Blog Basics

A blog is sometimes called web log or weblog. It is a type if online journal or diary, often including personal comments as well as web links and images. Many people keep a blog as a type of personal creative exercise, but you can easily use this popular online type of writing to market your business. Blogs are very popular right now and they can be a great and inexpensive way to contact more customers.

The great thing about blogs is that people read them for fun. Customers may be becoming more jaded about advertising for Patek Philippe, but they will gladly read a blog that has some interesting things to say. Many top companies are using blogs to deliver a better and more personal message about their companies – and the strategy seems to be working.

Starting a Blog

Starting a blog is as simple as finding a space online to write – and the time to write. To begin a blog, first develop a theme idea or blog idea. You may want to look at other people’s blogs to do so. In general, you will want to develop a central theme for your blog in the same way that columnists develop a theme for their articles. This helps ensure that your blog is not too “scattered.”

Next, find some place to publish your blog. There are a number of sites – both paying and free – that give bloggers a chance to publish their material. You may also want to simply set up your blog on your web site, especially if you already have an active web site.

Writing Your Blog

Once you have a place to publish your blog, you will have to set aside some time each week to develop new content. When writing your blog:

?Write simply and clearly. Use small paragraphs and spell check before uploading. Your readers will trust what you have to say if you say it well.

?Go easy on the advertising. The idea of a blog is to give readers something fun and exciting to read and look at. You will have more readers if you comment on the world and are entertaining, rather than just hype your product. Consider writing about your day, the atmosphere your workplace has, and culture, rather than just your company.

?Consider many types of content. Blogs allow you to upload images, create links, and allow users to make comments. Your blog will have many more readers if you make your blog exciting with these pluses.

Promoting Your Blog

Just putting your blog online is not enough. After all, there are many millions of blogs on the web right now, so unless your blog is on a high-traffic site, you may not get readers unless you advertise. You can easily advertise your blog without spending a cent by mentioning your blog in your emails and web pages or newsletters. You can also enter in online competitions – if your blog wins a prize you are more likely to get a constant flow of traffic to your blog. You can also ask ezines and other content providers to review your blog, which will also draw readers.

Sparkling Blog Writing

Blog writing is not like others forms of marketing writing. If you want to use your blog to draw customers, you need to create a blog that is casual and interesting without being too sales-oriented or to aggressive in marketing. Interestingly, the company blogs that do not promote and aggressively push their product and company often generate great company marketing and advertising as readers enjoy reading the blogs more without obvious pushes to buy.

What Types of Writing to Use

To make your blog writing sparkle – and to make it spark sales – do include types of writing that readers will enjoy or find useful:

?Information about the company. Including contact information, FAQs about your company, company or product manuals and other information makes it easy for readers to find what they need about you – which encourages readers to refer to your blog each time they need to know about your company.

?Job opportunities and company culture. Listing job openings and information about philanthropic causes your company is involved in as well as information about the atmosphere of your company is useful for job hunters. It is also an easy way to get more readers interested in you company.

?Comments about the company and personal comments from workers. Personal comments are what really set blogs apart from other types of online writing. Personal comments from company leaders and employees let readers know what your company is really like. It can also improve sales, as customers are likely to develop brand loyalty if they see your company as a “face” or voice rather than just an impersonal logo.

?Value-added content for readers. Providing useful and handy information is one of the best ways to get readers to your site – and to get readers interested in your product. Offer screensavers with your company logo, contests, tips, and useful articles, and you are more likely to get a regular group of readers.

Adding Style to Your Blog Writing

? Keep it short. Like other types of online writing, blogging tends to rely on short paragraphs and small pages with links rather than big blocks of text. Also, using the active voice (“We have opened a new division” rather than “A new division has been opened”) is also good for developing a nicer style.

?Let your logo do the talking. Rather than trying to promote the company constantly in your text, try making your text keyword-rich and value-added content rather than too “salesy.” Instead, have your company logo clearly displayed on the page and mention the company as a workplace. Your readers will still know about your company, but without feeling as though they are reading an ad.

?Stay enthusiastic. Write about what you care about and write with genuine passion. Writing dry copy just because you feel a blog is a useful marketing tool will not get you more readers or more customers.