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

• Blog Shmog By Robert W. Bly If you are on the fence about starting your own corporate blog, this is a great book to read to help you make your decision. The subtitle is “The Truth About Business Blogs” and that pretty much says it all. For those that don’t have time to go through stories......
• Blogging Help Roundup - Learn More About Blogging Hello and good evening. This is Buildify's first roundup of the how-to blog and blogging blogosphere. Sounds like a tongue twister - can you say it five times fast? The following links are several good posts on improving your blog and will add some great skills to your blogging toolbox.......
• 5 Tips to Get More People to Read Your Corporate Blog The whole point of creating a corporate blog is to be able to reach out to your customers, build up an audience and market your company. It takes time to build up an audience but there are many things that you can do to ensure that more people will start......
• Blogging for Business By Shel Holz and Ted Demopoulos When looking for a book on corporate blogging, it is always helpful to find one that is written by two of the most respected authorities on the subject. Holz and Demopoulos are internet superstars in their own regard and quite honestly, you couldn’t ask for two better people to get......
• Does Your Company Need a Blog? One of the latest trends is corporate blogging, but is it right for you company? Not every company under the sun can benefit from having a blog, but there are quite a few benefits that can be reaped in the right circumstances. First, you'll need to decide what you want......

• Book Review: Outdoor Survival By Garth Hattingh The author of this book is one of the most respected outdoor enthusiasts, experts and authors and this latest effort is truly spectacular. If you are planning on doing anything outdoors, whether it's boating, fishing, camping or hiking, this is the book that you need to read before you go......
• 4 Things Bloggers Do WRONG! I’m a very prolific blogger and read a lot in my blog community and in other blog communities. I can’t stand some of the things I see and if I have a problem, I can guarantee other readers of your blog do too. Here are four things bloggers are doing......
• Oblivious Investing – Building Wealth by Ignoring the Noise Book Review I had the opportunity to review Mike Piper’s newest book, “Oblivious Investing: Building Wealth by Ignoring the Noise.*”  Mike is the author of a great blog of the same name, Oblivious Investing. The book follows conversations between Shannon, the investing newbie and her wise Uncle Toby.  Every conversation they have......
• Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer Title: The Sea of Monsters Author: Rick Riordan Narrator: Jesse Berns Format: Unabridged Audio Cassette # Cassettes / Minutes : 5 Cassettes (7 hours, 56 minutes) Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-14 Audio Preview: Download Clip (Right click, save as.) Summary: This is book......
• Book Review Blog Carnival Welcome to the May 10, 2009 edition of book review blog carnival. book reviews NathanKP presents “Jellicoe Road,” by Melina Marchetta posted at Inkweaver Review - Book Reviews & Cover Art. Woman Tribune presents Stop Training Sitters, Put Everyone on the Same Page with By The Book posted at......

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

• Which Blogging Platform is Best? Have you spent any time looking at blogging publication platforms? You have probably already become well aware of the fact that there are numerous to choose from. Some of the most notable blogging platforms that you can choose from include WordPress, Blogger, Text Pattern, Blog Lines, Moveable Type, Life Type,......
• Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk With Customers By Robert Scoble and Shel Israel 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......
• Yahoo Blog Review This is a review of the Yahoo Search Blog. Yahoo! is a major website providing search services. One would think that the Yahoo! search blog would be full of jargon and technical terms that only a select few would have been able to understand. Surprisingly, the blog was full of......
• How to Avoid Corporate Blogging Disasters 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......
• What Does a Corporate Blog Say About You? When you have a corporate blog, it is important to realize that it will be saying a lot about you. Whether or not it’s projecting a good image of your company is entirely up to you. Here are some tips to make sure that your blog says all the right......

• New Poetry Book "Scents Sand Censor Billy Tea". The new poetry book by KJ Halliday will be available shortly! The proof copies have been recieved and reviewed and we are going ahead with a price of just $12.99! It is a collection of poems 28 pages long with original art work to accompany the poems. This is......
• Hosting your own Blogs Carnival There are plenty of different ways that you can participate in a blogs carnival in order to increase the traffic to your blog. When you are just getting started, you may want to consider submitting your own posts to the blogs carnival publishers so that you can increase your readership.......
• 4 Reasons to Never Skip to the End of a Book by First Mate Keira, guest blogger Are you the sort of person who must absolutely be spoiled before you start a book? I know it's tempting but going to the end of a book to discover how things turn out is a terrible idea. Skipping to the end of......
• The Everything Guide To Writing Children's Books: From Cultivating an Idea to Finding the Right Publisher All You Need to Launch a Successful Career (Everything Series) (Paperback) Surefire techniques to help you top the bestseller list! Whether you?re already published or just an aspiring writer with a dream, the children?s book publishing industry can be one of the toughest to crack. The Everything® Guide to Writing Children?s Books is the perfect handbook if you?re looking to......
• Weekly Roundup: Exploding Oven Edition photo by david55king I would not believe it if I hadn't been standing there next to the oven on Monday evening. My wife had just put in a new dish to bake and we were so looking forward to trying it.  Suddenly, we heard a horrible sound from the......

