Do you want to utilize social media to the best of its capabilities with your corporate blog? Here are ten secrets that the best social media users are utilizing in order to boost the capabilities of their blogs and other websites.

1 – Do your research!

Why? Because every single successful marketing strategy is based on solid research. You cannot go blindly onto a social media site and expect to get immediate success by submitting your content. Find social media sites that work well in conjunction with your niche.

2 – Interact with the community as much as possible.

Do not completely ignore the community as many social media marketers do , but instead get involved because this is what social media is really all about. Take advantage of the social nature of the platform and interact for better success in your corporate blogging and social media endeavors.

3 – Write FOR your audience.

If you want your content to be hot, and even viral, then you need to write for your audience on these social media sites. Interact with the community and get to know its members, learning about their likes and dislikes for example. Learn what gets the most attention and cater to it the best you can.

4 – Shoot for relevancy at all times.

Relevance is the true key to effective social media marketing. Look at Digg, StumbleUpon and other social networking and social media sites for proof of this fact.

5 – Keep your writing short.

Internet users do not tend to enjoy reading long text passages, preferring instead to scan anything that they are interested in. Be accommodating by keeping your content short.

6 – Good design.

When users come to your page, are they greeted with a design that is clean and welcoming in nature? If not, they may leave! To combat this, simply focus on presenting a good design and you will go far.

7 – Stop trying to make sales.

Another rookie mistake that is commonly made in social media marketing is to try ands ell your products. Promoting your brand is a good thing, but if all you are doing is pimping your products then you are never going to get any respect in the social networking world.

8 – Create Outstanding Headlines.

Your story may be excellent, but your headline is what sells. If you want attention when it comes to social media, you need to have an absolutely killer headline otherwise users will not notice what you are posting.

9 – Help Others Out.

If you want to become a top user or a popular user, you have to help others out rather than simply submitting and promoting the content that you write.

10 – Convert the hottest content.

Capitalize on hot content as often as you can. Make the attention that you garner last for as long as you possibly can by creating more posts to follow the hot ones so visits can read not only your popular post, but also your newer content as well.

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Originally posted 2008-11-18 05:37:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Few people realize how powerful a blog can be when it comes to projecting an image to the public. Words have a power all their own and the wrong ones may sink your company’s reputation. Before you even start your own corporate blog it is very important to first come up with the image you would like the public to have of your company. Then, figure out how you want to get that image to come across. Here are some hints to help get you started.

1. Honesty is always the best policy.

While full disclosure of a company meltdown may not be the best idea, it is always important to be honest in your blogs. Never try to stretch the facts, pad your accomplishments or make your company look like something it is not. The blogosphere as it is called is an incredibly small little micro-universe and news, both good and bad, travels fast. It only takes one small slip up to tank your company’s image.

2. Be engaging and never dull.

Most people think of companies as being grey, lifeless and without any character. You can dramatically change that perception by having a blog that is engaging, fun to read and exciting. However, you have to walk that fine line between getting people interested in your company and becoming unprofessional. If necessary, try to take a few courses in creative and persuasive writing. It will definitely pay off.

3. Avoid the sales pitch.

There is a way to move products on your blog without having it sound like an informercial. Today’s blog readers don’t want to read a commercial – they want news and they want it now. Instead of blatant sales pitches, find a way to integrate your products with what you are talking about, or what is in the news right now. This way, you’re actually providing your readers with help instead of hawking your latest product in their face.

4. Be friendly and cultivate blogging relationships.

The whole point of blogging is that it is very social in nature. The whole point of corporate blogging is to bring that element into your business to help increase your customer base and build a stronger brand. By inviting popular guest bloggers in your niche, or just developing some great friendships with other bloggers, you can build a strong network between each other, and everyone wins.

It is also important to remember to be very friendly, but professional, when dealing with your readers. Never get dragged into a flame war on your blog or stoop to picking fights with readers that leave comments on your blog. In the end, you’re going to be the one that looks bad, and that is not the image you want to project for your company.

