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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When it comes to corporate blogs, many people think of just the standard blogging format and they are afraid to break out of the box. However, there are quite a few options that will help bring your blog to life and may even make it easier to get your message across. If you’ve been interested in starting a blog but you’re worried that you can’t get your message across in print, these options might appeal to you.

1. Audio Blogging –

Audio blogging is very similar to podcasting, or simply recording short bits of conversations or your own thoughts an uploading them to your website. This works very well if you have trouble writing down your thoughts but you are a very gifted public speaker. You’ll be engaging your audience on a different level and it will feel even more personable than a static blog.

Audio blogging can be a lot of fun and for a busy executive, it might be easier simply to record a brief snippet on the way to work, instead of having to sit down and type something in. The main downside with audio blogging is that it can be a bit expensive at times, especially if your blog becomes popular. You’ll need to pay for bandwidth as well as more storage space since audio files are quite a bit bigger than text files.

2. Video Blogging –

This is an area that has not been explored enough when it comes to corporate blogging. This is a very great way to get the point across that your company has a human face since that is what your viewers will be seeing. It’s a lot easier to build a relationship with your viewers since they will be able to see as well as hear you.

Video blogging will cost a little more than audio blogging in terms of storage and bandwidth, but for many companies, it is well worth the extra expense. You can look at your video blog as a mini television show that is designed to showcase your company. This is a very effective means of communication with your audience.

Keep in mind that no matter what format you pick, your audio or video files should be about 5 to 10 minutes in length. Special occasions may call for longer files, but this is a good guideline to follow.

If you aren’t sure which format will work for your company, you may want to try a mix to see which one gets the best response from your audience. This is a great way to see what is really on their minds and what they truly like. Hiring a blog management company is also recommended since it can take a lot more resources to produce a video or audio blog than it does to produce a simple text blog. These professionals can make it easier to get your point across quickly and effectively. Give audio or video blogging a try and see what it can do for your company today.

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Originally posted 2008-07-17 05:32:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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