Consider this to be your quick and painless guide to starting a corporate blog both effectively and practically.

1 – Begin by defining your purpose.

This may sound obvious, but many bloggers do not think of their editorial purpose until well into the life of their blog. Exploring social media simply is not reason enough to start a corporate blog. You need a concept that is better defined. Rather than just saying that your blog’s intention is to engage your customers, you want to have a polished editorial purpose, like “Share inside information about the day to day operations within our company in order to better enrich the experience of our customers, engaging them in a dialogue with our business.” This may be a wordy way to put things, but it gives you a real solid idea of what it is that you are trying to accomplish with your blog. This way, if you ever find yourself wondering why you started this project in the first place, your editorial purpose can serve as an excellent reminder. “Oh, right, my goal was to reach out to my customers and share something of myself in the process.”

2 – Determine who responsibility will be given to, next.

Most people do not consider this, despite the fact that it is fairly obvious as part of a practical start up guide for corporate blogging. If you are smart, you will form a team of hardworking individuals that will work on the blog, or at least that will collaborate to come up with good subjects and topics for the blog. However, no matter how many people you have working on your corporate blog, you do need to have one single person in charge who can say yes or no to an idea or a blog post. Having a group is an excellent tool when putting a blog together, but someone absolutely needs to be in charge, otherwise you may have difficulty actually getting things on the page.

3 – Determine who your writers are going to be.

Sure, by now you have a social media manager who is in charge of the final say, but he or she should not be the only writer or the only person in charge of coming up with the content ideas. Depending on the size of your company and its scope, there are probably different departments within; each with a different area of focus. Because your audience is probably interested in all of these different areas, it would benefit your company and your corporate blog to have bloggers from different disciplines. Develop a list of capable writers, and then have each of them agree to writing a little bit every month on a variety of different subject matters in order to get the most out of your corporate blog. Then you can space these assignments out and post their blogs throughout the month easily.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-30 05:58:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Right now, thousands of companies are using corporate blogging as a means of reaching out to new customers. This means that the field is incredibly crowded and getting more so every day. How do you get your blog to stand out from the crowd? It can be complicated at times, but there are several techniques that you can use to make sure that your blog gets noticed and that you beat your competitors.

1. Put a name and a face on your blog.

Don’t make the mistake of anonymous blogging. Many businesses owners make this mistake because they are not willing to put their employees or themselves out in the public eye. The result is a static blog that is boring and unpersonable. You will need to give a name, even if it is just your first name if you want your blog to be successful. A picture is also useful, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, you’re going to have to use your personality to create that picture in the minds of your readers.

2. Blog about the right topics.

The blogs that get read find a way to mix current events in with their regular company news. The more topics you cover, the better your chances are of being discovered. Read through your competitor’s blogs and see what they are doing. Find out how you can do it better. It’s ok to have a few posts on your blog that may not be directly related to what you do. This helps build up your readership. However, it is important to find some way to relate every post you make to your company or your industry. Otherwise, your readers could get confused.

3. Allow your readers to comment.

It can be pretty scary to open up your blog to comments from your readers. However, this is a risk that pays off by allowing your readers to feel as though they are a part of what you are doing. If you do allow comments, it is alright to moderate them to avoid having a disaster occur, but you should allow some freedom of discussion. Many businesses make the mistake of talking at their readers instead of talking to them. By using comments, you can avoid this common mistake and ensure that your readers will feel that they matter to you.

4. Have fun.

The most common problem that all corporate bloggers face is that their industry may be a bit boring. There is a way to have fun with your posts, stay relevant to your topic and stay professional. If your blog makes you snore, what is it doing to your readers. Change it up every now and again and keep it lighthearted.

In order to avoid many of these pitfalls, it is a good idea to work with someone that is familiar with blog management. You’ll be able to get the benefit of their expertise and they can help you leverage your blog for success.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-07-16 05:05:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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One of the best reasons to give corporate blogging a try is that it has the potential to really help you grow your business. If you are just establishing your online identity or if you are trying to actively increase your customer base and your sales, a corporate blog can make a big difference. There are many different ways that this type of communication can result in more sales and a larger customer base.

First, you’ll be adding content on a regular basis that covers a wide variety of topics. This means that there will be more content for search engines to index and more keywords used to ensure that you land in the top spot. This makes it much easier for new readers to discover not only your blog but your company as well. By taking the time to really work on a blog and publish it regularly, you can dramatically increase the number of visitors that your site sees every day.

