Blogs are a great way to demonstrate your firm’s expertise and in doing so can significantly help with your rankings on Google. To improve the readability and engagement of your blogs, here are eight blog writing tips that are relevant to accountants.
1. Create a blog calendar of topics and responsibilities
Rather than expecting one or two people to write all the blogs for the firm, I’ve found it works best to split the writing load across everyone in the firm. This will make it less of an arduous task for everyone. Plus, in some cases, one person may only have to write one blog every 2 to 3 months.
As well as delegating blog writing responsibilities, you should also assign different blog topics. With accountancy, it is quite easy to set out a 6 – 12 months contents plan, which documents what topics should be written about each month, e.g. the Budget, year-end tax planning measures, self assessment reminders, annual P11D submissions etc.
You should also get your admin team writing, as they can often provide a different perspective. For example, they could provide great content on how to improve admin efficiency, or how to meet and greet visitors or callers to a business.
2. Write with the target reader in mind
Think about your target audience. What will be of interest to them in terms of a topic? How can you help them? You need to put yourself in the shoes of the reader so that you can fully understand their thoughts, their feelings and what they would find most useful to read about. If you want some advice on how to write with your target audience in mind, see our blog ‘How to attract your perfect client’.
3. Spec out your blog plan
To help avoid writer’s block and to make the time you spend writing your blog as efficient as possible, take a couple of minutes to write down the key elements of the blog. This should include:
- A suggested blog title.
- Keywords and short phrases, e.g. SEO (search engine optimisation) terms which people are likely to search for in Google in order to lead them to your blog. These terms should be mentioned throughout your blog, in the headings and the body text.
- If you have search categories on your website/blog pages, highlight what categories the blog should be listed under so that people can easily find it on your website.
- The key aspects/topics/issues/solutions which the blog needs to mention.
- Links to other pages on the website where the reader can expand their knowledge further.
- External links to third-party websites help to give credibility to your blog but are also useful for the reader.
Creating this blog plan before you start writing will help you to keep focused on the topic and to get the blog written as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
4. Grab attention with punchy headings and subheadings
I’m a big believer in the ‘it does what it says on the tin’ philosophy. So think about the contents of your blog and how the main heading needs to reflect this. Quite often you may find that you change the heading as you write the blog, and some people leave the heading until last. Your main heading needs to be short and punchy and draw people in. Using your SEO keywords in your headings and sub-headings can also help with your Google rankings.
Also, use plenty of subheadings. Not only does this help tell your story (a quick flick down the subheadings should tell the reader instantly what the blog covers), but it can help break up the text and make it easier for people to read until the end.
5. Don’t use internal jargon or too many acronyms
It’s very easy to use words, phrases or acronyms that are common to you and our colleagues, but they might be less so to the outside world. When you’ve written your blog it can be useful to get someone outside of the office to read it. If they don’t understand something, it may need rewriting or explaining. Also, take care not to overdo it with acronyms. Blogs that require the reader to stop and think about what each acronym stands for lose their momentum and can cause the reader to switch off/click away.
6. Insert your key search words and phrases
Your blogs are a great way to improve your rankings in search engines. In order to do this, you need to include your key search terms in your blog. This needs to be done seamlessly in your text and where appropriate should be used in headings and subheadings. However, take care not to over-mention your keywords, as that can be counter-productive in Google rankings. For more tips on SEO, read our article ‘SEO Tips for Accountants‘.
7. Include a call to action
At the end of your blog, don’t leave your readers hanging. Explain what they need to do next, e.g. submit a form to receive a free download, visit another web page or contact you etc. Whatever it is that you need the reader to do, make sure you make it as easy as possible for them to do so, e.g. one click or phone call.
8. Re-use the blog
You can spend a lot of time writing a blog, so don’t just write it, load it onto the website and walk away. Think of how you can get your blogs in front of as many people as possible. For example, could it be repurposed and used as a press release or perhaps in a newsletter? You should also link to the blog from your different social media channels. Where the blog is not time-sensitive, you could also repost it onto your social media in a few months’ time. Aim to get as much mileage out of one blog post as possible.
The above blog writing tips aim to give you practical advice on how to write interesting blogs that engage directly with your target audience.
If you have any questions or would like some assistance in writing blogs, you can email me at vicki@momentumforprofessionals.co.uk or call me on 01822 833300.