These are just a few hints to get you started on the path to presenting the right image of your company. Sometimes it helps to have a professional walk you through these initial phases and we highly recommend hiring a blog management service to do just that.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-14 05:00:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you have been thinking about jumping into the world of corporate blogging, but you’re not really sure if it’s right for you, this book may push you off the fence. This book does a fantastic job of explaining everything you could ever need to know about running your own blog, and running it well.

The book starts off with the author talking about how he was once pretty skeptical about the benefits of corporate blogging. However, his journey led him to believe that this is an incredibly effective means of communication. He then begins to lay the framework for anyone to start their own blog. We appreciated the brief history of blogging, but it did feel a bit like filler. However, for those that are completely new to the concept, this chapter will be pretty informative.

The chapters are very brief and easy to read. He makes his points well and doesn’t get too into any one point. It moves right along and covers the basics, or anything that a busy site owner will need to grasp to get started. We liked the fact that he spent a lot of time discussing the aspects of building a blog the right way and appreciated the section on blog hosting options. Again, for those completely new to blogging, this is essential information.

The chapters on blogging etiquette and how to write a great blog should be read more than once. They offer some really great tips that should not be ignored. Again, they are brief, but the author does a great job of getting his points across without skimming over the subject. The chapter on the relationship between your blog and your site is also very informative and covers all of the important points that you will need to know.

Our favorite chapter however was on the legalities of blogging. So few actually cover these points and they are vital if you are planning a blog. From the decency code to questions on what you should and should not cover, this chapter is worth its weight in gold.

He wraps up the book with some great case studies that show the power of corporate blogging in action.

Overall, we really appreciated the author’s style and the way that he got his points across. This was an easy read and it did a great job of really breaking down not only the way to get blogging but why it is so important. It’s a great inspirational book that will most likely inspire readers to try their own hand at blogging and that is what it is also about. Blogging is an incredible medium and has much to offer, and this book did a great job of explaining how to make it work for you. We highly recommend this book to any company owner, and to those that may already have their own blog. You’ll undoubtedly pick up some great tips within.

Originally posted 2008-08-29 05:48:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Unless you went out and purchased an already established blogs, the chances are that you just recently launched your blog with only a single loyal reader, your own self. Maybe you received a few hits a couple of days later when you began to tell the people you knew about the blog, but that’s probably as far as readership has been able to go so far. All is not lost, however, as there are some pretty awesome techniques that you can employ when you are ready to increase loyalty and readership numbers. These tips are especially useful for brand new bloggers who do not have much readership to speak of. If you want to get the ball rolling, these tips can be especially useful.

As each of these tips builds on the last, it would be especially wise for you to begin at number one, and slowly move down the list accordingly. Each technique will build upon the last in some way, allowing for you to create some momentum in building your membership base. Eventually you will establish enough of a level of momentum that you will gain some sort of traction. You can easily build up a readership of 500 people or more per day, meaning that you will no longer be required to boost your readership as diligently as before. Instead, your loyal readers will do a lot of the work for you, getting the word out about your blog via word of mouth.

Without further ado, here are the techniques that will help you build readership for your blog in no time at all:

1 – First and foremost, you should begin by writing at least five major or “pillar” articles.

Pillar articles are most commonly tutorial style articles that are designed to teach something to your audience that they can use in their everyday lives. Generally these pillar articles are longer than the average 500-word article, and they are generally full of practical advice and other tips. Pillar articles are regarded as excellent, practical how-to lessons or articles. Articles like this stay current and over real insight and value to the reader. The more pillar articles you are able to produce for your blog, the better off you will be because these types of blog posts never go out of style, and provide value to every single new reader that visit your blog.

2 – At a bare minimum you should be writing one new blog post every single day.

Not every single one of your blog posts needs to be a pillar blog post, but you should still work on having at least five pillar posts at any time so you can continue to keep your blog fresh with new content. You should also implement news pieces and other short article style blog posts. The important thing to consider when it comes to posting in your blog is that you need to demonstrate to all first time visitors that you do take the time to post in your blog every single day.

