In the age of TikTok and the metaverse, does your IT company need a blog anymore?

Absolutely. 

Shinier toys will always exist but the right blog content will keep delivering leads for you, directly on your website. In fact, creating and maintaining a blog has multiple benefits including:

• Improving your SEO, AKA making it easier for your prospects to find you. Relevant blog content can increase your organic traffic by up to 106%. 
• Increasing your conversion rate – creating authoritative and engaging B2B blog posts will establish your company as the go-to-experts and help convince leads. On average, 53% of prospects consume 3-5 pieces of content before contacting a salesperson.
• Delivering long term results. The big advantage of a blog is that it has a long shelf life, especially if you’ve put in the work for SEO. In other words, a blog can keep delivering you leads months, if not years, after you’ve published it. 

But having the resources to create blogs for your IT company can be a challenge. In fact, 52% of businesses struggle to find time to create and promote content. 

So here are some ideas, with examples, of effective blog topics for IT companies. 

12 examples of blog topics for IT companies

1. How To’s

The fastest way to a prospect’s heart is to help them solve a technical issue quickly and easily. NorthStar Analytics, for example, has completely embraced that strategy by creating a resource dedicated to Google Sheets tips.

 

 

You might be thinking “but if I give away all of my secrets, why would the prospect hire me?”

Yes, it might feel counterintuitive, but sharing how-to’s increases your credibility and makes it actually more likely that prospects will hire your services, and therefore save themselves the time and the headache.

2. Share top tips

A sibling to the “How To” type of blog post, top tips tend to be less about the technical nitty gritty and more about high level advice for decision makers.

For example, HData Systems regularly shares posts like this one which shares advice on connecting business intelligence to IoT devices. 

 

 

The advantage of this approach is that it gives the reader enough information to understand the steps they need to take, but also makes them hungry to reach out to you for help implementing it.

3. Analyse key trends

Reacting and analysing key trends is a great way to establish authority and create content that will rank highly in search results. The downside is that unless you regularly update the blog post, it will have a limited shelf life compared to other content. 

 

Hyperlink InfoSystem has found a great middle ground with this piece that is relatively evergreen compared to most trend blog posts. By focusing on how top social media trends can apply to mobile app development, they don’t tie the writing to a particular year or moment.

4. Write an opinion piece

Blog posts are also a great way of injecting some personality into your business. Opinion pieces allow you to expand on a topic close to your company’s values, and help you stand out from the competition.

Digital product creator Intive, for example, wrote this fantastic blog piece on design’s relation to enthusiasm. It’s thought provoking while also showcasing the company’s approach to design. 

 

 

“Humans buy from humans” is a phrase often repeated, but it’s true. 

5. Interview thought leaders

One of the central purposes of having a company blog is to establish your domain expertise, but you don’t have to restrict yourself to your team for this. A useful blog strategy is to call on thought leaders and industry experts to participate in your blog, whether through interviews or guest blogs.

This is a win-win situation for your company and the expert. They get to further establish their credentials, and you get to increase website traffic and boost your image.

 

 

For example, software company iTechArt interviewed Jon Hammant, Head of Compute for UK and Ireland at Amazon Web Services on the topic of modern architectures.

Even better, the blog is in fact a transcript of a podcast. By offering multiple media options to visitors, iTechArt increases opportunities for engagement.

6. Break down complex topics

No one likes looking stupid, least of all the C-suite. But here’s the truth, your prospects aren’t necessarily going to be experts in your field.

Instead of assuming knowledge on their part, and alienating them, a fantastic strategy is to break down complex topics without them needing to ask.

By doing so, you become their number one ally.

Take for instance Waracle’s What on earth is Web 3.0? blog post.

 

 

The language is accessible and friendly, and it effortlessly explains terms such as Blockchain, DApp, and more. 

7. Give your key takeaways on an event or announcement

Not all blog posts need to be evergreen, reacting and analysing events and announcements can also be an effective strategy.

For example, IT company BJSS breaks down the 2021 autumn budget in this blog post to pick out the key tech themes for their audience.

 

 

Let’s face it, not everyone has the time to attend every event or listen to every announcement, so these kinds of posts are incredibly valuable for your busy prospects and customers.

