Blogging for business (3): Content is king

by David Hallam

You are clear that your business would benefit from a blog, you are certain that you have the capacity, you have taken care of the technicalities. You have already drafted 20 possible posts. Now lets look in detail at what you should post.

First impressions

Whatever you write it may be the very first impression that someone has of your company. Search engines can work in very quirky ways and you have little choice as to how and what is featured. Therefore every post is a possible "landing page" and could be a potential customer's first sight.

Informality and pitfalls

Blogs and other forms of social media can create an air of informality. This can be a productive and relatively relaxed way of introducing yourselves. It has advantages. In certain markets the less formality and fun the better.


Other audiences may not be so open to informality, especially if they have landed with a view to seeking advice, information or possibly becoming a customer. This is a decision that  has to be made and managed. A business blog is not a hobby. Obviously there is room for experimentation but be aware that you as the blog owner need to retain control.

Once the publish button is pressed it is out there in cyber-space. Even an immediately withdrawn post may be around in google cache for many years to come. It is as important to have a sign-off procedure for a blog post as it is for a media release or response. It safeguards both the individual and the organisation.

Immediacy

The immediacy of blogging is something to be cherished and used. It means that a company is able to make contemporary statements about  its business. Sometimes this could be a timely comment about an event in the news and about which the company has knowledge and interest. Regular readers appreciate being kept up to date. New and passing readers will pick up such posts on the various news feeds, especially if linked to Twitter and will have the opportunity of reading your comments.

Large organisations (and sometimes smaller businesses and individuals)  should be aware that if they are suddenly in the media spotlight - major incident, product recall etc - then visitors to a blog will expect to find up to date information. A business blog, together with other social media platforms, should be integrated into the organisation's crisis communications plan. Passwords and the skill to upload posts should be available to  several people.

Decisions about content

From the beginning there has to be clarity about who the blog is aimed at and what its purpose is.

There are a number of options:

• Diary - this is how blogging began. People  put their thoughts and views online. A great way of creating a buzz around an individual or company. Most hobby blogs are created and managed on this basis.  Most of this form of blogging has now migrated to Facebook and other social media platforms. A business needs to take this route with extreme care. Unless it is a closed blog - for subscribers or on an intranet - a company may be putting too much information into the public domain.
• News feed - this is using the blog technology at its best. A company can highlight and report on events, new product launches or service developments. Blogging technology enables regular readers to receive regular alerts of new posts (see the options in the side bar on right of this page). Some companies use blogs to carry their press releases.Whilst that is an acceptable use, press releases can be deposited and promoted elsewhere on a site under a "latest news" tab. A good blog post will pick up the press release, with link, and then try to add something extra, perhaps a comment or special welcome. A good press release is written in a particular way (more about that in future weeks), a blog post is different and that needs to be respected and exploited.
• Soapbox - here the blog owner uses the blog to promote a personal view about current issues. It differs from the diary in that personal information and activities are almost invariably absent. These may range from general political and international issues, a sport such as football, a religion or  specific industry matters. One of the disappointments may be that the world is not beating a path to the blog to read the latest view. For those who have that sort of blog it can be deeply satisfying. A business needs to be sure that such a blog is worth the investment of time and reputation.
• Campaign - these spring up all the time when people have a particular issue they want to raise. Part soap box, part news feed, a blog is a very public way of expressing a view and gathering support. In the past such blogs have been set up by disgruntled employees or customers. Every business should sign up for a google alert and keep an eye out  for when their firm is mentioned. They can die a quiet death or cause a lot of trouble. This will be the subject of a future post.
• Technical support - another excellent use of blogging technology. Customers are able to raise issues with a helpdesk who then place  the query online and suggest possible resolutions. Other customers are able to comment. This is invaluable when service issues emerge, especially when searched by later customers experiencing the same issues.
• The showcase - this is a relatively informal way of showcasing skills, services and products. It is much like a static website, but is updated over time. It demonstrates that a business has the solutions for which a customer is searching. This blog is an example. Over time it will encourage readers to improve communications. One result may be that it encourages visitors to seek the professional services of the blog owner.

The utility of a blog is measured by how many times people land and then return. Content has to be well written, brief (no webpage is ever a second away from being clicked into obscurity) and attractive. Writing a blog post is not like writing a committee report, it is different from a press release, though many of the same disciplines and language should be used. A good test for the non-writer is to read the draft post out loud. If it sounds clumsy, it is clumsy.

One final point: be brief. This post is already over 1,000 words long. Posts of 150 – 500 words should be the aim.