One of the main problems facing corporate blogs is that they have a high rate of failure. This can be due to many factors, but it doesn’t mean that your blog is doomed to fail. With the right techniques and management, your blog can be incredibly successful and can serve as a powerful tool to brand your image and increase your customer base. Let’s take a look at why blogs fail and how to avoid these pitfalls.

1. Infrequent content.

When you get ready to start your corporate blog you need to make sure that you are going to have the time and resources to keep it updated on a frequent basis. Make a schedule of when you’re going to publish new content and stick to it. Many companies start out with the best intentions but they cannot keep up with the schedule they created. This leads to missed posts, and over time, their readers will simply give up. There is so much competition in the blogging world and so many different choices, that if you are not providing new content on a regular basis, your readers will have no reason to keep coming back to you.

2. Failure to use RSS feeds.

One of the best ways to let your readers know that you have new content is by utilizing RSS or Really Simply Syndication. Your blog should have an RSS feed that your readers can grab and put into their news reader. This will automatically update any time you publish new content. If you are not using an RSS feed, this means that your readers will have to take that additional step to visit your site to see if anything is new. While some users still prefer to do this, the majority of today’s blog readers rely on RSS feeds to let them know when new content is posted. By failing to use this technology, you are making it difficult for your reader’s to keep up with your blog.

3. Failure to present a personable but professional image.

Blogging is a difficult concept for many. It requires a special touch that uses enough of a personable approach to allow readers to feel a connection, but not going overboard with too much information or a bad attitude. Many blogs fail because they are too stiff, and others implode due to unprofessional posts. It is a balancing act, but it’s one that you’re going to need to master before you step into the ring.

One of the best ways to make sure that your blog doesn’t succumb to failure is to work with a blog management company. These professionals can help you navigate these treacherous waters and help you produce a blog that will get results. If you have never blogged before, don’t put your company’s image in jeopardy by jumping in. Having a pro there to help you every step of the way will make a big difference in how your blog turns out.

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Originally posted 2008-06-17 05:29:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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If you’re confounded by that little orange graphic you see on blogs, it’s time to learn all about RSS and how it can benefit your own blog. Most software packages and content management systems offer RSS capablility, but it’s up to you to implement it. When used properly, RSS feeds are an important part of corporate blog promotion. Let’s take a look first at what RSS is and what it does before we move to the next step.

First, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. This means that it collects the new content that you produce, and makes it available to readers through syndication. The old method involved emailing people to let them know when you published something new, but RSS completely automates this process.

When you have an RSS feed, this means that all of your new content will be available through it. Your readers will copy that RSS link and then put the link into their RSS software. Whenever you publish something new, they will get either the entire article, or a snippet, depending on how you have configured your feed. There’s nothing else that you have to do, since the RSS feed takes care of everything for you.

We mentioned RSS software briefly above, so let’s go a little more in depth on how this works. There are thousands of different software packages out there, and they are called RSS readers. What they do is collect the RSS feeds that a user puts in, and then post content whenever it is updated. Everything is automated and new content can be made available within seconds of publication.

But how does the software know when there is new content? Basically, it requests the feed every so often, and if something has been added since the last request, it will display. This is the manual method and it may take awhile for your content to be delivered, depending on your reader’s settings.

A way to get around this issue is by using a ping service. When you send out a ping, you are basically letting all of these RSS readers know that you have new content. Think of a ping like a doorbell. You wouldn’t stand on someone’s porch for hours hoping they would open the door. You ring that doorbell to let them know you are there. Pinging works much the same way.

While there are some technical aspects of RSS, we’ll focus on the generalities. If you’re using blogging software like Wordpress, or a CMS, you’ll never really have to worry about much. When you first install that software, you’ll be asked to apply some settings, such as whether or not you want to send out an excerpt, which is recommended, or the full article to your readers. Remember, if you only send an excerpt, they’ll have to go to your site to get the rest of the article.

Most of these blogging utilities will automatically ping for you, so all you have to do is sit back and publish your blog, letting it take care of the rest, and reap the benefits of RSS for you.

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Originally posted 2008-09-24 05:09:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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