Next, a corporate blog adds a level of humanity to any site. Many consumers perceive corporations as cold entities with little concern for the common man. By putting a name and a face to your company you’re creating a relationship and showing that there is a heart behind that business exterior. This is very effective at building up customer trust and is useful when you are trying to project a certain image for your company.

A corporate blog can also be used to connect with readers and get their feedback. While allowing comments on a blog can be scary, they are a great way for your customers to get their thoughts across. You’ll have a bird’s eye view of what your customers really want and this is a lot easier that relying on a focus group for the same thing. If you are concerned about allowing comments on your blog, you can always set them to moderation to avoid having any controversy erupt.

Lastly, a corporate blog helps you announce new products and specials – if you do it in the right way. Try to steer clear of blatant advertising and find ways to incorporate your announcements with current events. This helps you gain some powerful advertising that doesn’t cost a dime.

When you’re ready to start your own corporate blog it is important to make sure that you know how to handle it. It is much easier to hire a professional that knows how to run a corporate blog and keep it going in the right direction. You can actually end up saving money with this approach and you won’t have to worry about diverting company resources away from your other projects.

Corporate blogs can be powerful and effective but they do need to be managed properly. By working with a professional, you can ensure that your company will avoid common blogging pitfalls and you will be able to achieve the results discussed above as well as many other benefits.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-06-23 05:34:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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One of the biggest problems of any company is managing relationships with its customers. It may sound cliché, but it’s true that customers are the “life blood” of any company. You want to keep your customers happy, but you also want them to be thinking about you.

Excite your customer

Most corporate websites are about as interesting as watching grass grow. Would you come back day after day to a site that only has product listings and some basic information about the company’s location and founder? Of course you wouldn’t.

Your corporate blog should be your voice

People expect to see a little individuality on a blog. I want to do business with someone that has a personality – someone with a pulse. A corporate blog gives them that. It gives the ability to see that you are making advancements products. The words you use show customers that you are knowledgeable about your product and that you are a leader in the field

A corporate blog can solicit feedback

Many companies pay to run focus groups. Certainly focus groups have their place, but why not augment your information gathering by asking readers of your company blog? It’s free – it’s easy – and it’s so much better than those e-mail surveys that everyone deletes.

A corporate blog can build product awareness

Marketing a new product is always difficult. With so many companies releasing products every day, your product might get lost in the fold. Your customers only have so much attention, you need to do everything you to grab and hold on to that. Since corporate blogs are faithfully read on a regular basis, they are a very cost effective way to keep customers aware of your product.

In today’s world, your customer is asking for these things from the companies she does business with. If you are able to provide them for her, she’ll keep coming back.

Originally posted 2008-06-30 14:55:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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One of the biggest problems facing corporate bloggers is whether or not they can communicate effectively through their blog. There are a few steps that you can take to determine just how well you are reaching your audience, and it is not terribly difficult to come up with a plan on how to accomplish this. Let’s get started with the basics.

What do you hope to achieve through your corporate blog?

By focusing on the end result that you would like to have, you can better determine how to write your posts to reach that end. For example, let’s say that you want to increase consumer awareness of your company. This would mean that your posts would need to focus on community efforts that your company is hosting, more information about how your company operates as well as posts that give a more human side to your company.

If your goal is to sell products, you will need to work on a different approach. In order to effectively sell via a blog, you have to follow the basic tenets of copywriting, and find a way to incorporate them into a blog post. For example, you have to have a problem, discuss how that problem effects the consumer and then supply them with a resolution to that problem. This may sound difficult, but there is a way to work this into a blog post.

Let’s say that you sell auto parts and you are trying to increase your sales. One blog post that you could write could focus on the problems of dealing with salvage yards for parts. In this instance, it can be difficult to find parts that are in good condition. There is your problem. Now, you can elaborate on what bad auto parts can do to a vehicle, ie: discussing how this issue affects the consumer. Then, you can offer them a solution, ie: your auto parts that are in perfect working condition and come with a warranty.

This can easily be adapted to any industry, and as long as you are following the basic Problem/How it Affects Consumers/Solution formula, you should not have any problems writing effective blog posts that will sell product. But you can’t just stop there, you also need to focus on why a consumer should trust you. This can be accomplished through other means, such as testimonials, as well as by providing your readers with useful information, not too many sales pitches and a good rapport with you, the blogger.