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Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:28:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Many corporate blogs fail simply because they strike a wrong chord with readers. If you want to use your blog to increase traffic and sales and improve your relations with the public, it is vital to develop a technique that will allow you to talk to your readers, not at them. This is a very delicate balance for many companies and it can be tough to find the right voice for your writing. Often, corporate blogging can be a bit dull, but there are some techniques that you can use to engage your audience.

1. Allow comments.

One of the best ways to talk to your readers is to allow them the opportunity to talk to you. By encouraging them to leave a comment, you are opening a dialogue with them. Even if they don’t leave a comment, you’ve opened that door and shown that you are not afraid to interact with the public. Many companies make the mistake of not allowing their readers to comment and the result is a blog that is very cold and very static. More often than not, these blogs fail because they do not engage the reader.

On the upside, allowing comments can also help increase your pageviews. Many readers like to keep coming back throughout the day to see what is going on in a comment section. They become mini discussion forums for many and it is fun to keep up with events throughout the day.

2. Ask the reader questions.

One of the best ways to avoid talking at your readers is simply – don’t do it. Ask them questions in your posts, encourage them to interact with you and discuss what is on their mind. By asking them questions, your readers will not get the impression that your corporate blog exists only to drum up more business (even if this is the case.) Impressions are so important in blogging and you want to make sure you are giving the right one.

3. Include polls.

One of the easiest ways to involve your readers is to ask them to vote in a poll. Find a topic that matches well with your industry and create a poll around it. For example, if your site sells apparel for women, you can write a post about the fashion industry and the latest news about how many countries are no longer allowing size 0 models. As your readers what they think about this decision. This is a very easy technique that will engage your readers and it will help increase your search engine ranking since your keywords for that post will be included in searches about models.

These are very easy techniques that can be used in any corporate blog. If you’re having trouble with yours and you want to make sure you are hitting the right note with your readers, consider hiring a blog management company. They can help you craft the right kind of posts and build a strong foundation for your new venture.

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Originally posted 2008-07-04 05:49:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you are running a corporate blog and you feel that you do not have the customer base and the blog is not doing well, you may not be using the blog to its fullest potential. There are a few areas you need to examine to evaluate your blog to see how hard it is working for your company.

First and foremost, you should enable users to post comments, and your company should take the time to respond honestly and in full to user comments. While the blog is a podium for you to get your message out, it should also have a Q and A section to it, otherwise your blog will fail in the ether of corporate blogs. Answering the questions and comments that your users provide will ensure that your customers feel that you have a genuine interest in their opinions regarding your product.

Secondly, blogs should be in a conversational voice. Every post you make could be geared towards selling a product, but don’t make it sound like a commercial or copy for the product. Rather, you should make the piece have a real voice behind it. You can provide tips towards using a product, discuss upgrades to the product, give an insider perspective regarding the company, and many other posts which seem like natural conversation. Do not post blog entries as though you are a sales man; post entries which make you seem like an extreme fan for your company and its products.

Another aspect to watch for is whether your blog is providing a transparent look into your company, or whether it appears as though it is a filter piece of corporate propaganda. This is a very difficult aspect to gain control of, given that any large company will have a large legal department using black sharpies on every piece of copy. This ends up back at the same idea as before, you blog should be personal. It should be written from the customer’s perspective, as if they had open access to your company. Not only will you garner additional customers this way, but the ones you have will have much more trust in your company, and that means more customers.

Do not assume that if you post content on a site where users can comment, that you are blogging. That is a poor way to start and shows an indifference towards learning how to properly utilize the education available to you. Reading other blogs is the best way to truly understand how to setup your blog and how the posts should end up sounding. This also has a real benefit if you go to other blogs and comment and participate. This demonstrates that you have full interest in the consumer.

Finally, do not expect users to give you any real information on their own. Instead, gear posts towards asking your customers for their input. Making them a part of the creation process will not only give you valuable market research, but customers gain great confidence in a company when they feel that they are a part of the process.