If you are on the fence about starting your own corporate blog, this is a great book to read to help you make your decision. The subtitle is “The Truth About Business Blogs” and that pretty much says it all. For those that don’t have time to go through stories that meander and they just want to get to the heart of the matter, this is the perfect book. It’s hard hitting, logical and presents a clear case as to why you should and why you shouldn’t have a corporate blog

The author did a great job of defining what a corporate blog can and cannot do. This is a great way to learn more about how high you should set your expectations for your blog. If you have pie in the sky ideals, they may be shot to pieces, but at least you won’t waste your time approaching your blog from the wrong angle. The book covers pretty much everything you could ever want to know about business blogging, from the tools you’ll need, to what you can really expect your blog to accomplish for your company.

Although the author uses a healthy dose of skepticism, he also provides some tips that you can really use. For example, he covers the fact that topical blogs are usually much more effective and popular than blogs that simply discuss company business. For those that are still unsure of what blogging is or why you should be doing it, the advice is very clear cut and easy to understand. You can go from a complete blog newbie to a pro just by reading this book.

The book covers what you will want to avoid with your blog as well, especially when it comes to presenting a professional appearance. There are plenty of tips contained within the pages of the book to get you started out on the right path. Although the title would indicate that the author is anti-business blogging, the opposite is actually true. He just seems to want to bring a dose of realism into the world of corporate blogging and help site owners achieve their goals the right way.

You can follow along as a blog is started from scratch, learning all the way about what you should and should not do. This was a great way to present the information that business owners really need to know and this section alone was worth the cost of the book.

Overall, we highly recommend this book to anyone that has considered starting their own corporate blog. You’ll be able to learn quite a bit about the entire process as well as learning some specific mistakes that you should not make with your own blog. We appreciated the way the author presented the information and found it to be a very quick read that was well targeted to the main audience for this book. If you don’t have a lot of time, this is the perfect book to read before you get started on your corporate blog.

Originally posted 2008-09-05 05:13:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• How to Use Your Corporate Blog for Networking A corporate blog can be an incredible promotional tool, but it can also be used for networking purposes. Nearly every company can benefit from networking and much of the current internet community has been built on the back of social networking. How can you take advantage of this trend and......
• The Secret Power of Blogging By Bruce Brown 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......
• 5 Tips to Get More People to Read Your Corporate Blog The whole point of creating a corporate blog is to be able to reach out to your customers, build up an audience and market your company. It takes time to build up an audience but there are many things that you can do to ensure that more people will start......
• Full Text or Excerpts - What's Best For Corporate Blog RSS Feeds? If you are putting together an RSS feed for your corporate blog, you may be wondering what way is the best way to deliver that RSS Feed. Should you use full text so that your subscribers can read the entire post in their feed reader without having to click on......
• Blogging for Business By Shel Holz and Ted Demopoulos When looking for a book on corporate blogging, it is always helpful to find one that is written by two of the most respected authorities on the subject. Holz and Demopoulos are internet superstars in their own regard and quite honestly, you couldn’t ask for two better people to get......

• How To Upload E-books On Amazon's Kindle Would you be interested in having your published book sold by the world's largest bookstore? no problem, three words you need to know, Amazon.com and Kindle. E-books are in thing nowadays and will continue to be for a long time to come, if possible all writers must think about getting......
• Online Business Ideas To Get You Started With online business ideas becoming more popular, you may be thinking this sounds like a good idea, but you must explore the choices that would be the right ones for you. When deciding which business opportunity would be for you, consider what skills you may have as well as what......
• How to Increase Blog Traffic with Blog Carnivals One of the easiest things that you can do to build traffic is to submit your content to blog carnivals if you want to learn how to increase blog traffic. In as few as four simple steps, you can bring new visitors to your blog and you can build excellent,......
• Top 4 Reasons Why We All Need Personal Planners We want it all. We want the latest flat screen TV and fashions. We want to be the Super Mom, Dad, Spouse, CEO and tri-athlete all at the same time. Oh Yeah, we want a clean house as well. We want so much we try to fit it into......
• Verify your Retirement Account's Beneficiary The Supreme Court Has Spoken - Verify the beneficiary on your Retirement Account In a recent case the United States Supreme Court has made it clear, YOU BETTER KNOW WHO IS THE BENEIFICARY ON YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNT!  The case dated Jan 26, 2009, titled, Kennedy v. Plan Administrator for DuPont Savings......

