our curator said that with so many theses, teachers don't read them all, they skim through them. So you can score more points just by putting it neatly and using the right formatting.
And that's just basic human nature.
How to fix that?
Formatting tools are your friends. First and foremost, use headlines, and use them in the right order. There can't be two H1 headlines in your post, so use H2, H3… Not only do headlines make it easier to read, but they are also great for boosting your SEO results.
Write in short paragraphs.
It can be even a sentence long.
But as you can see, it's much easier to follow and read short sentences and paragraphs than large blocks of text. Also, use bullet points and listicles where it makes sense.
Mistake number 8: writing without the intent
Each content piece you write should have a goal or intent. What does it mean? Do you intend to target a specific topic to attract more organic readers to your website, or do you want to sell something?
Writing without intention leads your content nowhere or places where you don't want it to end up.
Has it ever happened to you that, for some reason, your post ranked quite high on Google, but that traffic produces 0 results?
It can be that the keywords and the topic don't tie together to lead your visitors to the next step in their buyer's journey.
How to fix that?
Again, make a plan before writing. Define your keywords and group them based on the intent. Different keywords have different purposes.
Let's say you want to write a sales page for your new skincare line. You might use keywords that people who want to buy skincare products would use, such as "best budget-friendly skincare for acne-prone skin." Chances are if someone is searching for a keyword like that, they intend to buy skincare products.
But if you write a full copy about acne-prone skin, chances are it will attract people who are just curious about the topic but not necessarily looking to buy.
Mistake number 9: Not being conversational
You might wonder: but we are a B2B business writing a blog for VC investors.
Yeah, but even an investor is a person who has the same psychology as the rest of us.
And we as people prefer simpler, more conversational language. So if you use terms and sentence structure that even your language teacher wouldn't understand, it's time to simplify it.
How to fix it?
Many marketing gurus have been talking about writing the way you speak for decades. The conversational tone isn't only great for the readers but also you. It's much easier to write as you talk.
You don't need to go to the thesaurus searching for fancy synonyms when you talk to your customers. So, why should you complicate things when it comes to writing?
Replace difficult words and a complicated sentence structure with a more conversational way of writing. Use contractions, active voice, short sentences, and most common words. Most people read at the 8-grade level, so strive for it.
Mistake number 10: Not encouraging action
If you finish your blog post without a call to action, don't expect readers to take any action. Even if the main intent of your post is to spread awareness and inform a reader, you don't want them to leave your website.
You want them to click further to see what else they can find there.
How to fix that?
Use action. As simple as that. It can be an action to read one more article that has a better connection to your product or service or lead readers to your pricing page. CTAs depend on the intent you set in the beginning.
Mistake number 11: You forget your old posts
Eventually, you will hit a brick wall and struggle to come up with new topics. But instead of writing about something unrelated, scroll down to see your old posts. Old is gold.
Because
a. it's already written, and
b. you can reuse it.
And if you're letting your blog posts that didn't rank at their time just sit in the back of your blog, they will age like fine milk.
How to fix that?
A post might not rank for million reasons, but check the main things:
Is it written for a reader?
Is it well-written?
Can you expand and add more original information?
Did you use formatting correctly?
Do you have your main keywords in the right places (headlines, metas, first paragraphs, etc.)
Just by adding these few things, you can give your oldies a makeover. And who says you can't promote them again? Evergreen topics are always relevant.
Mistake number 12: You aren't planning in advance
Maybe you write when you feel inspired or when your boss tells you to. But content without a plan can quickly turn into inconsistent blabbering.
How to fix that?
It's easy to prepare a plan for your content in advance. Do keyword research, check your competitors and why they are ranking, and start generating topics.
Each topic can have at least three more topics. Come up with enough topics you know you can write about or have enough will and time to research. 12 topics can last for at least three to four months. This way, you will achieve consistency and have clear guidelines that help you follow your content strategy and keep your topics and keywords in check.
Final thoughts
It's easy to maintain a result-generating blog, you just need to invest some time in planning and doing your homework before writing.
So remember:
Don't use a blog only to post your business updates — use it to attract customers with engaging and relevant content.
Don't write about too many different unrelated topics — pick a niche and become an expert in it.
Don't forget to think about the reader — after all, they are the ones reading your posts.
Pay attention to SEO — even small details can bring great results.
Don't use SEO in the wrong way. It can have a negative effect.
Publish consistently to keep the traffic flowing and your readers engaged.
Avoid poor formatting — use headlines, listicles, bullet points, and all formatting tools available.
Content without intent can end up nowhere.
Don't use overly formal language — write the way you speak.
Use action to produce action.
Don't forget your old posts.
Plan in advance to stay consistent.
But what can you do if you have all these great ideas for your B2B marketing blog but no one to write them? If that's your case, let's talk and turn your ideas into customer-generating blog posts.
