When Web based logs (abbreviated as “blogs”) first started appearing, most people considered them to be quirky entities for people with exhibitionist tendencies. At first, blogs seemed to appeal to the lunatic fringe of people who wanted a personal soapbox from which they could put forward their view of the world. Then a funny thing happened. Blogs crossed over from the conspiracy theorists into the broader business community and consumers have taken to this informal channel of business communication with a passion rarely before witnessed.

It seems very likely that business blogs are here to stay, and therefore it’s a good idea to work out now how best to adapt this conversational tool to meet your needs. This will pay far better dividends than hoping blogs fade away into the night. What form business blogs will actually take ten years from now still remains to be seen but there is little doubt blogging’s conversational capabilities will never become antiquated. Blogs decentralize corporate communications and wrestle control away from those who have historically controlled it. In and of itself, that can’t be a bad thing.
 

Blogging 101 – The Basic Principles of Blogging For Businesses

In simple terms, a blog is a Web site where you can put information and the reader can post feedback for everyone else to see. It is a simplified Web site which consists of a series of entries and conversations. Blogs enable a business and its customers to engage in informal conversations about whatever topics are of interest. These conversations build trust because customers can interact with real live people rather than being fed the smooth-and-refined sound bites of the official corporate spokesperson.

How are blogs structured?

While there are no absolutes, most blogs are set up as simple Web sites where stuff can be posted on an ongoing basis. Most blogs are reverse-chronological – the most recent entries are placed at the top, which means earlier entries get progressively moved down the page and then archived when thought appropriate.

What are the key characteristics of blogs?

§        Blogs are publishable

§        Blogs are findable

§        Blogs are very sociable

§        Blogs are viral

§        Blogs can be “syndicated”

§        Blogs are easily linkable

Blogs appeal because of a number of different reasons:

People love the authenticity
This is a “warts-and-all” style conversation, with the occasional typo and politically incorrect viewpoint expressed. Instead of feeling like they are speaking with someone who is reading a script prepared and vetted by the corporate lawyers, the reader feels like they are getting genuine information from the key people involved.

This is a two-way conversation
A place where viewpoints can be expressed, even if those views are completely opposite to each other. This creates a robust and vibrant exchange of ideas with no holds barred or no taboo subjects. This creates confidence everything is being brought into the open and not just the good points the company is proud of.

Blogs give direct access to the organization’s top people
What they are thinking, where their passions are leading them and what interesting new developments are occurring. Generally speaking, these things never see the light of day, but blogs enable this information to be conveyed to customers. This can be quite alluring when customers hold the senior people in high esteem.

Blogs enable simple conversations to have a global audience
Thereby removing any geographic boundaries. Companies can engage customers from a developing nation in a conversation just as readily as someone from one of the world economy’s superpowers. Blogs allow one person to engage in conversation anyone who has a computer and Internet access regardless of where they are located.

Blogging is not just for customers
It’s also great for building the relationships a business has with its suppliers, partners, distributors, allies and associates.

Blogging decentralizes corporate communications
And frees it from those who have historically guarded it and guided it. The unpredictable nature of blogging is a large part of its appeal.

Blogging is a very low-cost form of communication
Where a company can reach thousands or even millions of people for an investment of just a few cents and a little bit of time.

Hints and Suggestions – How to Do Blogs Right and How to Avoid the Pitfalls

Like most activities on the Internet, there is no official rulebook of blogging. Nor are there any blogging police. You can do pretty much anything if you really want, but a smart approach is to take the time to find out what has and has not worked for established bloggers. At least that way, you hope you won’t have to make all the mistakes yourself. A more intelligent approach has always been to analyze what has worked for others before you plunge in yourself.

Blogging for business has a dark side and a light side – there are some things you should not do and other things you should do as a matter of course. First, the negatives:

Whatever you do, keep your conversations “naked”
Let people know who you are, where you’re coming from and why you believe the way you do. If you try and blog with a contrived personality, bloggers will sniff it out and expose you. Don’t do it. Be genuine when you blog. Write about what you feel passionate about.

