As corporate blogging becomes more popular, many companies are wondering if this is something that is right for them. There are many benefits that can be achieved by having a corporate blog, such as increased sales, better brand recognition and SEO, but none are as important as creating that personal link with your readers. A corporate blog is a tool that can be used to really create a relationship with readers, which can result in an increase of the other three points mentioned above.

To create that personal link there are a few techniques that should be used, as well as a few that should be avoided. In many cases, a fine balance is needed to accomplish your goals. For example, if you need your corporate blog to move a certain product, there is a way of selling it, without appearing overly commercial. Let’s look at a few ways that companies can create the personal touch with their blog.

First, the blogger needs to give at least their first name. A last name is not essential, but if you are a well known executive, this can be a good thing to add. No blogger should be anonymous, as this makes the corporate blog feel more like a promotional tool than a public service or outlet for information. In addition, it does help to have a picture of the blogger, since this does give the readers a face to go with the posts. This is is not necessary, but it is helpful.

Next, the blog should focus on providing information that is useful to readers. This point cannot be stressed enough. If a post is useful, readers are less likely to be offended if you are selling them something. Not all of your posts should be centered around “Buy our products.” You need to create a mix of personal posts, product announcements and news that is related to your industry.

The next point is vital – creating the right kind of relationship. When you first start blogging and you’re getting new readers that are interacting with you, it’s easy to let your guard down and let that level of professionalism slip. This should never happen on a corporate blog. If you need a personal outlet – create your own blog – but don’t bring your issues and opinions to your corporate blog.

This is your company’s public face – do you want it to be perceived as unprofessional and scatter brained? No! Each post should be written in a concise format that uses appropriate language and humor, without crossing the line. This is a balancing act that can be difficult at first.

We recommend using a blog management service that can assist you in finding that balance and avoiding the pitfalls that doom corporate blogs to failure. These are powerful tools, but you need to make sure that you are using them in the right way to avoid having a disaster on your hands that is hard to erase from the public’s mind.

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Originally posted 2008-06-27 05:37:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Mention the names Robert Scoble or Shel Israel in the blogosphere and you’ll get a pretty instant reaction. Both are well known and while they have their share of detractors, both are well respected in their own rights. Putting the two of them together on this book project was genius and considering their experience, we were prepared for a great read.

This book really isn’t a how to, but more of a discussion on how corporate blogging is reshaping the way businesses do business. If you’re looking for a manual on how to get started, you’ll probably be pretty disappointed. However, the book has a lot of merit and it is one that every corporate blogger, especially those with larger companies, needs to read.

The main focus of the book is the Six Pillars of Corporate Blogging. Each one holds the key to your success or failure as a corporate blogger, and by mastering them, the authors hold that you will be able to enjoy a lot more success as a blogger, and you’ll learn new methods of treating your customers.

Our favorite part of the book was the discussion on Blogging Right and Wrong. The section on crisis blogging was fascinating and well worth any company owner’s time. The chapter on emerging technology was also very useful, but could use to be updated since the blogosphere does move quite fast.

Bottom line for this book – there is a ton of information to process, and you may want to read it a couple of times before dipping your toes into blogging. Even if you already have a blog, this book may help you take it to the next level and pinpoint areas that may need improvement. We appreciated how well written the book was and the time that went into putting everything together. It’s obvious by the finished product that the authors are passionate about corporate blogging and they did a great job of infusing that passion into their text.

Overall, this book was a fascinating read. We don’t agree with everything put forth, but it still managed to make a very solid case for corporate blogging as well as offering some great tips on how to go about it the right way. Even if you’re a seasoned blogging pro, there is still something to be learned by reading this book.

We highly recommend it to new and old bloggers since there is a lot of information that can be put to immediate use. The case studies and interviews with other corporate bloggers are well worth the cost of the book, and you can learn a lot from the mistakes and triumphs these blogs have experienced. It’s not a how-to manual, but in a way, it’s more important. It covers the nuts and bolts that so many people forget or fail to use, and by doing so, miss out on great opportunities.

Originally posted 2008-09-19 05:58:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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It has become popular for businesses and companies of all types to express interest in creating a business blog so that they can better communicate with other companies, their customers, and a variety of other target markets out there. By looking at what corporate blogs are doing it right, and which need a little push, a new corporate blogger can get a better feel for how to obtain corporate blogging success right out of the gate. By scouring the internet for good corporate blogs and taking note of what makes them great, you can make decisions about your own corporate blog and act accordingly. Here is a small list of excellent corporate blogs that we feel are “doing it right”. This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are hundreds of excellent corporate blogs out there, but these are well worth noting.

- The GM Smallblock Engine Blog, which can be found at http://smallblock.gmblogs.com/. Though this blog is currently under construction, it normally offers plenty of insight into the GM company and its products, as well as news within the industry.