All of these tips will ensure that you are utilizing your blog to the fullest potential. It is not a difficult prospect, but rather one that should should be approached from the consumers perspective, not the PR department’s.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-18 05:21:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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For those thinking about starting a corporate blog, there are a few caveats that should be considered before you ever throw your hat in the arena. The blogosphere can be a scary place if you are not prepared and it is easy to have a disaster of epic proportions on your hands without even realizing it. There are numerous stories of corporate blogging disasters and while they can be amusing, the owners of the companies affected probably would not agree.

A corporate blog is a unique tool that allows you to reach out to the public, increase brand awareness and build up your customer base. It is also a tool that has the potential to cause irreparable damage. You don’t want your blog to go down in flames, and you certainly don’t want it to take your company with it. Here are some tips to help you avoid the most common blogging disasters.

1. Pick your bloggers well.

If you will not be doing your own blogging, this usually means that the task falls to an employee. You will need to make sure that they are well balanced, can handle criticism and can post in an articulate and friendly manner. Think of this blogger as a public speaker – would they present the right face for your company to the public?

You also need to make sure that the employee is a stable individual that is not prone to bursts of anger or being disgruntled. You don’t want your company’s dirty laundry aired to the world and it only takes one angry blogger to turn the tide against you. If you end up firing a blogger, make sure that you remove their posting capabilities BEFORE you do so that they don’t have a chance to post one last burning missive.

2. Be consistent.

If you decide to allow comments on your blog, great. Just don’t change your mind. This gives an incredibly bad image of your company and makes it seem as though you have something to hide. Likewise, refusing to allow comments on your blog can give the same impression. Find the balance by using comment moderation tools to weed out bad comments and let the good ones through.

3. Always remain professional.

Your corporate blog is not the place to get overly personal. You may be having a bad day, you may hate your job, you may want to stick it to your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend but your corporate blog is not the place to air these subjects. Always keep your private thoughts private – they just don’t belong on your blog. Keep your posts friendly and open, but make sure that you never cross that line.

By utilizing these three simple rules, you can avoid becoming a blogging disaster for the history books. If you have never blogged before, or you prefer not to leave your company’s future in the hands of an employee, it is a good idea to get some help with your blog. There are blog management services that specialize in helping you present the right image and get your message across.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-07-15 05:25:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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This is part two in a series about tips for good corporate blogging. We touched on three tips in the first part of this series – Now here are another handful of tips for your consideration.

- 4 – Keep each piece of content short, simple and concise to get the point across without being too wordy.

There is another saying here that is worth remembering, KISS. KISS stands for “Keep it short and simple”. Most people who prefer to read blogs online are scanners, meaning that rather than reading your entire blog post from end to end, they will more than likely skim over the post to determine whether they have the interest and the time to actually read further. You may actually have a lot to say, and you may find your content interesting, but most people who are reading online simply do not have the time or the interest to read every piece of content that they come across. In other words, you need to get to the point as quickly as possible. Publishing short posts on a more frequent basis is always ideal to publishing lengthy articles more rarely, if you want to keep the attention of your readers.

- 5 – Create links as often as you possibly can.

Creating links is what builds credibility for your blog, and it is also capable of indicating to your readers that you are an expert in your chosen field. People do not necessarily have time to figure out what others are doing, so in a way it is your place to let them know. Link to other blogs, websites, products, services and other information on the internet and build a network of associates that will gladly create a return link to your website. There is nothing that dictates that you cannot talk about other people and their content in your blog, and it may just inspire them to write about your blog as well.

- 6 – Make sure that everything that you post is both lively and interesting.

Every one of the blog posts that you write should be snazzy, snappy and fun to read. Even if you are not necessarily a natural born writer, there is nothing that dictates that you cannot learn how to effectively write blogs. The key to writing lively and interesting content for your blogs is to write in your blog as if you were speaking to a friend, or even if you were speaking to yourself. You need to remember that you need to get to the point quickly, though. And when you are writing blog entries, if you want them to be on topic, relevant and informative, make sure that you are addressing the 5 W’s of journalism, which are Who, What, Why, When and Where. Address these in the first paragraph of your blog and you will already be on the right track with the blog entries that you write.

