Seven Best Practices for Business Blogging

This article points out what may seem like some very basic best practices for those who are familiar with both the current online environment and the realm of corporate communications. However, when it comes to communicating as a business, you can never put too much attention into the details. There is a right way to blog as a business and a wrong way. The right way is to provide useful, interesting and fun information to your clients that, allow it subtly supports your overall business goals, also gives your clients a perceived "inside view" into your company. The wrong way is to post a bunch of corporate mumbo jumbo in a way that sounds like little more than corporate grandstanding or sales pitching.

by: Karoline White

Blogs have become one of the hottest communication tools on the Web. Offering the opportunity for anyone to create their own free Web site, encouraging opinions and interaction, blogs provide forums for individuals to create their own highly personal presentations to the Web audience. They also provide for consortia of all types to experience the sort of online community feeling that was pioneered by early newsgroups and by the phenomenal success of AOL in the 1990s.

Blogs have reached into the corporate and government sectors as well. What started out as an outlet for teenage expression and grassroots journalism has turned into a lucrative communications tool for small and large businesses alike.

Corporate Blogging refers to a company producing or supporting a blog that it uses to accomplish business objectives. As with anything, there are certain “best practices” to be followed to ensure your company reaps the maximum benefits. These seven tips guidelines will help make your blog a success.

1. Fine Print. Blogging can lead to legal issues. Companies should have real concerns about liability, exclusions and limitations, and indemnity. Although there are laws that protect against libel, misappropriations and other injuries suffered as a result of posts on the Web, companies can still be held “vicariously” responsible for statements made by employees that are harmful to others. Since there are so many legal issues surrounding blogs, it is imperative that the site has some sort of disclaimer and limitation of liability.

2. Know What You’re Doing. Senior management should be educated by the corporate communications and legal department about what blogs are and how they might affect business. That way, they can be contributing members of the blog, further improving employee relations. Their support and participation is often what makes a blog more effective.

3. Create blogging policies. In any medium where an employee is sharing information, there is the possibility of leaking trade secrets or financial information. Blogging also has a tendency to become personal. A company should have a list of policies regarding blogging to ensure that trade secrets are kept secret and personal lives do not become public. Policies may include keeping financial information from being posted, as well as severe consequences for anyone using the blog for negative publicity.

4. Avoid the Marketing Blog. Making your blog into a blatant marketing campaign is a bad idea. Customers are looking for real answers and honest opinions. They will pick up on insincerity instantly. Use the blog for what it's for, transparency. This is an opportunity to make a real connection with your customers. Don't ruin it by filling it with empty advertising.

This is really important. Blogs are not about increasing sales, establishing a brand and growing market presence - atleast not directly. They are about strengthening your relationship with your existing customers and developing relationships with potential customers to increase brand loyalty. As such, your messaging shouldn't be blatantly self serving. For instance, if you have a business that provides consulting services, you may want to comment about issues that, while not directly tying back to the services you currently or could potentially provide, but that make your clients aware of situations - whether social, economic or political - that could potentially effect their business growth, future development, etc. You want to establish a trust, not pester them to keep purchasing.

5. Keep It Fresh. Blogs are usually judged by their amount of new content. Easy to add on to, they are designed to be updated constantly. To keep your readers coming back, make your content relevant and timely. Don't forget, content can include anything from product releases to job openings, recent news to thoughts from the CEO. It's practically impossible to run out of material.

6. Reinforce the company’s core values. Use your blog to reflect your company's inner soul: its mission, goals and direction. A blog is just another medium by which you interact with your customers and employees. It's another part of the brand experience. It should be consistent with the impression the company wants to make.

7. Encourage employees to use it. Create an atmosphere where they are comfortable asserting their opinions and concerns. You’ll be surprised how the quietest employees will speak up when given such an opportunity. With all communication, blogging can become negative, so remind employees of the public nature of the blogs and the ramifications for their actions.

As always, one of the best examples for how to do this right is from Google. Google has several blogs continuously updated by Google employees that, for those that take the time to find and read them, provide INVALUABLE insight into what Google is doing, what trends they are watching, what things they are testing and why. In these posts they link readers back to other valuable services, such as Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics, that savvy web developers can use to stay ahead of the game and continue to be one of Google's big happy family. They aren't selling per say, but they are creating loyalty by helping those who are looking. As with most of their other products, Google is a great model to follow with business blogging too.

 

About The Author

Karoline White is a Content Developer for Brook Group, a full-service Web development firm near Washington, DC. More articles by this author can be found at http://www.broogkroup.com/resources and http://www.usabilityandbranding.com.

kari@brookgroup.com

 

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