As corporate blogging maintains a stronger foothold on in many industries, companies are seeking ways to take their efforts to the next level. If you’re interested in growing  your blog’s audience and you want to engage your readers, you may want to consider trying a technique known as live blogging.

This is best illustrated by the activity that surrounds an upcoming launch and the subsequent blitz of a new Apple product. Weeks, if not months, before Apple releases something new, bloggers go to work talking about it, building up buzz and creating a frenzy. Then, as the day of the release gets closer, they kick it up a notch and get prepared. On launch day, many bloggers will be present in the audience and they will be blogging live about what is happening, in real time.

These blogs are always interesting to read, because they have that real time element and the excitement is palpable. You may not be Apple, but there are ways that you can use live corporate blogging to enhance your company, engage your readers and build up momentum to promote your new products.

The first step is to plan out an actual campaign for your live blogging efforts. Take the time to read through other live blogging events and their aftermath. You can learn a lot by taking the time to learn about any mistakes that were made, and how you can utilize the same exact tips in your business. You’ll also need to plan a big event, one that will interest your visitors and is large enough to generate buzz.

For example, a launch that covers a new type of dental floss may not be very exciting. However, a launch about a new type of dental floss that can dramatically reduce tooth decay without brushing would be. You’ve got to find that interesting angle, and then work to figure out how you’re going to push it.

A live blogging event will require some extra equipment. At the very least, you’ll need a laptop or a Blackberry. You’ll have to be connected to the internet and be able to post to your blog from your location. Once you have this in place, you can set up either a regular schedule to keep your readers updated, or you can do it as it happens.

Live blogging is exciting and these techniques can be used for virtually any corporate blog. The key is finding that angle, building up that buzz and following through. If you can do that, you’ll be able to hold a successful live blogging event. It’s a good idea to chronicle your efforts as you go through this process. This will help you plan out future launches and live corporate blogging events that will build on the success of your first one.

Try implementing these techniques the next time you have a new product or service coming out. Chances are, your readers will get swept away and you’ll notice a dramatic increase in site visitors and buyers.

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Originally posted 2008-12-03 05:57:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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When you first start your corporate blog, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement. After a few on target posts, you may find yourself wandering and it can be difficult to find that balance of posting interesting content and keeping with your original plan. Here are some tips to help you stay focused on your corporate blogging adventure.

1. Set out a roadmap, complete with sidestreets.

You can stay 100% on topic all of the time or your blog would be pretty boring. When you’re figuring out the basics of what you will be talking about on your blog, find relevant secondary topics that still tie into what you do but are a little bit more fun. You can then allow yourself to go down these sidestreets, and you won’t have to worry that you’ll be going off track. In essence, you’re staying on topic, even if it doesn’t feel like it, since you’ve already worked out what will be acceptable to discuss on your blog.

2. Allow yourself one fun post a week.

You can’t be serious all the time and your readers won’t appreciate overly somber posts. Try to allow yourself one to kick back and have fun. This is a good time to post a top ten list or something that is engaging, fun and shows your company in a good light. By giving yourself one free day a week where you can express yourself in a different way, you’re cutting back on the risk that you’ll want to do this all the time.

In addition, your readers will learn to really appreciate this fun day and you may even find that your traffic spike on these days. As you post fun topics like this, you’ll also have a better chance of getting your site on Digg, or other social bookmarking sites. The readers that frequent these sites are notorious for their love of top ten lists and you can explode your traffic if you happen to get one of your posts included. By getting a little funny, you can really increase your chances of having this happen.

3. Utilize polls and other features to keep your reader’s engaged.

If you’re posting the same thing day after day, it is all too easy to lose your focus. Try adding fun elements, such as a polls, that encourage reader participation. You can actually learn a lot about your customers and your readers by trying this. Try to do this at least once a week as well.

These are just a few ideas of how to stay focused on your corporate blog. A blog management company will be able to help you with your needs and can make it easier to produce a blog that is not only fun and engaging but gets your message across the way you need it to be portrayed. They are very useful, especially if you are completely new to blogging in general.

