Want to start that external corporate blog but don’t know where to start? Try these 10 starting tips:
1. Read your news via RSS feeds
Learn how feeds can affect how and what you blog about. By establishing a blog, a lot of your readers will never actually visit your site and read about you within their feeds.
2. Learn about what a blog is
Start by becoming a reader of 5 or 10 different blogs, then do some extensive research. What are the distinctive features of blogs? What blogs are there in your business? What do you think the audience likes or dislikes about them? This way you find your own tone and niche.
3. Have a specific purpose
Don’t start a blog because you can, because you must for a reason that you decide. Say: We will start a blog because… A good starting point would be to think about how to best share your expertise and knowledge and go from there.
4. Ask: do I really need a blog?
You’ve done your research and know your goal, but it is it worth it? Can you really say you have “open” and honest communications? Are you prepared to take some business risks? If you can say “yes,” go blog!
5. Ask: do I have the resources?
Blogging takes both time and commitment on the parts of both the bloggers and management teams. Can they nurture it? Do you need outside help?
6. Is your blog a part of your communication plan?
Discuss and outline the relationships between blogging, the web site, and other PR efforts. And don’t forget to create a blogging policy!
7. Who are your bloggers?
People blog, not departments. Do they want to? Should they? Determine who your best bloggers could be. They should, at the very least, understand blogging and what’s out there in the blogosphere along with your brand’s particular uniqueness and strengths.
8. Determine your technology requirements
Among the decisions you’ll need to make include commenting, trackbacks, categories, blogrolls, and what tools will you use? By establishing these up front, you’ll have a better chance for success.
9. Launch quietly
Make sure that you can implement all your great ideas and plans. Be sure your enthusiastic bloggers are good enough to be very visible representatives of your brand. Skip issuing a press release to say you have a blog.
10. How do you know if you are successful?
You should know in about 2-3 months if a blog is good enough to deliver results. Have you been linked to by other blogs? Is anyone commenting? Do you get feedback from your target group? At this point, you also know how much resources the blog really demands by now, and you have all the information you need to make a long term commitment.
Are you ready to take the plunge, contact us today.