Write like a conversation.

The first thing to remember is that a blog post should be, essentially, like your half of a written conversation. You can keep the tone professional without being formal. Let your personality come through; let your readers know that you are a real person. The more formal you try to sound, the more you will end up sounded stilted and uncertain. Do let yourself write as naturally as you would talk. (We have editing, too.)

Write about things you know.

And, obviously, things related to your business. If you’re blogging about your restaurant, then you can share anything to do with your restaurant: a behind-the-scenes look at getting ready for a big event, or how to put together the perfect appetizer, or what you do when a vendor doesn’t come through with your order.

Write about things you like.

Within any business, you’ll have a variety of topics you can cover. Choose the ones that pique your own interest the most. If you’re that restaurant owner we just mentioned, and you love trying new recipes, then talk about that: the ones you’ve tried, the ones you want to try, where you find them, why they appeal to you, which ones work, which ones don’t, and how you decide which ones make it to the restaurant menu.
Think about the processes and tasks you enjoy the most in your business, and focus on writing about those things. Two reasons for this: the things you enjoy the most are usually the things you know the most about, and you’ll quickly burn out on writing about aspects of your business that, frankly, are boring to you.

Write in first-person.

Use your own perspective: “I thought this new recipe would be a sure thing to expand our dessert menu, but the taste just fell flat to me. Nothing to savor, nothing of note, just too much sweetness and a bland texture…”
Don’t feel like you have to separate yourself from the information you’re sharing with your readers. Nobody wants to read something written by a robot. Be a real person.

Write without analyzing your own writing.

Don’t stop, mid-post, to worry about whether your readers will find this topic interesting, or if your writing style sounds too juvenile. As long as you’re keeping a level of professionalism (which does vary from one person and one profession to another) then you have nothing to worry about. If you’re interested, and you’re being personal, and you’re sharing what you know, it will strike interest with other people. Not with all people, no. But you don’t need all people to love what you write. You just need some people.

Image: Nicholas_T.