And yes, they’re also likely to boost your website traffic.

8. Write a product review

B2B buyers consume an average of 13 pieces of content before deciding on a vendor, and that includes reading reviews.   

Writing reviews, whether it’s of a technology or a product, is therefore a clever website traffic growth strategy. Not only will buyers use your blog as a research tool, but if they like the way you present your information, they might also convert into a prospect.

IT outsourcing partner Objectivity uses reviews like this one on Flutter App Development to establish themselves as a trusted voice for their readers.

 

 

Alternatively, like Podia, you can use reviews as a strategy to grab your competitors’ prospects from under their nose. 

 

 

Indeed, by writing a comparison or review of your competitors you can dominate their search rankings.

9. Post a case study

A compelling case study is the perfect way to secure a sale, with 62.2% of eMarketer survey respondents finding them an effective lead generator. 

The best case studies not only demonstrate your skills in action, but also put the focus on your happy customer and the great work they do. Unily’s Adecco Group’s case study does just that.

 

 

The technology might come from Unily, but they firmly put the spotlight on how their customer has deployed it for company-wide collaboration and inclusivity.

That approach is a win-win for the customer and the company, as it creates a:

• Compelling story rather than a hard-sell and
• Inspires the reader with a great use case with the tech

10. Introduce your team

Who are you, and what do you stand for? 

The answer to those big questions can be found in your company culture. If you’re proud of your team and your employer brand, then shout about it! Putting the spotlight on the humans that make up your business will humanise you, and help you recruit new talent. 

 

 

Tech, data, and experience consultancy Kin + Carta does just that with their Kin+ series. Here for example is their spotlight on Linda Dao Ohr, their Global Head of Sales Enablement, with a story that not only showcases her resilience, but also Kin + Carta’s attitude to health and wellbeing. 

11. Answer frequently asked questions

If you’re stuck for inspiration, a good place to start is with your customers’ frequently asked questions. Which questions do your team have to answer time and time again, whatever department they’re working in? 

An FAQ blog post will not only make your team happy, as they can point customers to it, but it’s also a sensible SEO strategy.

 

 

Answering questions doesn’t have to be about technical hitches either, as demonstrated by SmartDesc’s blog on IT project failure. Their blog might not be a typical FAQ question, but it’s likely to be a common concern of their customers – addressing it head on with sensible and practical advice positions them as the ideal IT company to work with.

12. Create a list

Last but not least, the list blog remains a staple of the blogosphere, and with good reason!

List blogs, sometimes called listicles, work for multiple reasons:

• They’re attractive to readers, as they know in advance what they’re committing to
• They’re practical and useful to readers
• They’re easier to write, as the structure is pre-determined

List blogs are also highly flexible and can lend themselves to all sorts of topics, from listing different ways of handling a project, to a list of top tips, to a list of favourite projects/products.

 

 

For example, Unosquare deploys it here to provide advice to their prospects and existing clients, by sharing 6 signs that you’re micromanaging your software development project.

For a different, more practical approach, read our list of 10 LinkedIn inMail templates you can use now. It fast became our most read blog because the topic will always be useful. After all, who hasn’t struggled to find the right words?

Where can you find ideas for your IT company blog?

If these examples aren’t enough to fire you up, here are a few more ideas for inspiration:

• Read your competitors’ blogs to discover their approach
• Read your clients and prospects’ blogs to understand their priorities and concerns
• Check your website’s analytics to see where your visitors are going. Could you replicate the success of your most popular blog posts?
• Ask your sales and customer service team: what kind of blog content would make their job easier?

Create a content journey

But the most important thing to remember is that it’s not just about creating standalone pieces of content that live on your blog. Plan for a series of blogs that provide your readers with a content journey through a certain aspect of your business that they might be interested in. Signpost these in your content, so users can take their time to understand the different perspectives in detail. 

So there you go. Diversify your blog with these idea starters, and then build content journeys that offer meaningful insights and help readers address their questions from different perspectives. Your readers will reward you with more time spent on your site, better goal completions and more traffic.

If you want to find out how Isoline communications can help you deliver world-class content for your customers, get in touch now at [email protected]