If your goal is simply to get more visitors to your site and the blog will be used to feed them into your main site, you can take a different tactic. This will require finding interesting ways to induce people to visit your site, such as news that will integrate well with a specific division in your company. For example, let’s say that you run a sales training firm. You are trying to get new clients, and finding it difficult. Your blog could cover recent statistics about a drop in trained sales people, and that would feed into your training division. Again – problem and solution.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-05 05:54:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Many list owners have a formula that helps them figure out how valuable their subscribers are. This is usually done so that you figure out how much money each subscriber means to you. For example, this may be $1 a month, $5 or even more. To come to this figure, the list owner typically will add up the sales generated by a mailing and divide that figure by the total amount of subscribers. Most marketers prefer to get to the point where each person will earn them $5 a month.

This same formula can also be applied to your blog and many help you get a better idea of the payoff that you’ll be getting from spending the time and effort to establish your corporate blog. Once you have a better idea of how much each one of your visitors is worth, you may even be more motivated to keep adding new readers and to keep your promotional engine running.

Thanks to the power of corporate blogging, your visitors may eventually exceed the value of your list subscribers. If you are writing effectively and making sales, you can easily have your visitors worth more than $10 a month to you. Keep it up and see just how much it can grow over a short period of time.

But there are other ways to help you gauge how valuable your readers are – after all – money isn’t everything. A valuable reader is one that reaches out to you through the comments section, follows your work and tells their friends. The amount of people that do that is generally pretty small, unless you have a very popular site.

This is invaluable for many different reasons. First – you are getting free promotion and that is worth a bundle. Second, you’re getting better page views which can spell more revenue. Last but not least, you are building up a targeted audience – and that right there can be worth millions.

Think about the value that each one of your readers has before you post one more thing to your blog. Ask yourself whether or not that post is also valuable to them. After all, this is a two way street. Find ways to build up more valuable readers and learn how to monetize the ones that are not responding.

Managing a corporate blog is not a static position and there is a little bit of work involved, especially if you want to be successful. By learning how much your readers are actually worth, this can actually help you reach your goals in less time. Take the time today to see how much your readers are worth to you and figure out ways that you can increase their value.

At the same time, consider how you can increase the overall value of your blog, since these two are interconnected. Never stay stagnant, and keep moving forward. That is the key to building up a strong following – and one that is very valuable indeed.

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Originally posted 2008-12-11 05:47:39. 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

• Professional Blogging Roundup: All Saints Day Edition Happy All Saints Day, one day late, from Buildify. We hope your weekend has been productive and if it hasn't been yet, well we have another list of links for you to read through for some blogging ideas to help you get started. Corporate Blog Medium Shifting in Large Way......
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While there are plenty of resources available that tell you what to do when it comes to corporate blogging, there are very few that will let you what not to do. Mistakes are rampant in corporate blogging, especially when you first get started. Not all are dire, but some may have a lasting effect and could harm the future of your blog. It pays to know what you should do and it pays even more to know what to avoid. Here are the most common mistakes made by corporate blog owners.

1. Abusing social bookmarking sites.

Anyone who has ever had their site banned from digg or any of the other major sites knows how frustrating it can be. When you are first getting started with this form of promotion, it is all to easy to get carried away and submit every single post you have. This is frowned upon and will likely buy you the reputation as a spammer, or someone that should be ignored.

There is no doubt that social bookmarking is powerful, but that power should not be abused. Submit your posts sparingly, and avoid black hat techniques for promotion. Study which of the posts make it to the front page of these sites and then see which of your own would fit that general form. If necessary, write posts that will appeal to the users of these sites, but always remember the integrity of your site.

2. Failing to post pictures in your blog.

This is an easy one and it is also the one that trips up many blog owners. Have you ever seen a pictureless blog? It’s flat, it’s boring and there is nothing on the page to draw the eye. Pictures, when used properly, enhance your blog. A lack of pictures makes it dull.

Try to stick to one picture per post, or even every other post. If necessary, post more than one but remember that not everyone has a high speed connection. Optimize those images, use them sparingly and remember that a picture is worth a thousand words.

3. Ignoring your audience.

This is deadly to any blog. If you are not paying attention to what your reader’s want to know, then you may as well quit blogging right now. While you can’t please all of your readers all of the time, you can find ways to make them feel included, and to write what they want to know about.

