Blogs have come a long way from being simple journal entries for bloggers.
Today they are a great way for companies to get information out to their target audience - namely their customers - as well as gain insight from their customers on how well their products and services are being received.
Corporate bloggers have learned how to use this tool to their advantage and they have become successful at blogging.
They know the best ways to impart their information and dig for additional useful information without giving away any of their own corporate secrets.
If you want to be successful at corporate blogging consider some of these blogging tips: Training is a must It is important that whoever is blogging for your company is trained to avoid to spilling any company secrets.
At one point in time corporate blogging was performed by a small staff of people in the organization, usually the communications team.
Today everyone is blogging, spreading their own message about your company.
Everyone should be trained in proper blogging etiquette to ensure that classified company information remains classified.
Any time classified company information is accidentally leaked out, the company is put into a precarious position.
They could suddenly come under the scrutiny of industry regulators or even be subjected to sabotage by competitors.
Additionally, information about the way the company works or who is on their staff could be leaked with embarrassing consequences.
Restricting blogging to a handful of employees is not the best idea, so it is better to train your staff to keep classified information to themselves yet allow them to strengthen the company brand by blogging.
Watch out for fake blogs While you may want to establish a more personal relationship with your customers you may find yourself hesitant to jump into blogging.
Resist the temptation to create a fake blog that promotes your product, service or brand under a false name.
They are not only considered an affront to the blogging world, they also make your customers feel as if they have been duped.
If you feel that creating a fake blog is right for your company then remember that there are issues with using a fake blog and you could be damaging your company's credibility.
Track who is blogging about you This is a very important tip to keep in mind when setting up a corporate blog.
Take a look around the blogging community to see who is blogging about you and then keep a track of them.
Try to read their blog everyday and set up an automated tracking system so you are always on top of what is going on.
Even a small blog can be picked up by the internet's search engines and this will help expose your company's brand to a wider audience.
And if you're lucky, the blogger who is talking about you could go mainstream and reach an even larger audience base on your behalf.
Use the blog for public relations Blogs are a great way to get your company closer to your clients.
If you use your corporate blog as a public relations tool and adjust to your customer's needs then you will be able to gain their loyalty.
It is also good to know what your customers are saying about your products and what concerns they may have.
You will be able to address their needs more effectively this way.
Protect classified company information You need to make sure at all times that classified company information - whether it's next year's product list or information of a delicate nature - is kept classified.
You will need to evaluate what information can be released to your customers and, to some extent, your competitors.
Evaluate and reevaluate everything before letting the information out.
Today they are a great way for companies to get information out to their target audience - namely their customers - as well as gain insight from their customers on how well their products and services are being received.
Corporate bloggers have learned how to use this tool to their advantage and they have become successful at blogging.
They know the best ways to impart their information and dig for additional useful information without giving away any of their own corporate secrets.
If you want to be successful at corporate blogging consider some of these blogging tips: Training is a must It is important that whoever is blogging for your company is trained to avoid to spilling any company secrets.
At one point in time corporate blogging was performed by a small staff of people in the organization, usually the communications team.
Today everyone is blogging, spreading their own message about your company.
Everyone should be trained in proper blogging etiquette to ensure that classified company information remains classified.
Any time classified company information is accidentally leaked out, the company is put into a precarious position.
They could suddenly come under the scrutiny of industry regulators or even be subjected to sabotage by competitors.
Additionally, information about the way the company works or who is on their staff could be leaked with embarrassing consequences.
Restricting blogging to a handful of employees is not the best idea, so it is better to train your staff to keep classified information to themselves yet allow them to strengthen the company brand by blogging.
Watch out for fake blogs While you may want to establish a more personal relationship with your customers you may find yourself hesitant to jump into blogging.
Resist the temptation to create a fake blog that promotes your product, service or brand under a false name.
They are not only considered an affront to the blogging world, they also make your customers feel as if they have been duped.
If you feel that creating a fake blog is right for your company then remember that there are issues with using a fake blog and you could be damaging your company's credibility.
Track who is blogging about you This is a very important tip to keep in mind when setting up a corporate blog.
Take a look around the blogging community to see who is blogging about you and then keep a track of them.
Try to read their blog everyday and set up an automated tracking system so you are always on top of what is going on.
Even a small blog can be picked up by the internet's search engines and this will help expose your company's brand to a wider audience.
And if you're lucky, the blogger who is talking about you could go mainstream and reach an even larger audience base on your behalf.
Use the blog for public relations Blogs are a great way to get your company closer to your clients.
If you use your corporate blog as a public relations tool and adjust to your customer's needs then you will be able to gain their loyalty.
It is also good to know what your customers are saying about your products and what concerns they may have.
You will be able to address their needs more effectively this way.
Protect classified company information You need to make sure at all times that classified company information - whether it's next year's product list or information of a delicate nature - is kept classified.
You will need to evaluate what information can be released to your customers and, to some extent, your competitors.
Evaluate and reevaluate everything before letting the information out.