One reason the uptake of corporate blogging among businesses is so low is that blogging feels like a jungle to newcomers, and one that grows more tangled the further it's explored.
This is the same for all bloggers, corporate or otherwise.
I'm a committed blogger (I write a client relations blog called Planet Client) and I know well the sensation of feeling overwhelmed by options.
What type of blog to write? What subject? How to source content? How often to post? What blogging platform to use, and on what hosting solution? What design to choose? How to use SEO? How to market the blog? Corporate blog fundamentals: 1.
Converse with your customers In truth, businesses need answer a single question to determine if corporate blogging is right for them: "Are we happy to enter into a conversation with our customers?" If the answer is 'Yes', then corporate blogging is made for you, and everything else will end up falling into place.
But if the reply is 'No', then forget business blogging, because a corporate blog is not a corporate blog if you give people no platform for expressing their feelings about your brand and products or services.
Bloggers and blog fans are a mutually helpful global community (the so-called 'blogosphere').
Like Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, it's all about connecting.
Without conversation, there is no connection.
Corporate blog fundamentals: 2.
Don't self promote Giving customers scope for comment is vital, but this alone isn't enough; you have to offer engaging content for them to comment upon.
Filling a blog with updates about your products or services is like going to a party and bellowing your personal accomplishments through a megaphone.
Blatant self-promoters get hounded out of the blogosphere, with howls of derision helping them on their way.
Admittedly, corporate blogs do require a dash of public relations savvy, but corporate bloggers must understand the difference between subtle promotion and crass sales pitch.
It's all about selling without selling.
An article on mastering this art will follow later.
Corporate blog fundamentals: 3.
Real world examples In later articles, we'll also be exploring examples of good and bad corporate blogs in-depth, but for the moment I leave you with two blogposts, showing the best and worst of corporate blogging.
You can draw your own conclusions about the relative merits of each.
The first corporate blogpost is from the VP of Toshiba Data Systems (twurl.
nl/gofdzf).
The second is written by General Motor's chief electric car guy (twurl.
nl/ty80n3).