What Content Does Your Blog Need?There are two types of promotional blog entry:
The first is aimed purely at customers and potential customers, with serious business updates.
The second is posts that are relevant to either your business or your industry, but also have some entertainment or discussion value; encouraging repeat visits and non-customers to take part.
A good blog needs to have a good mix of these posts. This keeps it both informative and entertaining, and will help to attract as many visitors as possible.
See Table Below.
Contents of entry | Who is it aimed at? | What Should it be Doing? |
News about your business | Existing Customers and Potential Customers | Informing and promoting |
News of Offers and New Products | Existing and Potential Customers | Informing and promoting |
Industry News | Anyone interested in the industry or customers buying the products of that industry | Informing and maybe expressing an opinion |
Light-hearted news about your business or employees (E.g.: Photos of an employee on a trip to a trade event, or photos of new office furniture etc) | Everyone reading the blog | Providing humour and showing the personality of your business and staff |
Personal comments and news from employees (E.g.: New staff, promotions, weddings, etc) | Everyone reading the blog | Providing humour and showing the personality of your business and staff |
Remember that, unless your business is very serious and your blog aimed solely at existing customers; the most engaging style of writing is light-hearted and humorous. A blog is not a sales brochure; it is a way of communicating with your customers and potential customers in a more personal voice.
Make sure that the content you place on your blog is not inflammatory, and be certain of avoiding any opinions that could be considered libellous. You should have a statement (E.g.: The views expressed on this blog are those of the individual employee and do not reflect the opinions of ABC Limited.) to cover you against any mistakes in this area, and if a complaint is made about an opinion expressed you should consider quickly whether it should stay.
How to Bring People to Your Blog
Like any other website, visitors won’t just arrive at your blog; you need to direct and attract them to it. Try linking to it from your website. If your blog is successful then you may find that it increases visits to your website; as people are likely to check an interesting blog more often than they would a normal business website.
As blogs are a communication device, the most common way they gain new visitors is by word of mouth. Users pass on the web address to their friends, and if they like it they in turn pass it on to someone else.
How Can I Start a Blog?
The two most popular blog sites are Blogger, which is free; and Typepad, which has a small monthly cost but many more customisation options.
You can direct people to the site hosted on their website, but it looks more professional to buy a standard web address and link that to the site. E.g.: www.abclimitedblog.co.uk sounds better than http://abclimited.bloghostingcompany.com.
Article Index
1 What is a Blog?
2 What Content Does Your Blog Need?
