Business Blogging Basics Podcast – Part 2

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Why a business blog?

• Blogs have marketing value to a business through:
• Credibility
• Exposure
• Feedback
• Learn what other people are saying
• People can interact with your business
• Search engine optimization value

Start with a strategy!

Each blog should have a purpose.  Define your objective, your target audience.

• Define your blog content strategy.
• Identify who is qualified to write on selected content in your company.
• It may be one or many people in your company.
• Plan out a content strategy when your blog is new.
• Eventually let the conversations flow.
• Study other blogs that are competitive or similar.
• Select a strategy with a different voice in your industry.
• Be conversational.  Don’t write like a press release.
• Let conversations happen.  Sometimes you need to NOT comment.  Let others comment.
• Allow the community to interact with each other.
• Don’t rule over your community in your blog.

Should you moderate your blog?

Start out moderating it then if edits are not needed let it flow unmoderated.
Have someone review the blog at least once per day.
Time and resources are needed for a business blog strategy.  That’s reality.  Get over it!

Promote your blog.

Start with customers, suppliers, employees, partners.
Announce your blog.  Email a link to it.  Put it on your business card, in your auto signature, newsletter, etc.

Search engines and blogs.

Technorati is the Google of search engines for blogs.
Submit your blog to Technorati.  You can have Technorati “ping” your blog for updates.
Use Tags in your blog posts which will tell the search engines about the content in your blog.
Search engines like blog content because blog content gets indexed updated frequently.
Blogs are very search engine friendly.

Blog marketing

Some marketers effectively blog on topics that they do not rank well for.  Blog content can get ranked quickly.  So, it’s an effective way to improve your search engine optimization rankings on desired topics.

Avoid blog fade.  Do not start a blog that you can’t commit to.  Plan the work, then work the blog plan.

Blog statistics

Track blog stats using your blog tool, e.g., WordPress, TypePad.  You can also use Feedburner.  Watch how many subscribers you have, how active it is, etc.

Blog links

Blogs produce links which are very helpful for SEO.  You should link to other blogs from your blog as a service to your reader.
Use a blogroll as a list of other blogs that are meaningful to your blog readers.  When you link to other blogs you pay them a compliment.
Often others will find your blog from your links and therefore the viral exposure is a huge benefit and others may link to your blog.
Ultimately, the link centric nature of blogs is very powerful for exposure.

Success stories

Large company: IBM has over 10,000 internal blogs.  They form communities of people who work together.  Blogs are used productively to communicate and collaborate.  Employees even cut down on email by using blogs.

Small company: We’re currently working with a client.  We’ve identified the target market, topics, useful tips, information, how to’s, things to avoid.  Initial focus is building a Web 2.0 blog strategy.  We’ve identified about 5 people inside the company who will be blogging on these topics.  Then, the blog will be developed and launched and marketed.

Blogging for business can be very productive.  Plan the work and work the plan.