Don’t plunge into blogging without first taking the time and effort to learn the de facto rules of this type of activity.
Because failing to do that can damage your credibility permanently. Don’t extend traditional marketing tactics into blogging. This will offend everyone. Instead, acknowledge this is a new channel you need to get up to speed on first.

If you make a mistake...
Apologize genuinely and ask bloggers to make suggestions about what you should do with your blog. Don’t just shut it down and fade quietly into the night if you make some early mistakes. Use that as an opportunity to show you want constructive feedback and help to develop a blog people will appreciate. Most blog readers will welcome the opportunity to help you improve.

Remember authenticity is the coin of the blogging realm.
And avoid the temptation to come up fictitious contributors. People will label your blog as “lame” if you try and be something you’re not. Remember, your blog will gain far more readers if your stated intention is to listen to customers rather than to manipulate them into buying something.

Don’t ignore the problems bloggers bring to your attention.
Or you may have a full scale public relations disaster on your hands. If someone brings up a legitimate point, acknowledge it, describe what you’re doing to address the problem and how you’ll make good to your customers. The last thing you want to do is demonstrate you have no empathy with aggrieved customers or remedy to fix the problem. People realize problems crop up from time to time, so what you do to address these problems is more important than anything else.

Don’t be so bland you avoid commenting on controversial subjects.
Because your competitors won’t hesitate to plunge in and put their perspective forward. If your company is in the middle of some dramatic upheaval, talk about it. If you fail to do that, people will view your blog as more of a corporate brochure than a genuine insider’s viewpoint. In the world of blogging, being neutral, cautious or just plain tepid doesn’t get you very far. People want to hear the real oil about what’s happening inside your organization.

Don’t make your blog entries seem rushed and joyless.
Like you’ve got a thousand other things you’d rather be doing. It’s not helpful if you compose your entries in a style that comes across as hurried and forced. People will pick up on that and dislike it. Everyone is busy. Develop a blogging style which reflects your passions and interests rather than a need to fulfill your requirements as an employee. That’s what makes blogs such compelling reading for most people.
 

Admittedly, business blogs are evolving all the time and will no doubt be adapted in many different directions in the future. While there are no absolute rules to follow, the following guidelines have proven to be useful:

Take the time to develop a blog title which is interesting and highly descriptive.
Because your blog’s name can help you define and own a market niche. People will find your blog through search engines so you want a blog title to appear which will entice people to visit. When one blog author changed the name of his blog from “The Average Joe” to “The Average Joe: A Book Publisher Blog”, awareness of his site and his search engine rankings grew appreciably. Your blog title is the headline for your blog, so be smart.

Before you start your own blog, do your homework first.
By reading a whole lot of other blogs. Make a list of what you like and what you don’t like from a wide selection of existing blogs. Get some ideas to build on and expand rather than attempting to do the same old thing everyone else is already doing.

Keep things simple.
It’s usually best to have each new post contain just the one idea or one set of links. If you try and have multiple ideas in your posting, it becomes confusing when people post feedback. Similarly, if there are multiple links, it’s hard for people to pass these on to others. Stick to one idea for each blog posting.

Demonstrate your passion and show your authority.
By posting frequently and talking about those subjects you know inside and out. Showcase your insider knowledge and demonstrate you know what you’re talking about. Make it easy for influential people to link to your blog with confidence.

Always remember a blog is an ongoing conversation.
So you need to allow other people to add comments to your entries. If you don’t allow comments, people will view your blog as a PR channel. You don’t have to tolerate rudeness but have a thick skin and take the good with the bad when it comes to feedback.

Be accessible.
Make it easy for people to contact you through your blog. Include your cell phone number or at the very least your e-mail address on your blog. Make it easy for people to follow up on things they read directly and in person with you. This can generate some great business opportunities.

Always tell an engaging story.
Which will be your story. Everyone loves a David-versus-Goliath story. If you’re the underdog, point that out. Drop some influential names. Include some case studies. Talk about the conflicts which arise whenever anyone is attempting to achieve something noteworthy. Corporate blogging centers around telling an engaging story. Present facts objectively and with balanced analysis but frame everything in terms of an ongoing drama and your blog will genuinely get noticed.

