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Top Tips: How to Determine if a Corporate Blog is Right for You
Top Tips: How to Determine if a Corporate Blog is Right for You
News Facts
- Affect Strategies compiled a list of tips for companies starting corporate blogs
- Factors to consider include having something interesting to say, as well as an interested audience
- Tips include advice for companies both large and small
NEW YORK -- December 12, 2007 -- Affect Strategies, a public relations and strategic marketing firm, has compiled a list of top tips for companies considering starting a corporate blog. The tips range from ensuring you have a relevant topic and captive audience to creating an efficient platform for two-way communication.
"Many organizations, large or small, want to take advantage of this new medium but are unsure when to start a blog or how to efficiently use it," said Sandra Fathi, president of Affect Strategies.
"While there is no magic formula for creating and managing a successful blog, there are certain factors that companies should consider before making the 'big leap'. We have written some guidelines that will help companies determine if the time is right for them to launch their own blog."
1. Have something to say. What can you write about? Blogs should be specific to a subject matter or express a focused point of view. Including comments from a knowledgeable expert is a great way to give your blog credibility and provide relevance.
2. Have an interested audience. If you write it, will they read it? A loyal customer base, user group, investors or consumers are a great audience if they are truly interested in your company and the topics you plan to cover. If you do not have a pre-established audience, will you promote the blog to attract readers? An engaged audience will help bring value to your blog.
3. Have a long-term blogging commitment. Are you committed to writing entries on a daily or weekly basis? It takes time to write and manage a successful blog. Readers will be looking for well thought out view points as well as entries submitted on a regular basis. The best way to keep readers actively engaged in your blog is to ensure timely, consistent entries.
4. Have a need to respond to the public/media/employees/influencers directly. Is the media filtering your message, or not communicating it altogether? A blog can be used to reach your target audience about critical issues with efficiency and ease. It can also ensure that your message is accurately conveyed.
5. Have something to sell or something of value to offer. Can your blog sell your product without the aggressive sales pitch of a salesperson? It can provide you with a place to provide informative reviews of your products or tips and tricks for your customers to receive enhanced performance from your products.
6. Have the ability to open the proverbial Pandora's Box. Blogs are a way to provide two-way communication with your target audience. It is your way to engage your audience and allow them to participate in the conversation. Opening up the dialogue through a blog will help reveal a different point of view and allow you to respond directly to your readers.
Sandra Fathi is a core contributor of The Tech Affect, a PR and marketing blog targeted to technology companies. She has more than 15 years experience in the high-tech industry and has held senior level marketing and public relations positions with major technology based accounts, such as Nokia, Ericsson and Microsoft. In addition, Sandra is a frequent speaker and moderator at numerous industry events and a contributor to several trade publications. For more information, please visit www.techaffect.com