In today’s current business world, the media is more savvy than ever and so are consumers. This has led many companies to adopt a full disclosure policy on their corporate blogs. Is this policy right for you? Let’s look at a few of the upsides and downsides of full disclosure.

Upsides

1. Public perceives your company as honest.

Everyone loves it when a company owns up to mistakes, takes the high road and is brutally honest about their business deals. It is always refreshing to see a company that is willing to take that risk to be more open with the public and share what is really going on inside.

2. All press is good press.

Blogs that deal with full disclosure typically get lots of traffic and they are able to quickly generate a lot of buzz. This is really only useful if there is a way to turn what they are talking about into a positive light, but overall, when it comes to getting attention, full disclosure usually gets the job done.

Downsides

1. Is brutal honesty always the best policy?

If your company just took a major financial hit, does the public really need to know about it? One of the main problems with adopting a full disclosure stance is that it can really hurt you when things get tough. It’s one thing to say that the company is going through a rough patch, it’s quite another to get into details. This hurts your bottom line, and if you have investors, they may not appreciate your honesty with the public, especially if it affects your stock prices.

2. Bad reputations take only a few seconds to make.

It can take years to build up an image of corporate responsibility, but trashing your company’s image can only take a few seconds. Full disclosure often means talking about things that put your company into a decidedly unflattering light. If you feel your company can rise above that, terrific, but some companies never recover after a blogging disaster.

Weighing All the Options

Now that we’ve gone over the good and bad side of full disclosure, it’s time to get really serious and think about how it could affect your company. Do you have investors? If you do, this is probably not the best policy for your corporate blog. The risks far outweigh any benefits.

Is your company fairly new and so far scandal proof? In this case, then a full disclosure policy can help build a solid reputation around your company and present it in a good light. You may change your mind however the instant the first bad piece of news hits the press.

Lastly, what do you want people to think of when your company name comes up? If you don’t want the latest blogging fiasco to be at the tip of everyone’s tongue, a little mystique is probably a good thing. Blogging is a balance, and it’s up to you to decide how much information you want to reveal.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-18 05:09:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• How to Start a Stellar Corporate Blog If you’re ready to get into corporate blogging, you need to make sure that you are going in with the right attitude. There is a big difference between starting an okay blog and starting a stellar blog. You are in this to succeed, so you need to make sure that......
• Three Secrets of Successful Corporate Blogs Every week, new corporate blogs spring into existence, but many are doomed to fail from the start. How can you be assured that your blog is going to be a success? Follow in the footsteps of the leaders and learn from their mistakes! There are three main secrets to successful......
• Three Must-Read Books for Corporate Bloggers Bloggers certainly love to read other blogs, but they also may be able to generate powerful resources from books on the subject of blogging. Here are three must read books for anyone who is serious about corporate blogging on a successful level. 1 - "The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything......
• Does Your Company Need a Blog? One of the latest trends is corporate blogging, but is it right for you company? Not every company under the sun can benefit from having a blog, but there are quite a few benefits that can be reaped in the right circumstances. First, you'll need to decide what you want......
• Getting Smart About Corporate Blogging - Part Two In part one of this series we discussed a post made by Matt Cutts on corporate blogging. We went over the first point he made in his post, regarding leaving yourself wiggle room on deadlines. Now, let's go over the second point, about how to handle yourself when dealing with......

• Obama Wipes the Noses of Crybaby Consumers This week we saw the spectacle of President Obama wiping the noses of whiny consumers because credit card companies were being mean. He summoned the leaders of those companies to the White House to tell them to stop being such bad people, or he would spank them. Mr. ToughMoneyLove doesn't......
• Meeting The Insurance Needs of Your Business From ezinsurance.com.au: Protecting your business with the right insurance is critical to its survival. Is your business covered properly? Meeting the insurance needs of your business is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your financial interests in your business. In fact, this is one of......
• Weakon 313: Private Equity Sometimes it’s just not enough to invest in the S&P 500 anymore.  You’re burned out by public companies, hedge funds, and real estate.  You’re looking for a return on your investment that isn’t as tied to the Dow as other investments.  Naturally, you’re the type of person with plenty of......
• What does the Disingenuous HMRC do all day? Over the past year or so, the UK Parliament's Public Accounts Select Committee has been checking on our tax collectors, HMRC.  Today's news, Call for corporate tax clampdown, is missing the point, really.  The problem is not the companies dodging the tax - even Joe the Plumber is at it!......
• Text of President Obama's State of the Union Address [/caption] Remarks of President Barack Obama The State of the Union Wednesday, January 27, 2009 Washington, DC Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our......

