by Nancy Ruspil, MGC
Now that so many of us are managing or considering a business blog, it’s prime time for helpful suggestions on doing it right. In a nutshell, here are some key points recommended by Chris Brogan, online marketing/PR expert and president of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency. For all the juicy details, check out his blog post, Basic Business Blogging Suggestions. Meanwhile, here’s the gist:
1. Above all else, be human. Write in first person – the human “I” or “We” – and write as if you’re talking to one real person, not a faceless mass.
2. Commenting is just as important. Read other related blogs and comment on posts that interest you.
3. Blogging policies. Your blogging rules should be as simple as your email policy. Too many restrictions will kill employee interest in blogging.
4. Does this tie to strategy at all? Your business blog has more requirements than a personal blog. Why did you start it? What’s the real goal? What are you hoping to do with it? What will you be measuring, and why?
5. Platforms aren’t that important. But consider whether yours is easy enough to be enjoyable. Does it have RSS capabilities? Tagging? Plug-ins and external codes?
6. Mix it up. Don’t write only about your company or product or you. Readers want your take on the industry, events, forces, etc. that might affect their relationship with you and your business. Share relevant information that reflects the world around us.
7. Don’t sell, but don’t be shy. Blogs can be suggestive, but they’re not about the hard sell. People won’t come back to your blog if it’s focused on selling. Show passion, interest and a flow of good information. Don’t pretend like you’re never selling, but keep the balance.
8. Build a workflow. Since you may not always be in the mood to blog, try keeping notes on topics/ideas that you can tap into when needed. Another good way to keep your blog flowing is to make blog reading a habit. Tools like Google Reader give you ongoing relevant sites and searches.
9. Link out. Readers pay attention to where you link. Instead of constantly linking to your own stuff, point out other great posts and give credit with the links.
10. Frequency is how often you have value to add. If your blogs are just monthly, traffic will be dismal. Try daily, or at least weekly. Don’t get frustrated if you can’t do daily blogging right away. Blogging takes practice, but it will begin to feel natural over time.
11. Pay attention to design. Have easy-to-use contact info on your blog. Put up a human “About” page. Readers know it’s about your company – they want to know about you, too. And be sure to build in all the social sharing tools, so people can bookmark sites, share with colleagues/friends, and easily offer information to others.
12. Encourage conversation. Ask questions of your readers. It’s a great way to tap into the expertise of people in your space. If there are no experts in the crowd, write your posts in a way that gives readers something to comment on. You won’t get many comments on a post that is too rock solid.
Have you started your business blog? If not, why not? If so, what have you discovered? Any tips you would add?
