Blogging

Introduction to Blogging

Misconceptions

Blogging is horribly misunderstood – too many so-called “experts” are out there making things worse.  Most of the time I help clients “un-learn” what they’ve heard from friends or the news media about blogging.  Once the a-ha moment happens about the platform, we can push forward to revenue generating strategies.

Some Info about Blogging:

• Blogging is not a direct monetization vehicle for most people
• Blogging is not a monologue.
• Blogging must be personal, authentic and unselfish.
• Blogging cannot be outsourced easily.
• Blogging software can be used to create an entire corporate website (like the one you’re reading now!)

What’s The Point of Blogging?

Blogging enables improved reputation, communication and search rank earned from skilled public engagement with consumers.    If you don’t think that engaging your customers is important, then blogging is not for you.   Blogs are super-simple.  The platform gives non-technical folks a way to express themselves as they accumulate content for their business.  They can do this anytime they want, without help from a web developer or PR person. This content that can be referred/linked to in subsequent sales activity and can boost their website’s rank in search engines like Google, which often favors blogs in their listings.

Internal Corporate Blogs Are  a Great Starting Point

It’s best if your blogging strategy be well integrated with your marketing and customer service organizations, but sometimes I realize that a skunkworks is the only way to make some things happen.  For some larger businesses, setting up an internal corporate blog first is a good way to master the platform and the tribal nature of blog commenting.   Once proficient, taking it outside won’t be so hard or intimidating.

Getting Started

Most importantly you should first understand the purpose of blogging and the commitment it requires.  Once comfortable with that, we can set your company up on one of the powerful open-source blogging platforms and offer some basic training (blogging is almost as easy as using email.)    Design and production of the blog can be done to match your corporate brand and in some cases even replace your current website.   I can show you how to engage other influential bloggers so that opportunities for trackbacks and guest posts emerge.   This often leads to improved search rank, interviews with journalists and more.

More about company blogging