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Originally posted 2009-02-27 05:32:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Brute Force SEO has long been a popular solution for businesses and individuals looking to create a more efficient web presence online. Taking things one step further, Brute force RSS, an RSS blasting service, is creating this same type of improved web presence, but this time focusing on corporate blogs and learning how to reach out to new target audiences through RSS feeds. RSS feeds are an excellent way for businesses to stay in contact with not only their current and past customers, but future and potential customers as well.

Most people may falsely assume that RSS blasting service would be a bad thing, likening the RSS blasting concept to spam, but what RSS blasting is really all about is automatically submitting your blog entries to your own RSS feed, and to RSS directories as well, without requiring any effort on your part. In other words, The Brute Force RSS blasting service is only doing the same work that you would normally be doing; however it is not requiring you to lift a finger by doing all of the posting and updating for you.

Are you wondering what the benefit is to an RSS blasting service? Let us take a look at some of the advantages that come with using the Brute Force RSS.

- RSS Directories will receive automatic updates whenever your corporate blog is updated. In other words, the web will automatically be notified whenever you post a blog, saving yourself a lot of time and effort by taking a lot of the work off your hands.

- Your own RSS feed will be automatically updated any time you post a corporate blog. With your personal RSS feed being updated automatically, you can reach out to your customers, letting them find your new blog posts and other updates to your corporate blog.

The Brute Force RSS service, which is an RSS blasting or automatic RSS updating service creates a much greater sphere of influence for your corporate blog by casting a much wider net with your corporate blog and reaching out to more visitors and viewers than ever before. Many people prefer to check out RSS websites rather than actual blogs, so these viewers can have access to the information that you are posting without having to revisit your corporate blog homepage over and over again.

In other words, if you want to get the most out of your corporate blogging effort, then the best thing that you can to is to utilize services like the Brute Force RSS service to blast your RSS feed automatically to other RSS sites on the internet, because they will allow you to create a much larger sphere of influence for your corporate blog, reaching out to more customers past and present, and future visitors and customers as well.

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Originally posted 2008-12-12 13:57:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Why do some blog instantly become hits, while others languish without a reader to be found? Although the subject matter can play a big role in popularity, a lack of readership can be attributed to a lack of style in the blog. Since there is so much competition out there, you’ve got to work on creating a special hook that will keep your reader’s interested. This is the key to developing a corporate blog that will get noticed. Here are some tips on how to pick the right style hook for your blog.

1. The Funny Hook –

If you are a naturally humorous person, don’t be afraid to let your sense of humor shine through your posts. Granted, this is not the place to share off color jokes, but if you have a talent for wry, dry or witty writing, your blog can be a great outlet. If you can make people laugh while they are reading a corporate blog, that is a big accomplishment. Readers remember funny blogs right off the bat and they’ll want to return often to make sure they get their daily dose of funny. However, if you do not have a flare for comedy, this is not the best hook to use. The key is knowing whether or not you have the talent for being truly humorous. If not, there are plenty of other hooks that you can use.

2. The Newsy Hook –

This is the perfect hook for those that may have a drier writing style or for those that don’t feel comfortable cracking jokes all the time. If you have the time to spend monitoring news and breaking it on your corporate blog, you can develop a very devoted readership. It’s best to stick with news that is related to your corporate sector, but there may be times when you can push the envelope a little bit. Many blogs have taken off after they covered one item that was very popular. The readers will stick around if they like your style and the information you cover.

3. The Controversial Hook –

This hook should be used with care and only by those that are masters of PR and capable of handling controversy. The blogs that use this hook are probably the most popular, but there is a fine line to walk here. If you are worried about your company getting dragged through the mud, or if you have a board that you have to please, it’s best not to use this hook.

These are just a few examples of hooks that you can use to start creating that relationship with your readers. If none of them fit, then just let your personality shine through your posts. Being friendly and open can be a hook on its own and may actually create better results than all three of the above hooks combined. The secret is finding what works for you and your readers. Once you’ve got that down, the sky is the limit.

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Originally posted 2008-09-03 05:20:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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