So you want a corporate blog….

Questions to ask before starting.

1. Do you need a blog? Check demographics. Find out if they blog or follow blogs. Check out your competitors – or better yet, your aspiring companies – and see how they are using engaging content and think about how you could piggyback or improve what is already out there.

2. Can you invest in a blog? Sure, the platform is free, but writers and graphic artists are not. Would having a blog mean hiring more people? Training the ones you have? Plus, there’s time. Can you afford the time spent maintaining a blog?

3. What’s the point of your blog? With a blog, you can introduce readers to your company: its culture, goals and quirks. For many companies, a blog gives a human face to an alien corporate culture. But the blog also serves to provide advice, direction, and information to your readers, setting you apart as the thought-leader in your industry, not just a company providing a product and/or a service.

4. What will PR do? Your blog should never be pure PR, but they do have a part. Experts suggest using PR as a legal consultant is case something goes awry. The last thing you want is propaganda.

5. Who will write? Consider the success of Dell. When they started blogging, 80 percent of comments were negative. Now, that number is 50. Why? Because Dell allowed all employees – let that word “all” sink in – to apologize to consumers on the blog, without the usual customer disservice. On the other hand, you do want quality control. Finding that balance may take time.

6. Can your writers blog? Anyone can blog – and we see the results. Even professional writers need a transition. Make sure your writers can keep it short and sweet, casual but professional.

7. What comments will you allow? Sure, you want a conversation, but foul language and spam can drive away readers. This rule doesn’t include all negative comments, however. Most conversations have disagreements.

8. Where can you promote the blog? Find out where your audience goes online, and follow. Facebook and Twitter are a safe bet, but explore other options as well. Use those spaces to talk up the blog – and link it. Or if you are making the leap from in-store, paper-based communication to more web-based strategies, find ways to link your “brick and morter” with your blossoming blog. Offer incentives for customers who reply or ask questions. Showcase your best blogs in the office or in the store so your employees and customers know what they are missing.

…And of course, give us a ring if you’d like a partner in addressing these questions and setting up a game plan that will suit your needs!

Tags: corporate blog, SEO

Categories : Web & Tech

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Caroline Herndon

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