“90% of businesses use content marketing tactics, such as blogging.” That’s according to the software tool DemandMetric.
HubSpot, who runs multiple blogs on topics like sales, customer experience, marketing, and other business topics, reports that “B2B marketers who have blogs get 67% more leads than those who don’t.”
With numbers like that, why wouldn’t businesses blog?
A Quality Blog Turns Browsers into Buyers
Imagine this scenario. Business A has a blog with an average of five new blog posts a week. Business B blogs “when they think about it,” aka, maybe once every month or two.
Which do you think is more likely to be found by their ideal prospects?
Of course, businesses who successfully incorporate blogging into their sales process have strategic thinking behind it. They usually have a calendar of topics tied to the sales process, a publishing schedule, and a blog manager to manage it all.
This means they need a lot of content!
That’s good news for freelance writers. In fact, according to OptinMonster, “64% of B2B marketers outsource blog copywriting.”
Why Freelance B2B Blogging Is a Great Way to Build Your Business
I’ve built my business on B2B blogging and think it’s a great way to build yours. There are six reasons why I believe freelance blogging is an effective way to build your client base.
- Consistency — No one only publishes one or two blog posts. The best ones publish on a regular schedule and have a constant need for writers. For example, I have several B2B software companies I blog for every month. Also, as you get more familiar with the company, you can usually write faster, and if you charge by the project, that means you make more money.
- Short Copy — Many blog posts are between 600-1,200 words. If you know the topic well and are a practiced writer, you may be able to write a solid draft in as little as 90 minutes. Let it sit overnight, add another hour for proofreading and revisions, and send it off. Even if the post is more in-depth, longer, and takes you four hours, it’s still a great way to build consistent work for yourself.
- Fun to Write — Blog writing is conversational. While some types of writing can be more technical and formal, blog articles tend to be lighter.
- They’re Specific — Sometimes clients aren’t clear on what they want. They know they want to drive leads and think “content” may help, but they don’t have a concrete plan yet. As a result, you can have numerous emails, a phone call or two, and maybe even a proposal to flesh out the details. All of which eats up a lot of time.
Blog writing usually is much more straightforward. For instance, clients will send me a form with the information I need, or I send them my form. It includes potential resources, keyword terms, working titles, and other information I may need to know. It helps clients think through what they want before I start working. As a result, I have a clear direction when I start writing, and they know they’re getting a piece on x.
- Less Administrative Work — If you’ve ever worked on a project that required lots of emails and phone calls, then you know how much time that can take.Blogging has a clear definition, which means it eliminates all that back and forth. I have clients I’ve blogged for over the course of months and years with only an email or two to clarify things.
As a freelance writer, you’re paid for a “deliverable,” aka a blog post. You’re not also being paid for meetings and project management, so the more time you can spend writing during your work time, the more money you can make.
- Opportunity — Since there’s so much B2B blog writing work, there’s a ton of opportunity. It’s also an excellent way to break in with a company if you don’t have a lot of writing experience. Why? Because they’re more apt to try you out on blog posts rather than on white papers or other bigger ticket projects.
Let’s say you have four clients who each want two posts per month and another two who want four posts per month. Even at $250 per post, which is on the low end, that’s $4,000 writing 16 blog posts in a month. You can see how it wouldn’t take long to add up to a nice income!
How to Position Yourself as a B2B Blogger
Organizations want to tie their business objectives to their blog posts. They want to boost sales, attract a new audience, and enhance their industry credibility for starters.
Here’s how that affects you as a B2B blogger. Let’s say you’ve identified a few companies with active blogs that fit your background. You’d like to pitch them a couple of ideas for their blog.
One of those ideas is sharing a customer success story (maybe YOU’RE the customer success story!). Another idea is answering a frequently asked “how-to” question that you see is missing from their blog content but is often asked by potential customers.
You can find your early B2B blogging clients by being proactive. Suggest topics that fit the product/service and show how they help the organization achieve its business goals. That’s more likely to inspire clients who say, “Yes.”
Now that you can see the benefits of B2B business blogging, you can see it’s a great way to build a steady client base.
To get started, you should check out AWAI’s How to Write Blogs for Yourself and Clients: A Step-by-Step Guide to Blogging Success program for all the details.
