A business
blog is a tool that more and more progressive companies are using as a part of
their social media campaign strategies and branding tactics. A business blog represents your company –
it’s the voice of your business. It’s
essential that the tone of your blog therefore always be in keeping with your
business’ overall brand message and that the content of each post be engaging
and relevant to your company’s philosophies – not to mention its products and
services. There are a few important
rules to keep in mind when blogging for business that will allow your blog to
help, rather than hinder, your business’ online presence.
1. Always Use Fresh, Engaging and Informative
Content – This is important because if you’re going to
spend time writing blog posts on a daily, weekly or bi-weekly basis, the main
idea is to attract readers and enhance your business’ reputation. In order to do so, you have to be
creative. You have to capture people’s
attention and make them want to come back to read your next post. How do you do this? Blog about what you know your readers will be
interested in. Think about what
questions are most frequently asked about your business or your industry and
answer them in blog posts. Scour the
daily online newspapers, find current articles and news that pertain to your
business or industry and blog about them.
Stay current and keep your content fresh!
2. Keep Content PC and Business Oriented – Remember, there’s a substantial
difference between blogging about one’s personal life, hobbies or pets, etc.
and blogging for business. In keeping
with point number one above, it’s important to bear in mind that the target
audience for your blog should be clients and prospective clients – people with
whom you want to engage from a business perspective. You want your audience to learn more about
your business and what you can do for them.
You therefore want to keep your posts, at least for the most part,
business oriented and relevant. And, try
to refrain from including anything that could be considered politically
incorrect in today’s society within your posts.
People can be easily offended or put off and the last thing you want to
do is alienate anyone!
3. Be Careful With What You Post – You’ve heard it before: Once you
post something online, it’s out there and it’s potentially there to stay. Sure, you can edit and delete your posts, but
once you’ve hit the ‘publish’ button, always assume that someone, somewhere
will potentially see what you’ve posted.
That being said, it’s imperative to ensure, before you hit the ‘publish’
button, that your post content is exactly what you want it to be. Before publishing, proof read your material
and proof read it again – for content discrepancies, typos and just to ensure
that the words are exactly the words you want representing your business.
4. Never Blog About Company Strife – This one is pretty much a
no-brainer, especially if you’re the business owner; however, if you’re an
employee or an owner who delegates the blogging to someone else, it’s imperative
to remember that company grievances are never appropriate content for blog
posts. In fact, it’s not rocket science
to realize that blogging about such issues would be counter-productive!
5. Never Publish Clients’ Names or Specifics
without Express Consent – Again, this one goes without saying, unless you want to be slapped with
a lawsuit! If you want to blog about
specific examples pertaining to your services and do want to use someone’s name or details specific to them, always
ensure that you obtain written consent first.
6. Be Inclusive with Your Audience – Within most blogging platforms, you
are able to allow comments. Do it! What better way is there to learn about the
wants and needs of your clients than to hear about them straight from the
horse’s mouth. People’s comments are a valuable source of information and ideas
for you and your business. Take
advantage of that. But, keep in mind
that it’s crucial to respond to comments and to do so promptly. No one likes to be ignored and it’s not good
business practice to ignore what people are saying to you. Respond to complimentary comments with a
polite “Thank you”. Respond to negative
comments with respect and diplomacy.
And, respond to all inquiries in a timely manner.
