Our blog posts are written by people from all over the company, not just those with “writer” in their job titles. We love having experts from around the office blog about their work. The person most familiar with the subject is in the best position to convey it, and the writers on the marketing team can help with brainstorming and editing as needed.
We have several Mailchimp blogs, including ones written by our design, engineering, and technical content teams. This section will focus on the main Mailchimp marketing blog, but the guidelines apply to the other channels, too.
Basics
We update the main Mailchimp blog a couple times every week. We generally publish:
- Feature, release, and integration announcements
- Mailchimp user case studies
- Tips and tricks for small businesses
- Examples of how we use Mailchimp’s features in our own marketing
We publish blog posts that explain the “why” behind the work we do. We want to show people that we’re an industry leader with the best products, and we use our blog to tell the stories behind those products.
Guidelines
When writing for the blog, follow the style points outlined in the Voice and tone and Grammar and mechanics sections. Here are some more general pointers, too.
Be casual, but smart
This isn’t a term paper, so there’s no need to be stuffy. Drop some knowledge while casually engaging your readers with conversational language.
Be specific
If you’re writing about data, put the numbers in context. If you’re writing about a customer, give the reader plenty of information about the company’s stage, workflow, results, and values.
Get to the point
Get to the important stuff right away, and don’t bury the kicker. Blog posts should be scannable and easy to digest. Break up your paragraphs into short chunks of three or four sentences, and use subheads. Our customers are busy, and we should always keep that in mind.
Link it up
Feel free to link externally if it helps you explain something.
Make ‘em LOL
We are a fun organization, and we want our blog to reflect this. Feel free to throw in a joke here and there, or link out to a funny GIF or YouTube video when appropriate. Just don’t overdo it.
Use tags and keywords
In WordPress, add keywords that apply to your article. Look through existing posts for common tags. If you’re not sure if a word should be a tag, it probably shouldn’t.
Use pictures
Include images in your blog posts when it makes sense. If you’re explaining how to use something, include screenshots to illustrate your point. Make sure to use alt text.