Do you want to know what separates an ordinary blog post from one that speaks with authority? This is important if you’re looking to make full use of your website to attract new business.
Some people try their hand at blogging, but then can’t understand why leads don’t convert. Here’s why: their writing misses the mark. Yes, a good blog post shares information. But an authoritative blog builds trust.
So, how do you write blog posts that build trust in your expertise? Let’s first consider your audience.
When readers land on your website, they’re typically seeking answers. They may be researching a problem, comparing options, learning a new skill, or searching for a service.
The quality of writing in your blog posts gives an impression, and a perception of your ability. Your words determine whether you’re seen as just another website spouting the same old recycled tips; or an actual, verifiable expert who can help readers find solutions and get things done.
Good, Solid Advice for Writing Blog Posts with Authority
Writing with authority doesn’t mean sounding overly formal, using complicated words, or trying to appear like an academic textbook. The strongest authoritative content combines knowledge with clarity. It feels professional, and relays valuable information while still being easy to understand.
Here are some strategies if you want to write blog posts that establish real credibility and keep readers engaged.
- Avoid “Dear Diary” Type Posts
- Tell a Few Stories
- Deliver Info First
- Be Cautionary About Your Tales
- Use Second Person
- Craft Authoritative Content
- Make it Corporate-Casual
- Organize Your Thoughts
- Add Examples
- Format Consistently
- Support Claims
- Be Helpful
- Hire a Blog Writer
Don’t Make This a “Dear Diary” Entry
One of the biggest mistakes new bloggers make is confusing web content writing with personal essay writing. Resist the urge to create posts that say things like, “Here’s how my day went,” or share “client from hell” stories.
Think of the potential customer, searching for answers online. Are you looking to become a new best friend of that person? No, of course not.
You’re hoping to attract them to your content, and then share information that helps them trust your skills.
A post that details a lengthy diatribe from your life, or deep-dives into your emotions might capture attention at first, sure. But if the story goes off the rails, it will detract from your credibility.
Personal tales can be powerful, but a business blog should ideally stay reader-focused. If you have trouble staying on point with this, you can always reach out for professional guidance, editing support, or outsource the writing to an expert.
Tell a Few Stories, But Control Yourself
On the other hand… NO stories at all makes a dull blog. A business website that never pulls back the curtain on your humanity might bore people. You do want to give a glimpse into your inner world every once in a while; just be strategic in how you do this.
There’s a time, place and frequency for personal stories shared on your blog. Give a quick peek, but always bring it back around to the reader and how you can help them.
New Bloggers: Focus on Providing Information
Blogging for business takes practice. Before you get into your entrepreneurial tales from the trenches, hone your instructional and informational writing skills.
Get good at writing informative articles, such as the Q&A, 5 steps, or how-to primer. Toss in a personal example here and there.
If you get lost in the details, always return to the main purpose of why you blog: building a case for how you can help.
Be Cautionary About Your Tales
Storytelling in blog posts should be both purposeful, and controlled. The idea is to share just a few intriguing details, but not too many.
We’ll go into this technique in depth at a later time. For now, just know that your first priority is sharing your expertise. This is why the more informational you can make your blog posts, the harder your content will keep on working on behalf of your brand.
How to change your writing from “personal story” to “authoritative content that teaches”:
The best way to remedy a blog post that’s “all about you” is to shift into an explanatory tone. If you’re unsure, ask yourself:
“If I were reading this as a new learner, would it help me feel even more assured of this person’s capabilities?”
Here’s an example of how to go from “sharing” to “teaching” in your writing:
You-focused intro:
“Last year, I was struggling with my own website and realized I needed to make some changes…”
Client-focused intro:
“A few simple changes can make your website easier for customers to understand.”
The second approach immediately addresses the reader’s needs.
Your experiences and insights can still be included, but they should support the topic rather than become the entire focus of the article.
Harness the Second-Person Perspective
One way blog writers deepen the connection with readers is with effective use of second-person perspective in their writing.
