What message does your company have or what product does it offer to consumers? Is it worth talking about or sharing with others? Corporate blogs are becoming increasingly popular as a part of the media package that companies are using to reach the public, investors, consumers and even their competition. Corporations are using blogs as a way to reach out and share a message, tell a story or simply to increase productivity.
Starting a corporate blog requires more than just desire. Although desire and energy are optimal for its success, the blog must also serve a business purpose in helping the company to achieve certain objectives and also in furthering their mission. Most companies that start a corporate blog have ideas of writing or blogging that will invariably skyrocket their business or take their business into a new phase of commerce. Generally, this doesn’t happen with corporate blogging, at least not right away, as effective blogging takes time to build and requires careful consideration of the blog’s style and tone. It also takes time and diligence to find bloggers who can appreciate hard work and have the ability to produce quality, consistent content that engages the audience. Doing these things on a regular basis will help the blog in achieving its goals for the corporation.
Reasons to Start A Corporate Blog
Before a company decides to start a corporate blog, several things should be considered:
- Who is the businesses core audience?
- What is the ultimate goal for blogging? To entertain? To educate? What is it that the business wants to accomplish?
- Are there any capable, passionate bloggers on staff, or will the organization need to outsource to freelance writers?
In most cases, these questions have either already been answered or everything is already in place for the organization to start a blog. However, there may still be reasons for you to question whether or not a blog is right for your company. Consider the following reasons as to why companies start corporate blogs:
To Discuss Current Events
As a part of the corporation’s social responsibility to the community, many corporations start and maintain a company blog to show their awareness of current events. If they are supportive or perhaps non-supportive of the message in any current events, companies often use their blogging (voice) to show concerns, displeasure or simply to give their opinions. This is also why it is imperative to use professional, efficient and passionate bloggers who have detailed research capabilities. Bloggers who stay involved in current events seem to be able to connect to the audience more, engaging them in the conversation and keeping their interest as they relay news and information.
To Create Credibility
Organizations who wish to establish themselves as authorities in their field readily publish professional blogs to instant credibility. The organization’s popularity increases, as does their brand name and recognition as they begin to garner attention as leaders in the industries and become the preferred first contact for consumers. Companies also create credibility when they exhibit social responsibility, handle controversy in a professional manner and address issues that are debatable for their industries. All of these things show that the company is not afraid to venture out and has a voice when the subject matter is sensitive. Issues that require a sensitive voice in blogging have a fine line with which to establish their credibility, therefore must be handled carefully, methodically and consistently so as not to alienate the blog’s audience.
To Facilitate Interaction Between Employees and Customers
This by far has to be the biggest perk of a corporate blog. Getting the interaction going between your employed bloggers and the customers that you wish to reach can be a match made in heaven. Take a look at the blog maintained by McDonald’s hamburgers. What is consistent about their corporate blog is their openness and willingness to discuss issues of all subjects; community responsibility, questions on the nutrition of their food products and information on current events on local and national levels. From glancing at their blog and scanning a few articles, you can see that their blog is very engaging, succinct and makes the reader want to come back for more information.
To Increase Performance on Search Engines
Finally, the likeliest reason for most corporate blogs is to potentially increase their performance on major search engines. This is perhaps the main reason why corporate websites invest numerous financial and human resources in order to have their websites compete for the top search engine rankings. If a website seeker searches for information that is high relevance for a corporation’s blog, the corporation covets to be the top search in that specific subject. Blogs that are maintained on a frequent basis have an increased chance in ranking well and high in the top search engines. Bloggers know this and strive to write fresh, compelling and engaging content that will keep the interest of the blog’s audience.
Incorporating these measures into any new or even existing blog on a corporation can be extremely helpful in the beginning stages of any company’s new media role. These reasons and suggestions can also be beneficial in helping any corporation make it to lists of corporate blogs who want to establish themselves in Internet commerce and awareness. Blogging is a key step in achieving that goal.
Has your company started an interactive blog to increase awareness or increase business? What are some things you’d like to see included on corporate media blogs?
I am a freelance writer, blogger and professional motivational speaker. I primarily focus on business content, offering my clients strategic marketing strategies for their businesses. I have been an entrepreneur for over 13 years, after having worked extensively in corporate America.
