How to Write a Startup Blog That Wins
This week’s post is a guest post from the fabulous Patrick Shea, CEO of Perk Copywriting.
Every new business needs a blog. (Yes, even yours.) An effective startup blog is a valuable inbound marketing tool and a free lead magnet for your brand.
People aren't just consumers anymore — they're consumers of content. And that content directly drives their buying decisions.
Nearly 50% of buyers read 3 to 5 pieces of content before they decide to buy from a brand. Wouldn't you rather control that content and what it says?
That's just one of many reasons that blogging is one of your most valuable startup tools — and an essential step in your startup brand strategy.
6 Reasons Startup Blogs Are Crucial
A good blog is the Swiss Army knife of content marketing. It's long-form social media, branded lead nurturing, soft-sell advertising and a press release hub in one webpage.
Let's split that broad definition of blog value into some specific value props, shall we?
Organic Traffic. A well-crafted blog post can drive as much early traffic to your startup website as its landing page.
Early Thought Leadership. Quality content in your blog establishes brand credibility and expertise from day one.
Consumer Engagement. My first interactions with clients and industry peers is often through blog comment threads.
Lead Generation. Calls to action on early blog articles are a fantastic way to generate your first round of leads. Look at the article your new lead discovered, and you'll know their pain point immediately.
Investor and Venture Capital Attraction. Still in the market for funding? A startup entrepreneur can utilize blog content as a soft call for funding.
Email Marketing List Cultivation. Use your blog articles to obtain emails and contact details.
Those are a few of the qualitative reasons I love blogs as startup marketing tools. But hey, if you love data — I've got that, too.
7 Startup Blog Stats That Matter
Do you need concrete numbers to justify launching a blog to your startup founder? Print this list out for your next planning session.
Companies who blog get 97% more links to their websites.
Almost 91% of all web pages get no organic search traffic from Google. A startup with one ranking blog article already defeats 91% of the Internet.
76% of content marketers recommend blog content to generate leads.
80% of blog owners report measurable results (lead generation and/or signup).
In-house content development is 62% cheaper than traditional outbound advertising.
B2B brands with a blog gain 67% more leads than competitors that don't have one.
B2C brands with a blog gain 88% more monthly leads than their competitors.
Every startup or small business owner can benefit from those numbers. And with the average startup blog costing under $900 to launch, the cost-benefit question is a no-brainer.
Now that you have all the reasons to start a blog, and the data to prove it works, it's time to get started. Let's take the 8 simple steps to launching a great branded startup blog.
8 Steps to a Great Branded Startup Blog
Step 1: Understand Your Target Audience.
Who you're writing for matters just as much as what you have to say.
Understanding your target audience is way bigger than just blogging. It's a core indicator of whether your startup will succeed or fail. That's why every content marketing journey starts here — before you even write a word.
Who are your target consumers? Where are they from? What do they love? What do they worry about? How does your brand serve them with specific care and attention?
You must find the answers to these questions to understand who you're writing for. Your blog exists to attract and serve them.
Step 2: Relate Your Content to Your Readers' Interests.
The #1 rated factor to startup blog marketing success is quality of content. And quality content isn't just about your grasp of grammar — it's about how interesting you are to readers.
You have a great content idea. You've done the requisite research on your target audience. Now, think about how to combine the two.
What is your target audience going to find interesting about your topic? Where's an accessible point of entry for them to start reading?
Storytelling, assertive statements and strong data points are great places to start.
Step 3: Read High Ranking Related Articles.
The longer I write for a living, the more reading I do. In order to find out what your target consumers like, you need to read what they're reading.
Find the top ranking related articles to your desired article topic. Approach them like a curious reader. Take notes.
What questions does the author address? How is the blog post structured? What do the comments say?
Step 4: Research Relevant Keywords for Insight.
Hitting (and crushing) a primary keyword is a great way to rank in SERP (search engine results page) queries quickly. Learn how to research and target a keyword, and you'll save money on paid search in the long run.