Unless you are writing hundreds of posts a day, the amount of time you spend posting on your corporate blog should be minimal. In fact, that is why so many decide to start their own blogs, since everything can be automated and you can sit back and relax. However, there are a few things you should be doing when you are not posting. These methods and techniques can help you explode your traffic and get better results from your work. Here’s what you should be doing when you’re not working or posting.

1. Promoting your blog.

You can build it, but there is no guarantee that they will come. It’s up to you to get out there and find readers. Whether it’s getting back links to your site to increase traffic, commenting on blogs that are related to your niche, learning new promotional techniques or taking advantage of social sites, you should spend around a half hour every day promoting your blog. This kind of focus can pay off and you’ll start seeing results in a lot less time.

2. Finding ways to make your blog better.

Is there a plugin out there that could make your job easier? Take the time to see how to make your blog work for you – and harder than ever. New applications are released constantly and many of them are free to low cost. Instead of sitting there with the same version of WordPress for three years, make the effort to be proactive and keep improving your blog.

3. Learning more about the medium.

The blogosphere is not stagnant, it is always changing. You need to stay on top of trends, read news pertaining to blogs and keep finding ways to make your blog the best it can be. By being an early adopter of trends and techniques, you have an edge that your competitor’s won’t.

4. Researching new topics to cover.

Whether you’re researching new niche keywords (they do keep changing) or you are finding interesting angles to promote your products, your research should be an ongoing process. If you don’t have the time to do it on your own, consider outsourcing this task and have them deliver the information to you so you can read it at your leisure.

5. Keeping tabs on your competition.

This is a step that many companies fail to take and as such, they usually end up falling behind the pack. Always take the time to find out what they are doing and subscribe to their blog RSS feed so that you get instant updates delivered right to your reader. This is the easiest way to stay on top of what they are doing and you can use this information to make your blog better.

While some of these steps may be time consuming, they are necessary and will help you build up a very strong audience that is not only targeted, but invested emotionally in your company.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-26 05:24:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Social Media and Your Corporate Blog 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......
• How to Stay Focused on Your Corporate Blog 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......
• SEO and Corporate Blogging When it comes to trying to promote your business in an organic way, corporate blogging is possibly the best tool that you can use. This is one of the easiest ways to implement SEO on your site with little effort and a blog has the added benefit of being incredibly......
• Ten Tips for Better Corporate Blog Traffic pt 1 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......
• User Friendly Corporate Blogging Tips Once you know what niche or industry you will be blogging about, the next step in the process that you need to consider before you actually begin writing is some basic blog design tips. When designing and modeling your blog, you absolutely need to be able to keep your readers......

• May 08 Review Of Free From Broke Wow. I thought April was pretty wild at Free From Broke what with switching over to Wordpress and all. May brings us the formation of the Money Life Network. The members are: MilkYourMoney.com [RSS] FreeFromBroke.com [RSS] PrimeTimeMoney.com [RSS] BibleMoneyMatters.com [RSS] MyInvestingBlog.com [RSS] Check it out as well as all......
• One Year Ago This Month I Quit My Job. How Has It Been So Far? Actually, it was September 1st of last year, but who is counting. Close enough, right? Either way, about a year ago I up and quit my job. After many discussions at home with the wife and a little advance financial planning, I walked into my job of 4 years and......
• Following Gather Little by Little I am continually amazed at the growth I've experienced here on Gather Little by Little.  Each day it seem like I receive a comment or email from someone that says something like "Hi, just found your blog..." or "First time visiting and love the site".  I love getting those......
• Be a Blogger: Set Your Post Frequency The following is part of Frugal Dad’s weekly series, “So You Want to Be a Blogger?” which chronicles the development and optimization of a blog’s lifecycle. Now that you have identified a topic to write about, and an audience to write to, it is time to determine how often you......
• Add Social Bookmark Links - or be Damned to Marketing Hell! Are you Using Social Bookmarks like a Pro? When you add a social bookmark link, whether it's one of your own or not, you are helping other people sort the web, so to speak. By tagging each link that you submit, others looking for the same material are able to......