- The Ford Motor Company Blog, which can be found at http://blog.ford.com/index.cfm?resetcountry=false. The Ford Motor Company blog offers excellent insight into the industry.

- The Xbox Live blog, which can be found at http://www.majornelson.com/blog/blog.html. This is an unofficial blog for Xbox Live and the gaming industry, but is still well worth checking out.

- The Maytag Skybox Blog, which can be found at http://www.maytag.com/page.jsp?name=homepage.

- The Ofoto blog which is offered by Kodak, which can be found at http://www.kodakgallery.com/Welcome.jsp and is used to get feedback and resolve issues relating to a new beta Mac application called Brownie.

- Perception Analyzer, which can be found at http://perceptionanalyzer.typepad.com/, offering a nice mix of blog entries on their product, along with information and news for their target audience and other readers.

- BPlans Blog, which can be found at http://bplans.typepad.com/blog/, is an excellent blogging extension of the BPlans.com website which is owned by Palo Alto.

- 800 CEO Read blog, which is found at http://800ceoread.com/blog/, and gives excellent reviews on the business books that the CEO Read website sells, giving the blogs’ target audience excellent insight into which business books are well worth picking up and more importantly, why.

This collection of corporate blogs is an excellent selection of blogs from a multitude of different industries. By looking at this list of blogs, you should be able to tell that any company within any industry can create a solid, popular and informative corporate blog. If you are looking to create your own corporate blog, then looking at other corporate blogs within your chosen industry will be a large help, hopefully granting you enough inspiration to come up with your own unique idea for an informative corporate blog.

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Originally posted 2009-01-09 05:42:47. 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.

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

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In a semi-recent post on his blog Matt Cutts discussed some very powerful information about corporate blogging. We got a lot out of this post and decided to expand a little more on the subject. Whether you are already a corporate blogger, or thinking about getting started, this information could drastically effect the way you run your blog and how the public perceives it.

The first point that Matt covered was about leaving yourself enough wiggle room when it comes to product launches, updates or other big events. Whenever you set a date that is hard and fast, you are opening yourself up to a lot of potential problems. Let’s look at a common scenario and how this type of issue could have a negative effect on your business.

Let’s say that you use your blog to announce that on Date X you will be releasing Product Y. You start the buzz, everyone gets excited and your readers can’t wait. The countdown to Date X begins and as the big day gets closer, you realize that you’re not going to be able to make that deadline.

So, you post that Date X is now Date Z and explain that there is a good reason for the delay. Your audience is disappointed, and they may start to wonder about how professional your company is. While everyone understands that product launches are a delicate matter, setting a hard and fast date does raise expectations. If you can’t meet them, your audience may start to wonder what’s going wrong.

Date Z rolls by and you’re still not ready. You have another post about the new Date A, and once again, your audience is disappointed. By now, things look pretty bad, and you’ve already delayed the launch of Product Y twice. More problems occur, and before you know it your actual launch date is now Date D.

By this point, the majority of people that were really interested in Product Y will have moved on. You’ve failed to deliver, you’ve shown that you can’t keep a project on schedule and your launch will fizzle out. While some delays can be strategic and may increase demand, waiting too long and having too many delays will spell disaster for any product launch.

What can you learn from this scenario? First and foremost, while you do need to give your audience a date for a launch, it does not need to be hard and fast. Give yourself more than enough wiggle room so that if something does go wrong, your company is not going to be cast in a bad light.

This same principle can also apply to other promises you make on your blog. Bottom line, if you are not 150% sure you can keep a promise – don’t make it. It’s just that simple. If you don’t put yourself in a corner, you won’t have to worry about getting out of one. By leaving yourself that wiggle room, you’ll be able to present a strong front to the public and keep them interested in your launch or event.

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Originally posted 2008-11-12 05:15:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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This is a review of the Nike Blog at inside.nikebasketball.com

Every few days, Nike updates their inside.nikebasketball.com blog. The posts they provide are relevant for the fans of Nike, and they write in a very well written and interest keeping manner. Despite this, the blog is very difficult to find if you do not know where to go. Searching for the blog does not turn up the pages without a nearly exact title. The blog does not provide a way to comment on or about blog posts. The user will easily get the feeling that the blog is part of a non-responsive environment. The links provided are not clear in their use, and the overall graphics scheme of the site leave a lot to be desired.

Availability, 2 out of 10 –

One would think that by typing Nike Blog, that the blog would be on the first page of links. No dice. The blog was very difficult to find without knowing the URL to begin with. Basic SEO principles will improve the find-ability of the blog, and enable it to show in many searches.