Great keyword research tools have never been more accessible for startups. Here are a few I love:
Google Trends. The “OG” of keyword research. View the popularity of keyword searches on Google over adjustable spans of time. Compare keyword popularity in competing line graphs.
Moz. Moz is one of three gold-standard authorities in content marketing research today (SEMRush and Ahrefs being the others). Some of their keyword tools are available on a free trial — I recommend paying for their service, especially if you're in a highly competitive space.
SEMRush. SEMRush is a competitor to Moz with similar product offerings. See which of the two companies is a better service fit for your startup business.
WordStream. Get a full page of keyword results free (top 25 results per keyword query). If you're on a tight budget or part of a lean startup, WordStream is a fine option for keyword analysis.
Step 5: Refine Every Topic Idea With a Great Outline.
Write an outline for every blog article topic you have. It doesn't matter how fleshed out the idea is. Outline it anyway.
Good article outlining habits are the GPS in your phone. Chart where you're going before you begin, and you'll never get lost.
(And neither will your reader.)
Figure out what content belongs in your intro, body sections and conclusion. How will you structure your headers? Where do you need lists? What sections require data and authoritative links?
Step 6: Write Your Blog Content. And Edit the **** Out of It.
Now that you've identified your audience, crafted a relatable content strategy, read competing articles, researched keywords and refined your outline, it's time to write.
Honestly, writing your article is the easiest part of the process. Carve out some undistracted time. Focus on delivering your message through the lens you've developed over the first 5 steps.
When you're done, let it sit for a day. Then come back and edit the **** out of it.
Edit out any unnecessary language. I define “unnecessary language” as anything that distracts for your point.
Contrary to the belief of many, a blog doesn't exist to prove how smart you are. It exists to deliver a message in a targeted, straightforward and clear manner.
Edit your article copy down until only what's necessary remains.
Step 7: Share Every Blog Post With 8 Billion Friends.
7.88 billion friends, to be precise. (That's how many people are living on Earth right now.)
I'm obviously kidding — but you see my point. Until your target audience knows how to find you, you must go to them.
Share your new blog article links on social media. If it's a business-oriented list, go to LinkedIn. If it's a call to action for sales, pick Instagram or X (Twitter).
When you have enough email leads, build an email marketing newsletter around some of your blog content. Make sure it's well-curated and provides value to your audience.
Step 8: Track Results and Update Your Blog Strategy.
Once you publish and share your blog post, track your results. Have a weekly content meeting where you review your blog's traffic data and the search queries used to bring people to your site.
Google Search Console and Google Analytics are essential to track content marketing results. Register your website with both properties immediately and spend some time learning how they function.
Your website's hosting platform should have built-in traffic data analytics. Use them to track SERP results, search queries, and where your traffic is coming from (organic search, paid search, social media, email marketing, etc.)
Specific hosting services have SEO plugins and data collectors. If you host your blog on Wordpress, the Yoast SEO plugin is particularly good for these purposes.
As you track your results, update your blog strategy accordingly. What's working? What's lagging? What Google searches are leading people to your blog?
Your site traffic data will tell you exactly how to plan your next batch of blog content.
Industry Experts Believe in Startup Blogs
Here are some quotes about startup blogging from people who are smarter than me.
“Your blog is your best networking tool.” – Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media Studios
“All content is not created equal. Some content will go viral, generating tons of hot traffic to your blog, while other content will be lost in the archives. If you want more of the first kind, you’ve got to put your readers first.” - Neil Patel
“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brian Clark, CopyBlogger CEO
“Blogging is a highly effective way of growing a business or personal brand.” – Annaliese Henwood
“Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field.” - Penelope Trunk
Start Blogging for Your Startup Business
It's crucial to control the digital marketing conversation for your startup company. Blogging is consistently the most inexpensive and expressive way to do so.
Your website's blog acts as a sales offering, lead magnet, and customer service rep all at once. Want to try a new business idea or “A vs. B” test content marketing concepts? Your blog is the place to do it.
Don't have the time to manage your blog? Still unsure about the right steps to get ranked and visible? That's totally fine — I'd love to have a free chat with you about it.
