Let’s say you’re a relatively small business and you want to establish a blog. Perhaps this is going to be the official blog for your company, or maybe you want to start a blog under your own name, to help establish you as an authority figure in your industry. It may even be a mix of both. The entire concept of business blogging can be confusing, but if you are able to give your readers a little insight into your company and your industry, you can use that blog to build reputation for your small business.
Goals of a Business Blog
Blogs have the reputation of being a little less formal than your typical business press release or website, and therefore this is an opportunity to add a little human element to your website. Don’t try to write an anonymous blog; instead, allow this to be the place where you can introduce members of your company as human being, and let them write in a more relaxed style. They should still be professionals that clearly know what they are talking about, but throwing in references to their own hobbies or why they got into this industry are greatly appreciated by the readers.
Think About the Industry As a Whole
A common trap that business blogs fall into is that they only write about things happening in their own business. As a result, after a year or so they find that the other things they publish on a regular basis are rehashes of press releases they already sent out. There’s little to nothing new on the blogs, the writing is stiff, and soon no one cares.
To prevent this, allow your head blog writer to talk more broadly about the industry as a whole. Talk about the gaps you saw in the industry, and how this led to the creation of the company. Discuss your love of the industry, and the little pet peeves that are so common in it that drive you nuts (the readers will know what you are talking about and agree, guaranteed).
Don’t talk badly about other companies, but instead try to explain your own point of view for entering the industry when you did. Discuss the problems you are facing, and how you are thinking about solving them. Doing this will make your company more social, and will not only increase how you look to other people, but may even provide you with the opportunity to meet other people in the industry and connect with them as well.
Don’t just throw away the idea of a blog and put together a list of your company press releases. Use it as a chance to really socialize and connect with the community as a whole. It may not seem like it at first, but customers will ultimately arise from what you do. For more information and advice on the business of blogging, visit Website Obsession.