Let’s compare perspectives.
- First person: I/me.
- Second person: you/your.
- Third person: they/they’re.
“I” and “me” create that personal journal style of writing we talked about in point one. It’s you, speaking from and about yourself “to anyone.”
- “They” and “they’re” sometimes feels distant and vague… a story being told about some other people — not the author, not the reader.
- “You” and “yours” throughout the blog post helps readers feel that the words are being spoken from you, and told to them. It’s a much more powerful connection.
When tailoring your blog posts from the second-person perspective, seek opportunities to explain things in detail, just like you were talking to the reader face to face.
Then, write in that exact, conversational tone and from that exact place.
Let’s compare a simple sentence:
“Businesses need strong website content that helps readers quickly understand what they offer.”
(Third person, feels impersonal, generalizes.)
“Your website content should help visitors quickly understand what you offer.”
(Seond person, feels personal, draws in the reader.)
For someone consuming your content, it’s almost like the difference between sitting in the audience of a massive lecture hall, versus being invited to take a seat for a private business consultation where the focus is exclusively on them.
When to use second-person perspective:
Second-person perspective in writing works especially well for educational content, tutorials, guides, and for service-based businesses because it engages as it teaches.
And, once you get good at it, you can shift into ultra-professional blogging using second person judiciously.
This is where you’ll learn the fine art of peppering in “you statements” at opportune moments — almost like a quick zoom-in, to bring the point home so the reader can fully relate to what you’re saying.
Authoritative Blog Content: Specs and Constructs
So far, we’ve discussed writing blog posts that teach rather than share, and address the reader in second person, like a one-on-one conversation.
Now let’s get into how to craft authoritative content.
Authoritative content accomplishes some or all of the following:
- Teaches
- Guides
- Advises
- Informs
The above writing goals are achieved through purposeful use of paragraph structure, formatting and tone.
This is what separates instructional content from personal essays or persuasive writing.
Strong educational content often includes:
- How-to instructions
- Step-by-step processes
- Reasons why
- Explanations of concepts
- Tips for solving common problems
- Practical examples
Think about what your reader should understand or be able to do after finishing the article.
A helpful blog post does not just say:
“Email marketing is important.”
Rather, it explains:
“Email marketing helps businesses stay connected with customers through direct contact in their email inbox.”
Authoritative blog posts are not just collections of opinions. They provide useful information that helps readers take action.
The difference is depth of detail. Authority comes from helping readers understand the “how” and “why” behind the information.
Take a Corporate-Casual Writing Tone
The most effective business content strikes a balance between professional and conversational writing. A completely casual tone can make you appear inexperienced.
Example 1: Informal
“Hey, what’s up! Didja read my latest on how to wow your web visitors?”
(Conveys meaning, but lacks appropriately serious tone.)
Example 2: Formal
“Greetings. Please explore our latest articles that teach how to make a positive impression on website visitors”
(Also explains, but it’s a bit too buttoned-up to feel like a real human behind the words.)
Example 3: Casual yet professional
“Eager to master the finer points of effective copywriting? Explore our best tips for how to excite and delight your web visitors, below.”
A highly formal tone often feels cold and can be difficult to stay focused on. Think of legal copy, or a medical journal, and their propensity for inducing drowsiness.
Signs that your writing strikes a good balance between personal and professional:
- Formal enough to build confidence in your authority
- Conversational enough to feel approachable
- Clear enough for a wide audience
Instead of writing…
“Businesses must leverage strategic methodologies to optimize customer engagement.”
A corporate-casual version might be:
“Businesses can improve customer engagement by creating content that answers real questions and helps people make informed decisions.”
The goal is to sound knowledgeable without coming across like an outdated textbook. Corporate-casual writing combines the best of both worlds.
Organize Your Blog Post into Key Points
Authority is easier to communicate when information is organized. The easiest way to do this quickly is by presenting the information in an outline format.
An outline reins in your writing, narrows the focus to specific points, and prevents your article from becoming a collection of disconnected thoughts.