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Originally posted 2008-08-05 05:01:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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One of the main problems facing corporate bloggers is that their posts can be taken the wrong way, or controversy can get stirred up. Since one blog post has the potential to make or break your company, it is very important to make sure that you are managing your blog property. A good blog will benefit your company; a bad blog could destroy it. Let’s go over some things that you need to know before you start blogging.

1. Controversy can be good and it can be terrible –

While controversy can stir up a lot of excitement and can result in extra page views, it needs to be the right kind of controversy. Bad controversy feels like a never ending trial that brings you down and could bring down your company. Never get involved in blog or flame wars, as this will only feed controversy. Never make the mistake of engaging a reader in an inflammatory exchange – even by email. It will backfire.

2. Comments can make or break you.

If you are going to allow comments, you are treading some dangerous waters unless they are managed properly. While companies that don’t allow comments are usually accused of being too closed up, those that allow comments freely on their blogs usually end up regretting it. One answer is to allow comments on your blog but require that each one be approved before it is posted live. This is usually the best answer for most blogs. There may still be some grumbling from those that don’t get their comments approved, but it is manageable.

3. Never use your blog to air company problems.

You may be frustrated with the direction your board is taking or you may be fed up with clients. Your blog is not the place to talk about this. Likewise, if there is more than one company blog, they all need to present a united front for the company. Bloggers should never disparage the company they work for in print. Many have lost their jobs for doing just that and the harm they caused their companies is palpable.

4. Always be professional.

There is a big difference between writing fun posts that are professional and getting down and dirty in the mud. Your posts should always reflect your company and should never be overly personal or inflammatory. You want to present an image of professionalism and that is never done with posts that cause controversy or that are immature. Hold your tongue, or in this case, your keys and leave the nasty comments off the blog.

These are just a few things that you need to be aware of before you start blogging. A blog management company can help you with knowing what to say and what not to say. This is a very good service for companies that are completely new to corporate blogging and want to avoid a potential disaster or setting a bad example for their company.

Photo Credit: Kristi M Evans

Originally posted 2008-07-24 05:53:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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When you first start your corporate blog, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of coming across a new marketing medium. You suddenly have access to millions of readers that are just dying to know about your products, right? Wrong! Your readers are out there, but they don’t just want to read about what you have to sell. They want to read content that enriches them, makes them laugh, makes them think or simply informs them.

There is a fine line to walk when you are corporate blogging for marketing purposes, and with practice, you can become a pro. There will a few bumps along the road, there always are, but with time, you can develop a solid method of marketing that works on your corporate blog. The key is knowing what to do, and what not to do.

Do: Provide your readers with a resource that will enrich them in some way
Don’t: Post endless commercials about your products that provide no actual value to a reader.

Do: Find ways to integrate your products into posts that readers enjoy.
Don’t: Spam your readers with endless product pitches and hard sells.

Do: Develop a balance of selling products, telling a story, and reporting news
Don’t: Ignore the fact that no one likes a blog that is nothing more than an endless commercial.

There is a trend that is obvious right off the bat with these do’s and don’ts. First, the key is knowing how to market to your audience. Second, you have to find a way to quietly market your products while still providing interesting content. Third, you have to avoid coming off like you are actually marketing your products – even if that is precisely what you are doing.

It can take some time to develop that balance, and there are a few ways to know when you are striking the right chord. Watch your site analytics, pay attention to comments and feedback. If your traffic goes down, or your comments drop off, chances are you are either selling too hard, or not providing your readers with what they want to hear.

Another don’t that bears mentioning is writing your blog solely for the purpose of search engine optimization. Yes, SEO is vital. Yes, SEO will benefit your site, increase traffic and has the potential to increase your sales.

What SEO cannot do is force people to buy your products. Search engines don’t have wallets. Search engines will not buy your products – but people will. You need to write for them – not for the search engines. Find ways to enrich your content with keywords, but keep it readable by human beings. Avoid practices like keyword stuffing, auto generated content, and gibberish. It may take a little longer to get that ranking you want, but along the way you will be appealing to humans, not machines, and it is the humans that you need to reach first and foremost.

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Originally posted 2008-11-03 05:50:48. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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