Posting Frequency, 8 out of 10 –

The blog might not be updated every day, or every other day. However the blog is updated every few days, and is consistent in updating at that pace. The size of the Nike brand name would make you think that they could hire a blogger or two to post with greater frequency. It is not like there is a lack of content in the world of basketball.

Relevance, 10 out of 10 –

The blog stays on topic amazingly well. The writing is well, even if you have no interest in the sport of basketball. Someone who knew nothing about the game could find themselves hooked after reading the blog, which is a great testament to the blog.

Accuracy, 10 out of 10 –

Nike is very good about keeping bias and propaganda out of their blog. The content they do produce seems to be on point and is without inaccuracies. If only they would take this professionalism and apply it to other aspects of their blog, they could have a phenomenal blog which is a great source of income.

User Interaction, 2 out of 10 –

There is no place for comments to be placed or for users to reply to posts. This distancing from its users seemingly makes the blog a bit elitist, not caring of what their users are thinking. Answering comments is a simple process which would greatly increase the user appeal for the site.

The Nike blog earns a 64%.

The blog can stand to have one or two staff bloggers who post frequently, and respond to user comments. There is a lot to be said for user interaction, it builds trust in a company, to think that are listening and willing to respond to their readers and customers. The styling of the blog could use a lot of work. The other big loss for the blog is the inability to find the blog without a direct link or URL. Basic SEO principles would enable the blog to turn up easily in many popular search engines.

Originally posted 2009-02-09 05:48:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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There are plenty of different books out there that are basic instructionals when it comes to corporate blogging, but it can be hard to find a book that goes a bit further. If you already have the basics down, it is quite frustrating to find information that will help you take your efforts to the next level. Whether you are interested in expanding your blog to include podcasting, or you just want some tips on how to get more out of your corporate blog, this latest book from Ted Dempolous has quite a bit to offer.

The first part is largely an introduction on blogging, but it does have some very interesting pointers on picking out the right blog platform and handling the day-to-day activities on your corporate blog. Although it is understandable that the author had to include some basics, we would have liked to have seen a little less focus on this, since the main audience for this book appears to be those that are already semi well versed in blogging.

Part two is where the book starts to get very interesting and much more helpful. This section includes various different uses for corporate blogs, beyond the typical “reach out to your customer” angle. We very much enjoyed the section on how to use your blog as a sales research tool as well as the section on local business blogs. Overall, this is an incredibly useful selection of tips and advice and is perfect for the business blogger that is looking to get more out of their current efforts.

The interesting concept with this book is that it contains actual case studies and comments from real business bloggers that have already made their mistakes, learned from them and implemented solutions. Common problems are addressed and handled in such a way that anyone can read this book and find out what they should not be doing and what they need to start doing with their corporate blog.

Parts 4 and 5 deal with making money on your blog as well as how to start promoting it. The chapter on blog evangelizing is simply fantastic and should be read by any corporate blogger that is looking to build up an audience. Part 6 will be of interest to those that are intrigued by the concept of podcasting and need to know more about how it works. Once again, the tips here will easily get you started off on the right path and give you the right expectations about what kind of success you can expect with a podcast.

That is probably this book’s strongest selling point – real world advice. There are no pie in the sky promises here, and it’s like a refreshing jolt of cold water. This is the ideal book for both beginners that are not quite sure of what they are getting into and established bloggers that need to get back on the right track to reach their blogging goals. We highly recommend this book to both.

Originally posted 2008-10-27 05:39:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Whether you are just getting started in corporate blogging, or you haven’t been paying much attention to other bloggers, the so-called “blogosphere” can be a little confusing. There are literally thousands, if not millions of blogs out there, and if you’re trying to network through them, the task can be a bit overwhelming. There are a few tips however that can help you learn to navigate successfully through the blogosphere.

What is the blogosphere?

It is a term that was coined to describe the intertwining of blog sites, the general atmosphere of the community and the fact that bloggers are really in their own little world. You can become a member of the blogosphere just by becoming a coporate blogger, but you’ll need to know a few things before you get started. Otherwise, your best efforts may just be shooting yourself in the foot.

The first place to start is understanding RSS feeds, and social networking sites. If you don’t have the basics down for these two very important items, everything else may be more complicated than necessary. Take some time to go through places like Digg.com, Technorati, and Twitter to see what is going on. Chances are, you’ll be able to come up with some great ideas for your own blog during this process.

Next, you’ll want to start thinking about setting up some great relationships with other bloggers. This has many added benefits, such as being able to write a guest post for another blog (or having someone do the same for you) and you’ll be building up some strong contacts that will help you increase your traffic and your exposure. Take the time to hunt down other blogs in your niche and start by leaving thoughtful comments in their blog section, making sure to leave your URL.

This is quiet marketing, but it can be very successful. Once you have your own little network built up through your contacts, you should find that your traffic increases as a natural result. This is particularly true if you are utilizing social networking sites to promote your blog.

