September 29th, 2009 | No Comments
This is part three of a three part posting on Corporate Blogging. It is based on a document that we give to our clients that we help with blogging. It is a compilation of ideas and thoughts collected on the internet on how to be successful with a blog.
Ancillary Benefits of Blogging
- Blogging makes you a better thinker
- Blogging makes you a better listener
- Blogging makes you a better writer
- Blogging makes you a better salesperson
- Blogging keeps you focused on learning
- Blogging makes you a better networker
Blogging makes you a better thinker
In an effort to create content for a blog that is succinct, it can reveal new ways to look at common things, or apply simple solutions to seemingly complex problems.
Blogging makes you a better listener
By listening with a writer’s ear, you will find yourself coming up with blog ideas simply by listening to others discuss unrelated subjects.
Blogging makes you a better writer
By writing every day, you will naturally become a better writer. In addition to practice, writing publicly also allows for community reaction to help you get better faster.
Blogging makes you a better salesperson
By clearly stating idea pitches in writing, you will find that it has improved your ability to quickly articulate them in selling. It’s like you build up this reserve bank of preprogrammed discussion points.
Blogging keeps you focused on learning
The discipline required to create even somewhat interesting content, requires that you stay on top of current trends, what’s being said and what’s not being said in order to find ways to apply it to the world of small business.
Blogging makes you a better networker
By blogging on a regular basis, your regular readership will grow over time, growing your network beyond where it currently is.
Final Thoughts
It takes time.
You will not see immediate gains from your blog. Blogs are not a magic bullet to the top of the engines. They require working hard and smart – especially smart. However the payoff can be significant.
Be responsive.
The blogosphere is all about two-way communication — a blog is not simply an outlet for your message, but a tool for engaging in a conversation. Readers want to see that the person or people who are writing the blog are actually invested in its content and willing to read and respond to comments. The goal is to make your organization’s or corporation’s voice heard as part of ongoing conversation about policy issues.
Have a well-thought-through plan.
Too often a blog gets started amid a great deal of hype and publicity, but then quickly loses wind as posts become more and more sporadic. A lack of fresh content and infrequent updates will make it clear to readers that the company isn’t really taking its blog seriously. It is better not to create a blog at all than to launch one with only a halfhearted effort.