This is part four in our series about good tips for good corporate blogging. We have touched on three tips each in the first part, second part and third parts of this series. – Now here are another handful of tips for your consideration.

- 10 – Know the value of a good title for your blogs, and choose headlines that are clear for and attractive to your readers.

Don’t be afraid to make statements that are bold and directly touch on the information within the blog post. Just make sure that your snazzy and keyword-oriented blog post headlines are honest, and avoid misleading your readers. There are a number of formulas that can be used to create blog post titles that are winners. The ideal blog post is one that is convincing to your readers but also keyword oriented for the purpose of search engines. Some examples of solid titles for blog posts include:

- The Secret to [Blank]! - “The Secret to Making Money Online!” for example.

- How to Eliminate [Issue], Once and For All! - “How to Eliminate your Smoking Habit, Once and For All!” for example.

- The Answer to [Problem]! - “The Answer to Obesity!”, for example.

- Little Known Ways to [Blank]! - “Little Known Ways to Lose Weight Quickly!”, for example.

- [Something Desirable] can be yours! Now you can [Great circumstance]! – “Quit your Job Today! Make Even More Money Online!”, for example.

- [Do] [Something] like [Someone Desirable]! - “Throw a Party like Paris Hilton does!”, for example.

- Have a [Something] that you can finally be proud of! - “Have a killer body that you can finally be proud of!”, for example.

These titles immediately capture attention and imagination. If you want to get the attention of your readers, then you need to be willing to craft titles that are interesting, exciting, attractive and rich in relevant keywords.

- 11 – Craft a blog posting checklist to make it easier to cover all of the bases before you click on the publish button.

If you craft a checklist that touches on the most important aspects of writing in your corporate blog, and you run through the checklist after you write each of your posts, you will have an easier time of making sure that your blog entries are “post ready”. As it was mentioned before, posting a blog before you proofread it is like going out without brushing your hair or applying makeup. Some of the things that you are going to want to touch on for this purpose include proofreading for spelling and grammar errors, using a clear and concise headline, touching on the 5 W’s in the first paragraph of your blog entry, and writing your blog post in a way that allows it to be easily skimmed by your readers. In the final part of this series we will offer a more thorough checklist, though there is nothing wrong with crafting your own based on the needs of your blog and those who read it.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-03-03 05:42:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Quick and Dirty Tips for Effective Corporate Blogging, pt 3 This is part three in a series about tips for good corporate blogging. We touched on three tips in both the first part and the second part of this series - Now here are another handful of tips for your consideration. - 7 - Write clearly and concisely when it......
• Sunday Roundup: Blogging Tips and Resources Good morning Sunday readers! Are you looking for some blogging tips to help out your blog or thinking of starting one? Check out our quick guide below to some great places for ideas and resources. General: Marketing 2.0 asks Corporate Blogger: Angel or Demon? For a humorous look at Thoughts......
• Quick and Dirty Tips for Effective Corporate Blogging, pt 5 The last four blog entries (1, 2, 3, 4) have touched on eleven vital tips for crafting good blog entries and keeping your corporate blog going. In the last tip in the previous blog post, we talked about putting together a checklist to make sure that all of the most......
• Quick and Dirty Tips for Effective Corporate Blogging, pt 2 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......
• Are Your Blog Posts Effective? If you have ever felt like you were blogging to a wall, you know how difficult it can be to engage your audience. During the first few weeks or even months after starting your own corporate blog, there are going to be dry periods where you are writing for a......

• 5 Tips for Popular Blog Posts The internet may be a fast paced environment, but there are some blog strategies that remain the name even when it becomes harder and harder for average bloggers to keep up. Here is a reminder of some of the tips that don't change when it comes to blogging. When posting,......
• 5 Elements for Successfully Writing a Blog When you finally make the decision to begin writing a blog, it is likely that you are going to want people to actually come and visit. If you want to begin writing a blog that is actually going to have a solid chance of being successful, then the following five......
• Types of Popular Blog Posts If you own and write in a blog, then you probably understand the importance associated with keeping your blog really fresh and ensuring that your blog audience is completely interested in what it is that you have to say. It can be relatively challenging for people to come up with......
• Another 7 Steps for How to Get Traffic to Your Blog If you are trying to learn how to get traffic to your blog, then you will benefit from the tips in this series, which are designed to show you the necessary steps for how to get traffic to your blog. When you have the right tips, tricks and resources in......
• Tips for Blog Visitor Retention Today, having a blog on the internet is just about as common as having an e-mail address. E-mailing and blogging actually share a number of the same purposes, such as that they are allowed to spread ideas, provide people with information and to promote online businesses. Blogs originally served, however,......

