A Blog Is a Two-Way Street: Benefits of Business Blogs

Benefits

Choosing a Consultant

Best Practices Direct

Articles

October 2005

Business Blogging Tips
By Mary Sullivan, KickStart Alliance

Before You Start

Define the purpose for your blog. Is it for commentary? Will it be an information resource? Do you intend to publish news? Whatever you choose, stick with it. If you decide to blog for another purpose, start another blog.
Decide where your blog will be hosted. Some blogging software includes hosting, but you could also incorporate the blog into your company website. You can still publish instantly, and it will dramatically improve the site's search rankings.
Select a blogging tool. Choices range from free-and-easy to pricey-and-professional. Most include an RSS feed option. Some popular blogging software is:

Blogger—free and Pro versions; can be hosted; owned by Google and allows Google AdWords
LiveJournal—free basic service or upgrade for more features (no advertisements allowed)
Movable Type—requires a professional with knowledge of HTML to set up; you'll need to host the blog on your own server
Typepad—easy-to-use and inexpensive; hosted; several service levels

Content

Establish a corporate blog policy—who may blog and what they may cover. Designate someone to vet the content (usually the legal or PR department) and get signoff before publishing.
Keep postings brief. If you have multiple topics, make each a separate posting.
Publish regularly or your readership will drop off.
If appropriate, include images, even video.
Include links. Point to other relevant sites. Your blog will be boring if it is nothing but links, but you'll do your readers a service if you link to blogs and sites that discuss related topics.
To avoid burnout, follow subject matter experts and industry trends so you always have a current topic that will interest readers. Blog search engines that can help you find other blogs include Technorati and Pub Sub.
Carefully proofread your content and check all links before publishing.

Finally

Track traffic on your blog. Blogging software usually has built-in tracking, or you can buy separate tracking tools from Site Meter or CQ Counter.
Keep in mind that your blog is personal publishing. It carries your name and needs to reflect your temperament, so the style should be conversational.

And since your blog is a conversation, read and heed your audience's comments. It is an invaluable way to connect with your customers.

Read Mary's companion article, A Blog is a Two-Way Street: Benefits of Business Blogs

Mary Sullivan is a fledgling blogger and co-founder of KickStart Alliance (www.kickstartall.com), a sales and marketing consulting group serving businesses that are entering new markets. You can visit her blog for new entrepreneurs at www.waytogrow.typepad.com.