Be happy to link to anyone and everyone.
Your enemies, your competitors, your industry commentators and anyone else you can think of. Develop your own blog as the absolutely best resource your readers could ever want and they will be keen to link with you as well.

Don’t just leave everything to your blog.
But get out into the real world as well. Accept speaking invitations or opportunities to serve on discussion panels. Attend industry forums and trade shows. Build relationships with people in the broader business community. Add some photos. Humanize your blog and people will respond positively.

Keep track of who’s linking to your site.
And read what they’re saying about you. This is the strength of blogs because they allow an ongoing conversation to develop. Respond to what others are saying by posting something on your own blog and linking to the other comments. This will demonstrate you’re listening and taking note of what others are saying, good or bad. There’s also tangible benefits to you. The more links you have, the higher your own blog’s search engine ranking will be, which is not a bad thing to aim for.

Remember to talk rather than sell.
In other words, don’t just funnel PR material through your blog. Talk with your readers about the things you care about and know. Being genuine is far more important than exploiting every opportunity to get a sale. Don’t try and sell your products or services directly from your blog but let people find them on their own. If they come to trust you because of your blog, they will happily track down and buy what you have to offer.

Post often and be interesting with what you say.
So readers get into the habit of visiting your blog frequently. Posting often will also help you with your search engine ranking.

Look at blogging as an investment of time which saves you money in the long run.
Because a good blog can reduce or eliminate the need for PR or maybe even advertising. Research what you’re writing about so your facts are always correct and above reproach. Develop a robust conversation with your readers and make your blog useful and interesting. All of these efforts will take time but should ultimately serve to reduce the amount of PR and advertising support your products and services require.

Plan on getting smarter by listening to what people are trying to tell you.
Because that’s one of the key advantages of a blog. Never forget everyone collectively is smarter than anyone individually. Take note of even the nastiest comments and try to figure out where people are coming form. Learn what makes people angry. Over time, once readers become confident you’re listening and responding, they will usually become far more moderate. You may even find they will spring to your defense when something unreasonable or unbalanced is suggested by someone else.

With all these guidelines, you still have to use common sense as well. In some extreme cases, people have been disciplined or even fired for posting inappropriate material on their blogs. To avoid this, you need to know what is and isn’t acceptable under your corporate culture. You have to be trustworthy. Some companies have set out explicit guidelines for employee blogs, while others have not yet done this. The simplest advice in this area is: “Do nothing stupid.” Use the same level of judgment and good sense on your blog that you commonly apply to the rest of your job.

Some other advice in this area is:

Read the terms of your formal employment contract.
And make sure you’re not stepping outside these guidelines by setting up a personal blog talking about what’s happening at your workplace.

Avoid any litigious issues.
For example if you work for a public company, you have to be careful not to make any statements about financial performance that could impact on your company’s stock price. You should also be careful in discussing your company’s intellectual property or unannounced products. All of these are potential minefields.

Talk to your boss.
And find out how he or she feels about you running a blog. You may also want to talk to your company’s legal department and see whether they have some disclaimer they want you to include on your blog. Don’t just assume but actually take the time to speak to others within your organization before you do something unwise.

Sort out all the ownership issues in advance.
Meaning if you leave the company, does the blog belong to you or to the company you work for? What will happen if a new product idea described on your blog actually goes into production? Do you have your company’s permission to blog on their time and using their equipment? All of these are issues to be sorted out.

Find out if your company has an official policy on blogs.
And if not, ask if you can participate in developing one. You’re better off getting everything out in the open early rather than letting problems sidetrack your efforts at a later stage.

Find out whether your company has a “one voice culture”.
Where only certain employees are allowed to communicate with the outside world. If it does, it will be very difficult for you to develop an interesting blog. If your company is averse to letting employees put their face in front of the brand, then blogging will be difficult to do. Many people dislike a one-voice culture but if that is your organization’s reality, you’ll just have to find a way to work with it.