One of the main problems facing corporate bloggers is that is all too easy to crash and burn. One controversial post is all that it takes to ruin your company’s image. There are many reasons that corporate blogs fail, but there are also solutions out there to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons that corporate blogs don’t make it and what can be done to make sure that your company succeeds.

1. Failure to keep a blog updated on a regular basis.

Many companies start a blog with the best of intentions but just don’t have the resources to keep it going. A failure to follow through with a blog can doom it from the beginning. You’ve got to be able to devote enough resources and time to keep your blog running and keep it updated as frequently as possible. You’ll lose readers if you don’t keep giving them something new to read.

2. Picking the wrong person for the job.

Picking a blogger is not an easy task. Executives rarely have time to blog and if they outsource the job to the wrong person in the company it can be disastrous. It is vital to pick someone that is well spoken, cool under pressure and very responsible. Otherwise, the result can be a nightmare, especially if the blog has a comments section that gets out of control.

3. Projecting the wrong image.

One of the most notorious corporate blogging failures was Walmart’s attempt to produce a blog that seemed to be non commercial on the surface, but was really a thinly veiled attempt to promote their store. The result was scorn in the blogging community and the blog quickly died. You want to make sure that your blog walks that fine line between commercialization and content readers can use. With the wrong approach, you can harm your company’s image.

Another aspect of this issue is that when you have an open forum, you need to know what to do with it. Blog posts that are unprofessional give reader’s the impression that your company is not professional either. On the other hand, stiff posts fail to produce the human touch.

Each one of these issues can be easily solved by hiring a company to manage your blog for you. This is very important for companies that do not have a lot of resources to devote to a regular blog, but they want to reap the benefits that a blog can bring. By hiring a professional, you can ensure that your posts will be well thought out and properly managed. In addition, you won’t have to worry about taking your employees off of their other projects to manage the blog.

Blog management services are worth their weight in gold. You’ll not only save money over the long term since you won’t be diverting resources, but you will be able to project the right image for your company that will get results.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-04 05:49:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Quick and Dirty Tips for Effective Corporate Blogging, pt 2 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......
• Corporate Blogs as Internal Newspapers One of the best ways to raise morale is through an internal newspaper that keeps employees appraised on what is going on with the company. They foster a sense of belonging, especially if you cover employee birthdays, events and special happenings within the office. However, if your resources are a......
• Professional Blogging Roundup: The Early Veteran's Day Edition We hope you enjoy this latest edition of the Professional Corporate Blogging Roundup. We endeavor to bring new and helpful links to your attention by highlighting them. Here are some links we thought were worthwhile from the past week: Corporate Affiliate Product Reviews presents Blogging for Internet Marketers: How to......
• Quick and Dirty Tips for Effective Corporate Blogging, pt 1 Depending on what type of content you are writing, and who you intend to reach out to with said content, there are different rules and tips that will apply to how you construct your content. Most of the rules that apply to writing a newsletter or an eZine are going......
• Developing Your Blog’s Style 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,......

• Brief History of Dobros The name "Dobro" refers to a specific style of resonator guitar, but is now a trade name that is owned by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. The "Dobros" name has a very long and very involved history that is closely interwoven with the resonator guitar's history as a musical instrument. The......
• Phone Management Processes For Small Businesses A company's professional image can be enhanced by an efficient phone handling protocol. The effectiveness of a company can be greatly increased by managing telephone calls effectively. Using small business PBX systems for all phone calls needs a successful procedure in place to avoid issues such as lost calls......
• Why Learning Organisations Make Horse Sense Flogging a dead horse is a commonly used idiom here in the UK. If someone is trying to convince someone else to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, we say they're flogging a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in......
• 8 Strategies For Improving Corporate Cell Phone Security Today's corporate cell phone users are accustomed to an enormous amount of functionality from their hand held wireless devices. A wide variety of features, coupled with broadband connectivity, allows for quick and easy access to email, file transfers, internet browsing, etc. - from almost any location.As the functionality of......
• Factors contributing to blog success As promised from last week's blog failure article, here is the second part of the series, factors contributing to blog success. These factors for success are just the opposite of factors that guarantee failure: 1. People want to read what you write 2. People can find you 3. Your passion......

