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

1. Allow comments.

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

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

2. Ask the reader questions.

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

3. Include polls.

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

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

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

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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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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 things.

1. Pick a design that is professional and integrated to your overall site design.

You don’t want rainbows and lollipops for your theme if you are in a serious business. Likewise, if your business is rather whimsical in nature, a drab theme is a bad idea. Your graphics will speak louder than words, so make sure that your blog’s theme and design match your corporate image as closely as possible.

2. Avoid stiff and unfriendly prose.

One of the main reasons that companies start up a corporate blog is to initiate better discourse with the public and cast an image as being a consumer friendly company. If your blog’s posts are dry and stiff, you won’t be doing that, in fact, you’ll be doing the opposite. Make sure that the blogger you pick has the ability to write with engaging prose that is still professional. This can be tough, but picking the right blogger with the right voice means everything in this business.

3. Allow your readers to comment on your posts.

Having a one sided blog that does not allow reader interaction gives a very bad impression of your company. You’ll want to take that chance and allow your readers to take part in the discussion. If you don’t, you may be seen as unfriendly and too “corporate.” It is better to err on the side of being open to discourse than it is to try to squash it out. Use moderated comments if you are not comfortable with having comments go live as soon as they are written.

4. Have a little fun with your posts.

If your blog is all about your company and your products, it can start to feel like a very long and drawn out sales pitch. To break up this problem, have a few fun posts every week that really engage the reader. Use polls to make it more fun and to get your reader’s feedback. Don’t be afraid to let your hair down a little bit, but always try to stay professional.

5. Don’t turn your blog into a diary of a trainwreck.

If your company is going through a rough patch it can be tempting to turn your blog into a diary and defensive tool. This is not a good idea and will give the impression that you are about to crash and burn. Always keep the tone lively, and talk about your internal matters, but never drag company dirty laundry into the public eye. This simply cannot end well.

A blog management company can help you navigate these waters and create a blog that is engaging, professional and able to meet your goals.

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Originally posted 2008-07-11 05:12:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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When you first start your corporate blog, it can be pretty exciting. You’re all charged up about the benefits you’re going to be reaping and the sales you’ll be making. After a few weeks of this however, this newness tends to wear off. If you didn’t luck out and gain instant success with your blog, it can feel like it’s just you and the crickets. While no one wants to waste time and resources, it is important to give your corporate blog enough of a chance to make it, and that means sticking with it, even though you may be completely fed up. Here are some tips to keep you going.

1. Set up a posting schedule and stick to it every day.

Once it becomes routine, and you realize that posting really only takes a few minutes, it is easier to keep the habit. Try making your morning coffee time your corporate blog time too, or find ways to combine your posting time with something that you enjoy. If necessary, set up a reward system so that you treat yourself for every post you make. Your blog won’t stand a chance if you abandon it, so you’ve got to keep at it until something happens.

2. Set realistic expectations.

Very few blogs make it overnight, and less than 2% of all blogs are actually runaway hits. It is vital to go into this project knowing that the returns may be smaller than you expect. You will need to give your blog at least six months to develop a steady audience. If after that time you have not seen any measurable results, it will be time to reevaluate your options. Until then however, stick with it.

3. Find new ways to get excited about posting.

Every single post you make on your corporate blog does not need to be a well thought out missive. Try putting up polls instead, or reference an interesting article that you saw. By finding new things to talk about that are related to your industry, you can keep that forward momentum going.

4. Put a face on your audience.

Corporate blogging is all about putting a personal face on your business, but this works both ways. It can be pretty difficult to get excited about posting when you feel like you are talking to a brick wall. To keep your energy up, imagine that you are writing to a friend. Envision this person and write your posts as though you were having a conversation with them.

This has the added benefit of making your posts more reader-friendly and more engaging. Try it and see if you don’t notice a difference in your attitude.

5. Don’t set yourself up to fail.

If you find yourself grumbling about “no one is going to read it anyway,” stop right there. Defeatist talk will only get you defeat. You’ll need to keep a positive approach going and give yourself time to succeed. It will happen, if you apply yourself.

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Originally posted 2008-09-29 05:37:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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You want your blog to be engaging, but that may not always be easy. Here are some great tips on how to keep your corporate blog reader friendly.

1. Pick your design well.

One of the biggest problems for corporate blogs is design. You can need to make sure that your blog is easy to read. This means sticking with simple backgrounds, regular text and a dark font. While black backgrounds may look nice for a blog, they are hard to read off of and your customers won’t appreciate having to strain their eyes. Shoot for a very neutral palette that is very easy to read on.

2. Don’t bore them to tears.

Sometimes, corporate news can be a bit boring to the average consumer. Try to change up your posts so that they are not continuous dronings that would put even the most die hard fan to sleep. Add fun elements such as polls to keep your readers engaged and willing to come back each day for more.

3. Talk to your readers, not at them.

One of the worst mistakes you can make is sounding like you are pontificating. Try to develop a writing style that is engaging so that you are talking to your readers not at them. This may take a little practice but in time you’ll be able to develop the right kind of writing style for your audience.

4. Always publish regularly.

Once you have a posting schedule stick to it as closely as possible. This may not always happen, but really make an effort to be a dependable blogger. You won’t have to worry about your readers losing interest and failing to come back since they never see anything new.

5. Try to run a few fun contests.

One of the best ways to make sure that your readers are engaged is to run a contest. Offer a free giveaway or something similar to all of your readers. You can have them place their entries in the comments section of your blog.

6. Allow comments.

Today’s blog readers want to be able to interact with you and this means allowing comments. If you are worried that things may get out of hand, use a moderation feature which will allow you to preview all the comments before they go live on your site. This gives you the best of both worlds and will make your blog much more fun to read.

7. Have a little fun.

While it is important to be professional, you don’t need to be dreary. Don’t be afraid to change things up every now and again to keep your readers guessing. This will help increase your daily visits and your readers will want to check back more often.

These are just a few tips that can help you create a very reader friendly blog. You may also need to work with a blog management company to increase your readers and to stay on target with your goals.

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Originally posted 2008-07-02 05:41:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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