Remember, you don’t necessarily have to promote just your blog. You can develop a reputation as a valued contributor by sharing good links with your network and involving them in your blog. Try to keep your promotion efforts as quiet as possible, to avoid being labeled as a spammer. People in the blogosphere have a very low tolerance for behavior like this and you can quickly develop a reputation that is very hard to shake.

Taking the time to become a valued member of the blogosphere is time well spent. This is your opportunity to develop yourself as an authority on your subject of choice, and to build up real relationships with your readers and with other bloggers. By reaching out to them and becoming an active participant in social networks, comment sections and forums, you can start to grow your corporate blog very quickly and with little extra effort.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-19 05:37:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Listen to corporate blogging evangelists long enough and it’s easy to start thinking that success is going to fall out of the sky and bonk you on the head. However, spend a few weeks implementing all of their techniques and you may end up wondering whether or not all of this hard work is worth the effort. Before you fall into this trap, and give up, it is important to decide whether or not corporate blogging is worth the effort.

As with any good marketing plan, corporate blogging takes time to implement. It is vital to develop smart expectations, and realize that in order to achieve them, you will have to put in a measure of work. While there are a few success stories of corporate bloggers that were instantly successful, it takes the average blogger more than six months to start to see results. If you are not willing to wait that long, you may want to rethink your position.

Let’s look at this problem logically. First, you have a problem – you need to promote your company or products and you have heard that corporate blogging is a great way to do that. The solution is setting up that blog, working hard and being patient. The results can vary widely, based largely on your niche and how much effort you put into implementing the solution.

Corporate blogging is not for everyone and there are some businesses that are not well served by this type of marketing. Realizing that your results may not be nearly what you hoped for is a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you have just spent the last six months of your life slaving away at your blog.

So, is corporate blogging really worth it?
The answer varies on many factors, namely: How much time are you willing to put into the effort, How well you plan to promote your efforts and whether or not you can effectively reach your audience. If you understand this going into your corporate blog, it is easier to develop a solution that will ensure that all of the effort you are putting into this is worth it.

You can work for months on a blog, but if you are not promoting it, if you are not writing posts that readers care about, you are wasting your time. You can wait months to see results from heavy promotion, constant writing and tweaking of your efforts, but if it results in increased sales, it is definitely worth it.

Check the hype at the door and look at corporate blogging logically. It is a powerful tool – but only when implemented, used and promoted properly. Fail in any one of these three categories and you may just be wasting your time.

The best solution for many budding corporate bloggers is to read through case studies of other companies and their blogging efforts. You can learn from their mistakes, develop a more reasonable expectation of results and work to implement the necessary ingredients for your success.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-20 05:25:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you were one of the early adopters of corporate blogging, or if you are on the fence about whether or not it is a solid form or promotion, recent statistics show that more companies than ever are getting their feet wet and beginning to take blogging seriously. What does this mean for the small business blogger or those that are trying to dominate their niche? There has never been a better time to get established and to do it quickly.

Although market flooding is certainly a long way off in the future, as corporate blogging becomes more acceptable, it is only a matter of time before the majority of big name companies give it a try. While all will not be successful, they have the power of promotion behind them that the little guys do not. This doesn’t mean that you should give up however, in fact, this should be the impetus you need to get your blog started today, not tomorrow.

Why is corporate blogging going mainstream?

Many believe that this is due to the fact that it is a powerful medium, at least when utilized correctly. There are plenty of disaster stories out there of corporate blogs gone bad, but there are far more success stories that are fueling the fire. Even some of the oldest companies in the world are now trying their hands at corporate blogging and it is paying off generously.

One of the main reasons that corporate blogging is so effective, and is growing in popularity so quickly is that it gives companies the rare opportunity to personally reach out to their customers and grow their businesses. While overt pitches and shady dealings are quickly discovered, it’s the solid blog owners, that keep posting every day and giving quality information are rising to the top.

Dominating a niche is important no matter what business you’re in, and a corporate blog can accomplish this in many different ways. First and foremost, from an SEO point of view, you are creating hundreds of pages of optimized content that can be indexed and ranked. If you do this correctly, you can easily dominate the first few pages of results for your keywords.

You can also dominate a niche by establishing your company as the authority, before your competitors do. We highly recommend that business owners do some research into what their competitors are doing. If they aren’t blogging yet, that is the perfect time to reach out and grab an audience before someone else does. There are millions of blogs out there, and more are created every day, and for those that don’t want to get swept under the carpet, taking the time to establish that authority now will definitely pay off in the future.

The face of corporate blogging will continue to evolve and change, but for now, it is clear that it is going mainstream and before long, the majority of companies will be taking advantage of it in one way or another.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-01 05:37:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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