Business 2.0 recently asked 50 of the brightest business minds how they do what they do offered advice for the year ahead. ContentRobot offers some ideas that we especially liked and show how they nicely apply to business blogging.
Sergey Brin | Co-founder, Google | Succeed With Simplicity
One of the beautiful things about blogs is that their overall looks tend to be simple, some even downright sparse. While some web designers might miss all the flash and blinking, we find that the ability to focus on content makes a great design work even better.
Rachael Ray | Chef, Author, and Entrepreneur | Turn Your Passion Into an Empire
We can’t think of a better way to shout out your passion, expertise, and joy by sharing it on a blog. Get personal, use real life examples, give a bit of yourself and your blog comes to life.
Kevin Rose | Founder, Digg | Let the Users Run the Show
If you haven’t opened up your blog to comments, now is the time to do it. Brace for and be ready to respond to criticism, revel in someone’s success, and get everyone talking. When you realize you don’t have all the answers and can actually get help from your user community, you never know what can develop.
Craig Newmark | Founder and Chairman, Craigslist | Trust Your Customers and They’ll Love You in Return
By opening up and becoming transparent on your blog, you show your customers that you trust them and value their opinion and input. When that happens, loyalty emerges – and what can be better than that?
Fred Wilson | Managing Partner, Union Square Ventures | Build a Blog That Builds Your Business
Give people a reason to visit and stay. This means writing well, perhaps creating a snappy headlines, and keeping it real, informative and entertaining. As your blog’s readership grows, so will your business.
Mike Eskew | Chairman and CEO, UPS | Practice “Constructive Dissatisfaction”
Take the time to review your blog at various intervals to determine what is working and what is not working. Tweak where you can, overhaul where you must, and keep the rest.
Jeff Hicks | President and CEO, Crispin Porter & Bogusky | Make Your Brand Part of the Conversation
Start the conversation on your own blog and keep it going on other blogs. User-generated content makes it possible for consumers to own your brand. If you are lucky, your brand will get adopted, be blogged about, and even parodied online and off.