blog
Everything you need to know to start blogging
This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 30, 2010 @ 9:21 am
So you’re thinking of starting a company blog or you’ve heard about blogging but you’re not sure where to start? This post should provide a good starting place:
Why blogging?
- Positioning - Blogging helps position you/your company as an expert. This is especially true with B2B businesses. Most websites say the same kind of things, a blog helps set your company apart allowing you to prove you know what you’re talking about within your industry
- Search engine ranking – Using keywords in your blog titles and posts is a good way to improve your search engine ranking. A well written, useful post will naturally attract users and be placed highly on search engines. Regular posting also encourages search engines to spider your site more often, which means your content is listed faster. Added to this the more pages your site has the more weight you have in Google
- Increased links – If your blog posts are interesting and relevant, people are more likely to link to them
- Generating repeat traffic – If you blog regularly and allow users to subscribe either by email or RSS, it can be a great way of keeping users coming back
- Keep customers up to date – New developments and company news can be broadcast quickly and easily
What do I need to know to start?
Now that you’ve decided to start blogging how do you get started?
We recommend using wordpress.org as your blogging platform. This is free but needs someone technical to set it up. There are free web-based platforms like wordpress.com and blogger however these are not hosted on your website meaning you will not get the search engine benefits of using a blog that’s integrated with your website. If you need some help with this you can always give us a call.
After that it’s simple; start writing. You should aim to blog at least once a week, more if you have time. Keep a list of blogging ideas you have and try different things.
Use your website, Twitter and other social media to promote your blog posts.
What can I blog about?
- Hints and tips to make you look like an expert
- How to guides and tutorials
- Lists such as 10 ways to do x
- News from your organisation
- Reviews of books, videos, software
- Links to useful resources
- Predictions like what’s going to be hot in 2010
- Ask your customers questions and have a discussion with them
- Interviews with influential people in your industry or even your company
- Case studies that demonstrate how a customer can benefit from your product or service
- Multimedia posts, videos and pictures
- Events you are holding, exhibiting at or attending
- Commentary on a news topic
For more information on blogs and Social Media check out our Social Media in a Box proposition.