Thread by @amandanat

Common assumptions executives make with a company blog:

• People want company news
• People want the brand story
• There's a captive audience

While any of those statements can hold truth, they’re often still wrong.

Let's debunk.

"People want company news."

Sort of. But only if it's clear how that news is valuable to them.

Launched a new feature? Great. How does this solve a user's problem?

Raised a Series B? Congrats. How will you use the $ to expand your offering?

"People want the brand story."

Sure. But they don't care what your story means to you. They care what it means to them.

Communicate:

• Your origin and how it reflects your values
• How your values inform your product
• How your product makes their lives better

"There's a captive audience."

Half true.

An email list and social media followers ≠ a captive audience

Having a following means you'll get at least some engagement. But it doesn't mean readers will bookmark your blog.

You'll need to hook and re-hook them.

Create valuable content that people are searching for.

Content should drive organic traffic, keep people on your site, and inspire them to come back.

Here's one way to look at it...

Content that builds affinity:

Content based on high volume keywords → drive organic traffic

Valuable, relevant cross-linked content → keep people on your site

Distribute content throughout marketing → get people to come back

So, potential customers *kind of* want your news, updates, and brand story... as long it’s distilled into insights that improve their lives in some way.

That's the never-ending job of a content marketer.