Before writing, create an outline that identifies the following:
- The topic or subject of the article
- The main point, summed up in a sentence
- Five or seven supporting sentences
- The next step you’d like your reader to take after making it to the bottom of the article
Supporting details are key when crafting a well-structured article. Seek to build a case for any claims you’ve made in the prior section or paragraph.
Details that will turn your blog article from good to great could look like…
- Addressing questions readers may have
- Detailing examples
- Presenting evidence
- Including short anecdotes (can be made up, or come from client projects or your work)
- Inserting quotes from experts
- Copying in statistics and study findings
What’s a strong structure for a well-organized blog post?
A strong article structure often looks like:
- Introduction that explains the topic and why it matters
- Supporting sections that answer key questions
- Examples or practical applications that support each of the article sections
- A conclusion that summarizes the main takeaway
Good organization helps readers follow your ideas and increases the perceived quality of your content. This is one of the best ways to be perceived as a credible expert and authority in your field.
Include Examples Whenever Possible
Examples turn abstract advice into something readers can understand. This is key for anyone who is either writing their blog articles from scratch, or overseeing a professional writer creating content on their behalf.
Let’s take a look at how much more potent an article becomes with illustrated examples supporting the information presented.
Suppose you wanted to help your reader how to understand the use of “clear messaging” in their web content.
You could explain the concept by providing an example that helps them understand, like this one:
Without example:
“We provide innovative solutions for local restaurants.”
With example added:
“We help local restaurants attract more customers through online ordering systems.”
Examples demonstrate expertise because they show how information applies in real situations.
Keep Your Article Formatting Consistent
Professional blog content is easier to trust when it’s visually organized. Use consistent formatting throughout your article.
Not only does this convey expertise to people reading the advice you’ve shared, but it also helps search engines categorize you as a topic authority.
Be sure to include the following in any blog posts you plan to write and publish to your website:
- Clear headings and subheadings
- Short paragraphs
- Bullet points and ordered lists, when appropriate
- Similar heading styles
- Easy-to-read sections
Side note: if you’re writing web content from scratch, you don’t have to format the first draft. Instead, focus on maintaining your writing flow.
Let the article come out of your brain onto the page. Then, go back to re-read and edit, organizing the ideas and formatting as you do so.
Another option, if web content formatting isn’t your thing, would be to outsource this and other aspects of writing for the web — like search engine optimization.
Your goal is to transform your content into a fully formatted and properly search optimized blog post that ranks well on Google and other search engines.
If you tend to forgo formatting, remember this: readers often scan online content before deciding whether to read it fully. Good formatting helps them quickly understand what your article offers.
Support Claims With Credible Sources
Authoritative writing is strengthened by reliable information. As you build out the sections of your article, include meaningful details and supporting evidence to bolster your claims.
An example: suppose you’re writing an article about the benefits of a daily gratitude practice. You’ve made the claim that daily gratitude reduces stress and increases both mental and physical wellbeing.
To strengthen this point, seek out expert quotes and scientific studies. Then, include your research findings directly below your statement.
When discussing statistics, formal studies, industry trends, or expert recommendations, link to trustworthy sources whenever possible.
Credible sources may include:
- Government websites
- Universities
- Industry organizations
- Research studies
- Recognized experts or publications
Citing sources shows readers that your content is based on more than personal opinion.
The Goal: Be Helpful, Not Just Impressive
Writing with authority is not about proving how much you know. It’s about using your knowledge to make something easier for the reader.
The most trusted writers are not necessarily the ones who sound the most sophisticated. They are the ones who explain clearly, provide useful information, and understand what their audience needs.
When your blog posts consistently educate, answer questions, and respect your readers’ time, your content becomes more than just another article online. It becomes a resource people return to and recommend.
Hire a Blog Writer Now
Blogging for business takes consistent strategy, planning and follow-through.
Are you ready to become a trusted authority?
Contact us for a blogging quote today.