One of the best ways for a company to reach out to their customers and build a strong brand is corporate blogging. However, there are a lot of misconceptions out there and a lot of room for error. Let’s take a look at some techniques that you can use to make sure that your corporate blogging experience goes smoothly.

1. Hire the right person for the job.

Unless you have someone on your team that is familiar with how blogging works and how to handle themselves under pressure, you may want to consider hiring a professional to manage your blog for you. This is the best solution for most companies, especially since they may not have enough resources to devote to running a blog. The person that you select to run your blog should be professional but personable and they should always display grace under fire. If you don’t have anyone that fits that description, you will definitely need to get some help with blog management.

2. Use the right tools.

There are numerous blogging platforms out there that make it so much easier to run a corporate blog. However, they are not all created equal. While many companies resort to using free blog management tools, this can give the wrong impression. It is best to host your blog on your own site for several reasons. First, you’re going to want to get as much traffic to your site as possible. Using a third part blogging application does not accomplish this. Next, you don’t want to give your readers the impression that you’re too cheap to run your own blog.

There are several blogging applications that can be installed on your own server. Most are free and can be easily customized to fit your specifications. This is a much better choice and you’ll have more control over the environment.

3. Make sure you have an RSS feed ready to go.

If you are trying to run a blog without the benefit of a blogging application, you’re going to need to make sure that you have a way of syndicating your posts. Today’s blog readers rely heavily on newsreaders and RSS feeds to let them know when their favorite blogs have added new posts. If you are not using an RSS feed, you’re missing out on this enormous market.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and it works by sending out a snippet of your posts to those that have subscribed to your feed. Most blogging applications contain an automatic RSS feed, but you will need to make sure that it works. We also recommend using an RSS feed manager such as Feedburner to see how many people are reading your posts. This can really help you gauge your success.

These are just three techniques that make blogging much easier. Remember, it is better to err on the side of caution and get help in managing your blog than it is to try it on your own.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-07-30 05:28:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Professional Blogging Roundup: On RSS Feeds, PR, Writing Tips, and More Happy belated Thanksgiving. Did everyone enjoy their four day weekend? I know I did. The turkey was great. Here we are again with another edition of the roundup; lots of interesting things to read and think about! Corporate For some thoughts On Blogging, College Mogul, Drupal, and Acquia check out......
• 8 Key Ways to Advance your Corporate Blogging Effort Blogs are mushrooming at the speed of light in this day and age. For this reason, creating a blogging effort for your company can be extremely profitable and rewarding for your company. There is no real start up fees or set up fees that are needed, and starting a blog......
• 5 Musts You Should Be Doing When You're Not Blogging Unless you are writing hundreds of posts a day, the amount of time you spend posting on your corporate blog should be minimal. In fact, that is why so many decide to start their own blogs, since everything can be automated and you can sit back and relax. However, there......
• Professional Blogging Roundup - Twitter Tools and More Welcome, welcome. Here's another roundup of what's going on around the blogosphere on blogging. Lots of Twitter tools and tips in this edition, be sure to check them out. Corporate Here are some Blogging Tips For Business Owners over at Best News Small Business Today. CIO Insight presents Robert Scoble......
• 5 Tips on Corporate Blogging for Companies Right now, one of the best ways to reach out to your customer base and increase brand recognition is through the use of a corporate blog. However, many companies aren't sure where they should start and how they can take advantage of this trend. Here are some tips that make......

• Part 7 -- Internet Marketing With, SEO, youtube, Myspace, Facebook, RSS Feeds and More. www.undergroundtraininglab.com In early 2008 I spoke at the Secret Society of Traffic and Conversion Seminar for my friends Buck Rizvi and Brock Felt. The attendees paid thousands to be there but I'm sharing my 3 hour presentation from the seminar with you for free. I outlined the social networking......
• What is an RSS Feed and Why Syndicate Your Blog? Blog feeds or RSS feeds allow for feed readers to access a site that automatically looks for new content from all of their favorite blogs. By syndicating your blog through an RSS feed you can allow your readership to access all of your new blog posts without requiring them to......
• Blog Plug-Ins to Get More Readers Wordpress specifically has a number of plug-ins for blogging that will allow you to attract more readers to your blog. Some of the best blog plug-ins for increasing traffic to come in three main categories: Social networking and bookmarking Posting across many different platforms RSS feed helpers BTE Related Websites:......
• Ways to Improve Blog Traffic There are actually an endless number of different ways that you can improve blog traffic if you know what to do and how to do it. Here are some tips to improve blog traffic by making improvements to your blog. Improve Blog Tip #1 – Improve your content quality and......
• How to Get Blog Traffic in Five Steps Every blogger is looking to achieve the exact same thing: They are hoping to be read. There are millions of bloggers that give the idea a shot but then eventually give up because they feel like nobody is reading them. They feel like if they are unable to get blog......

