One holiday, I was in the kitchen with my mom as she was making dinner. She was halfway along when her recipe card shifted, fell through a slit in the countertop, and buried itself behind the kitchen cabinets—all information and instructions, poof – gone.
My husband stepped in to help. With years of experience working in restaurant kitchens, he knew which ingredients to put together, standard measurements, and cooking times.
He doesn’t cook from a recipe card. He cooks from experience, knowledge, and know-how.
Those three ingredients create an expert:
- Experience comes from doing something over time.
- Knowledge is gained from learning and understanding.
- Know-how is the ability to apply knowledge and experience effectively.
Like expert chefs, our writing team possesses these same qualities. They are professionals “in their kitchen.”
Understandably, clients struggle with content development. It’s not their area of expertise. They are brilliant in their specialties—like how to outfit an entire oilseed processing plant, underwrite an insurance plan for a theme park, or create a smart store for the retail industry. These pros, who live and breathe their industry every day, often don’t know how to communicate the intricacies of their job to someone outside of the organization. In addition, they don’t have the time to step away from their vital work to learn how to write a blog or an eBook, which is why companies outsource content development.
I admit it can be challenging to ghostwrite for an expert without any information. Creating content without much input is like assembling a puzzle with mostly missing pieces. The process can feel frustrating, but it’s a common challenge in marketing.
So, how do you write a blog with minimal client input?
Six steps for how to write a blog with minimal client input
Step 1: Research the industry and competitors
Search for companies in the industry of the same size and scale—the same annual revenue and employee size. Look for companies with the same designations and awards (for example, Microsoft Gold Member, T-Mobile Elite Partner). Analyze competitor websites for tone, structure, and key offerings compared to your client’s.
Step 2: Scour industry journals
There is an industry journal or conference for absolutely everything. These are great resources for understanding industry trends and best practices. Pull stats and quotes from these publications for third-party linking, which fosters good SEO. Search for frequently asked questions that will provide insight into common pain points.
Step 3: Mimic popular topics
A common misconception is that content has to be new and unique. Nope. Did you know that at least 15,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln? It’s okay to join in and be part of the conversation. Writing about current topics is great for thought leadership pieces. Check out what the competition and industry leaders are writing blogs about and determine how to put your spin on it.
Step 4: Follow a content framework
Every recipe has core ingredients that form its foundation. These vary based on cuisine but generally fall into common categories: base ingredients for structure, proteins as the centerpiece, liquids for flavor, seasonings for depth, and binders for texture.
A content framework is the same thing and provides guidance for how to write blogs and other content effectively and with maximum impact. If you can get the core information, you have everything you need. The answers to these seven questions provide all the ingredients for the recipe baked into your content. If you don’t have the answers, make educated guesses and highlight sections that need the SME’s input.
- What’s the pain point?
- What is needed to solve the pain?
- How does the solution work?
- What are the results?
- What is the approach or methodology?
- Why should the customer choose you?
- How does it benefit the customer’s business objectives?
Step 5: Fill in the gaps with existing information
Search existing content to fill out the content. Highlight published case studies. Add credibility with placeholders for quotes by subject matter experts (SMEs). (We often create these and get the sign-off during content review.) Describe how a certification or a special designation is essential to the service offering.
Step 6: Ask for feedback and edits
The best way to get information from an SME is to get feedback. Go into the process knowing that your entire work may end up in the trash, but you will, in return, finally get the information you need to move forward. When we ask for feedback, we show that we value input, making them more engaged. It fosters collaboration instead of a one-sided transaction. As a result, we usually end up being able to schedule much-needed interviews in the future.
Perfecting the recipe
Once you nail the recipe for how to write a blog with minimal content, it becomes easier and easier to get the subject matter experts’ attention. Once they see your dedication to highlighting their expertise, they’ll trust your process—allowing you to gather richer insights, ask sharper questions, and cook up powerful content that meets your clients’ goals.
If we’ve left you hungry for more, you can check out our blog on Building your blog content strategy around quantity, quality, and cadence. There, you will learn how to create a complete blog strategy.