One of the best ways to determine what your audience wants to know is by using an analytic program that will give you more insight into your site’s traffic. Pay attention to the keywords that are used to find your site, pay attention to what searches are performed and measure traffic to see how effective your posts are.

While there are certainly more mistakes that can be made, these are the most common. Try to avoid making them on your own corporate blog and you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-24 05:35:47. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Since corporate blogs are so popular, there are quite a few myths that go along with them. Before you even start your own blog, it is important to be able to separate fact from fiction so that you go into this process with the right expectations. You can really learn a lot from these myths, and you’ll know what you should not be doing on your blog.

1. Build it and they will automatically come.

This is completely untrue. You need to work to build your readership and it may take months. Unless you are already very popular and get a lot of daily traffic, you’re going to have to work hard to build up that audience. It is very easy to get discouraged with this process, but if you can stick with it, you’ll be greatly increasing your chances for a very popular blog.

2. Comments are a bad idea.

No one really wants to give their customers an open mic, especially if the company already has a history of customer service issues and a bad reputation. However, comments, when moderated, can lead to an open and frank discussion that is very useful for your business. In addition, it gives the impression that you really do want to hear from your readers. Commetning on blogs is a very big part of many blog reader’s lives and they will want this opportunity.

If you do have a problem with disgruntled customers, then comments may not be a good idea, especially if you let them go live without first moderating them. Try to weigh the pros and cons and then once you have made your decision stick with it. It is better to have never allowed comments, than to have allowed them and revoked them down the road. This will be perceived badly and will give the public the impression that you are trying to hide something.

The best answer is to set all comments to moderation, which means that you will get to read them and approve them before they go live. There may be a few grumblings about this, but overall, it is much safer than allowing comments to go live immediately after they are written.

3. It’s ok to have fun and be strange on your blog.

You still are representing your company, so you’ll need to find that balance between being engaging and being stupid. You don’t want your company to get dragged through the mud because of one ill thought out post. Make sure that you never post anything that could result in someone thinking less of you or your company. It’s fine to have fun with your blog, but never forget that it needs to be professional.

Blogging is tough, and many companies prefer to hire someone to help them through the entire process. A blog management company can assist you in determining the future path for your blog as well as with marketing and daily maintenance. They make it easy to have a successful corporate blog.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-07-01 05:35:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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It is obvious that the concept of executive blogging is becoming more popular, as businesses small and large are suddenly turning to blogging as a way to convey news and information to their customers and clients. Still, many companies are wondering if executive blogging is a worthwhile endeavor for them to invest themselves into, especially because it can take some time and effort to get the blogging process started. If you are wondering if executive blogging is a good idea or a bad idea, keep reading, and you may get a much better feel for what makes corporate blogging so advantageous to so many companies. In fact, most people would be hard pressed to name a reason against executive blogging, considering how many benefits are associated with it.

In our new and changing marketplaces, it is becoming absolutely crucial for companies to build relationships with customers that are long and lasting. In order for a relationship to bloom, it needs to incorporate healthy communication and trust between both parties. There are many different ways that a company or a brand can communicate with its customers such as advertising through the television, through print, through radio, billboards, websites, newsletters, banner advertising and so much more. Unfortunately, most of these methods of advertising and marketing are impersonal, and they focus on making a sale rather than really reaching out to the readers and the viewers in order to create a strong and lasting relationship.

Most customers do not really mind getting information and news about a company, but they do not generally enjoy having their privacy invaded through marketing gimmicks on a constant basis. Reaching out to customers in other ways is generally more advantageous because it allows you to build powerful relationships with your customers past, present and future. Customers can go through your blog on their own time and at their own level of convenience. They can subscribe to your blog’s RSS feed, can leave comments and feedback, and can interact with you through your blog in a variety of different ways. In other words, by blogging, you can create lasting relationships that facilitate good communication between your company and your customers.

A business blog or corporate blog can service as a nicely non intrusive way for you to build and facilitate healthy two way communication with your customers over a long period of time. This is really easy to achieve, and involves creating plenty of resourceful and useful content keeping customers and other readers coming back for more. Some of the information that you can provide in your blog may include statistics, trends, tips, tools, guides, expert views, interviews and how-to advice relating to your company, industry or products.

With a corporate blog, you can build a large and consistently growing community of loyal readers that you can specifically target whenever you introduce new products or services, without having to pitch marketing campaigns to them. In other words, to answer the question of whether executive blogging is good or bad, the answer is a resounding “Good”!

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-16 05:13:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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