One of the most important keys to success as a corporate blogger is having the right mindset and the right expectations for your blog. If you go in thinking that it is going to change your entire company and you’ll be at the top of the list of the Fortune 500 within the next year, you’re most likely going to be disappointed. That’s why this week we decided to review a very important book titled: The E-Myth Revisited, Why Most Small Businesses Still Don’t Work And What You Can Do About Yours.

The author starts out discussing why businesses and their efforts fail. From those who can’t properly manage their time and resources, to business owners with skewed perceptions, everything is laid out in a very logical fashion. Even the best of us may be able to spot some trouble areas by reading this book. Even if you are already moderately successful, this book should help you take it to the next level.

The main focus of this book is finding the solution that will work for you. He relies heavily on the turn-key philosophy, and while that may not work for everyone, there is a lot of merit in his advice. By far the best section in this book is the one that deals with Finding a Small Business That Works. The author takes you through each step of building your objectives and implementing a strategy that will work. While it’s not specifically geared towards corporate bloggers, the advice contained herein is incredibly valuable and completely transferable to the blogging world.

While many have asserted that the American Dream is dead and gone, this book shows that it is still there, but we may need to rethink our perceptions of it. By focusing on ways to succeed logically, it is much easier to attain your goals. When you’re working for your company instead of against it, you can be assured of success. The author does a great job of inspiring the reader and relaying tips in such a way that you feel as though you can really put them to use right away. For those looking for a no-nonsense guide to succeeding at corporate blogging or improving their business, this is an incredibly valuable resource that should not be overlooked.

Overall, we highly recommend this book to anyone starting their own corporate blog, or struggling with their own home business. The tips and advice contained here in will make a difference in how you run your blog and how successful you can be. Everyone has the ability to run a successful business, but not everyone is able to achieve the success they dream about. This book does a great job in helping with perception as well as implementation of techniques that will work. If you are looking for the reasons why you may not be succeeding, and you want to change that, this book is well worth the time and money.

Originally posted 2008-09-12 05:34:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Blog Wild By Andy Wibbels If you are completely new to blogging for small businesses, this is the book to read. While there are quite a few books dedicated to this subject, few are this easy to read, or this informative. We weren’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but we ended up......
• The Business of Blogging One of the main problems facing corporate bloggers is that they do not treat their blogs like a business, and they may not take them seriously enough. There are fortunes to be made in the blogosphere, but many companies will fail to stake their claim, simply because they don't spend......
• Make Blogging Work for Your Business pt 1 Are you ready to make blogging work for your business? If you already know the benefits associated with corporate blogging, then the next step is to put these concepts to work by creating your own corporate blog and sharing your company with the world. This is part 1 in a......
• The Secret Power of Blogging By Bruce Brown 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......
• Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk With Customers By Robert Scoble and Shel Israel 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......

• Oblivious Investing – Building Wealth by Ignoring the Noise Book Review I had the opportunity to review Mike Piper’s newest book, “Oblivious Investing: Building Wealth by Ignoring the Noise.*”  Mike is the author of a great blog of the same name, Oblivious Investing. The book follows conversations between Shannon, the investing newbie and her wise Uncle Toby.  Every conversation they have......
• America, Welcome to the Poorhouse! Book Review I'm reviewing Jane White's new book, America, Welcome to the Poorhouse. Jane White is the founder of Retirement Solutions, LLC., whose goal is to push for 401(k) reform and provide investment education. I should mention that as I was reading this book, the theme of having 401(k) reform is pushed heavily......
• Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek Imagine working only one day each week.  Further imagine that during that one week of work, you aren't putting in a full eight hour (or more) day, but instead, you're only working four hours, max.  To top off, rather than going into the office, dealing with a horrible commute, gossipy......
• 4 Reasons to Never Skip to the End of a Book by First Mate Keira, guest blogger Are you the sort of person who must absolutely be spoiled before you start a book? I know it's tempting but going to the end of a book to discover how things turn out is a terrible idea. Skipping to the end of......
• Book Review: The Solar House. Book review courtesy of Joan Forkner at EcoBrain.com, who makes it possible for publishers to get the green word out in a cost effective and environmentally friendly manner. This was a well written and comprehensive review of passive solar building techniques. It will be of interest to both an individual......