Five secrets to a successful company blog

• Tweet

Every day, new corporate blogs spring into existence, but many can be doomed to fail from the start. Why? Because blogging is hard work and not as simple as you might think. If you are not committed and willing to put the time in from the start, you might want to put a hold on jumping into the blogging world. And while willingness and commitment certainly build the basis for everything you do, it takes more than that to build a successful corporate blog. Today, we’ll share five basic tips that will help you on your journey to becoming a trusted voice in your industry.

1.       Create content with third party syndicators in mind

The aim of nearly every company blog is to increase your corporate online visibility and extend potential reach. The more consistently and concisely you post, the better chance you’ll be ‘found’ by the right people searching for the knowledge you specialise in. What you shouldn’t forget, however, is that you want your content to be republished and shared all over the web. So, blog with third party syndicators in mind: that’s the overall aim that people often miss.

But what are third party syndicators? They are any websites that will republish your content. Some of the content we write here at Paratus is being re-published on TNW and PR Daily, making them our third party syndicators. Which are yours? If you don’t have any, which industry platform could you approach and partner with and what sort of content would they be interested in? Which online communities might be interested in your content and what kind of content interests them? Keep these questions in mind when writing a blog post.

The key take-away: Solve specific problems for specific communities.

2.       Have specific mission, offer high quality content, and be consistent

Star with two questions:

1. Why do you want to set up a corporate blog?
2. Who do you want to interact with via your blog?

You have to be able to answer these questions in order to establish a strategy and mission for your blog.

And, like all elements of participatory media, you need to take a long-term approach. Most blogs only start to see the benefits after six to twelve months of serving up quality content on a consistent basis. Quality content can refer to many things, but if you can be informative, useful and entertaining you’re on the right track.

You might even say that high quality content is subjective. It’s certainly what I thought when I first started out, but to be honest, it really isn’t. There are a lot of rules that you may or may not want to follow. Not all of them are worth following as they may not be right for you, but there are a few that you won’t be able to avoid.

• Research, research, research – Before you write, research your topic. Find sources, authors, similar stories. You will be surprised how easy it will be to write something unique if you have done your research (or duplicate something that already exists if you haven’t).
• Language – Find your voice. That’s pretty much the only rule there is when it comes to language – except for making sure your spelling and your grammar are correct.
• Always acknowledge sources – If you reference third party content, make sure you acknowledge the source. Always.
• Solve problems – Look inside your business. Customer queries are a good point to start. What questions do your customers ask and why do they ask them. Address issues before they arise.
• Have an opinion – You don’t have to be controversial. You just have to have an opinion. Good or bad. People will criticise you for it but in the blogging world that’s a good thing. It encourages discussion and it will ensure you are being talked about. However, if you do choose this route, make sure you engage with your community. Answer comments. Discuss and learn.

The key take-away: Do it properly, or don’t do it at all.

3.      Find refreshing ways to tell your stories

This can be done in so many different ways, it’s difficult to find a starting point. Language? Pictures? Video? Become known for something or a mixture of everything. Important is that you find the right balance that represents you, your company and your company values.

A great example of a corporate blog from our industry which does this well is Spin Sucks from Gini Dietrich and her team.

Gini knows how to put a fun and creative spin on her posts. Her weekly feature, Gin & Topics, proves that. But besides injecting brutal honesty, compliments and humour into her posts, she also makes great use of video. You never know what you are going to find the next day. It may be a traditional post or a video blog, which is only one of the many reasons why Gini’s blog is definitely worth visiting.

The key take-away: Entertain, inform and educate. Always.

4.       Be people-focused

There’s nothing worse than a blog that’s written in a way no-one understands. (Your readers are people – people that read a lot.) The internet is all about easy-to-understand content that expresses your opinion in a sincere manner. Our attention spans are short and our eyes are tired. Keep it short, simple and engaging. Remember, people love a laugh from time to time.

I’ve mentioned this briefly earlier on, but the best way to move people is through language. There’s nothing quite like the written word. Don’t be boring. Be creative, exciting and engaging. Don’t try to be funny – just be yourself. Let your writers have their creative freedom. Every writer has their own voice. Don’t force them to become someone they are not, just ensure that the language they use does not misrepresent your brand and is simple enough for your readers.

The key take-away: Be yourself (within an agreed framework).

5.       Not every reader is a customer

Understand that not every reader that stumbles across your site is a potential customer. They are not. But people know people, and people talk. Do you see the reoccurring theme? It’s all about people. Even if someone is not a direct customer, they may know someone who is. And even if they don’t, your efforts will build brand awareness.

Suppliers read blogs. Potential staff members read blogs. Potential business partners read blogs. Students read blogs. The cumulative interest generated by what you say amongst a variety of stakeholders can’t be underestimated.

The key take-away: Create content with a specific purpose but keep your broader stakeholders in mind too.

Is there a magic formula?

Big brains, eloquent communicators and strong personalities are a good start.

And, adding the five tips we’ve mentioned above into the mix will help too.

Now it’s up to you. We want to know. What are your secrets to a successful company blog? What has worked for you and your company? Let’s discuss in the comments.