Image by Michael Licht

Think you’re ready to start a company blog? Here are eight rules to follow when you write that first post – and every other post after.

1. Know your goal.

Your ultimate goal is to gain more business (or more support, if you’re a non-profit), but keep in mind the goals specific to the blog. Things like:

• Get more web traffic
• Collect email addresses
• Gain trust
• Build a community

B smart: To build authority with potential customers and with search engines, don’t try to sell something every five minutes.

2. Write stuff your audience wants to read.

Content should be:

1. Related to your business
2. So useful and/or amusing people want to share it with friends.
3. Not an ad for your product or service.

If you’re a medical company, write about healthy lifestyles. If you’re a nonprofit, write about people you’ve helped. If you’re a B2B company, write about industry legislation and best practices.

B smart: Posts with tips, tricks and how-tos are especially popular.

3. Write an intriguing and specific title.

Specify what’s in the post and why it’s valuable to your readers.

• “Sack Lunch Ideas” is boring
• “Make Every Day Delicious” is vague
• “12 Easy and Delicious Sack Lunches” is both specific and interesting

B smart: Include relevant keywords for search engine optimization.

4. Make it easy on the eyes.

Chances are, your readers’ eyes are already tired of the screen. Huge Dostoyevsky blocks of copy could scare them away. Break up the text with subheads and bullet points. Readers should be able to tell what you’re saying at a glance.

B smart: Train yourself to keep posts under 500 words. It’s okay to occassionally write a longer post that’s more in-depth (i.e., “everything you need to know about X”). 

5. End with a call to action. 

Give people something to do when they finish reading. For instance:

• “Read more” (followed by links to posts on similar topics)
• “What’s your favorite sack lunch? Tell us in the comments!”
• “Like this article? Pass it on!” (followed by share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.)

B smart: Choose calls to action based on your main goals. Sharing is great for traffic; comments are great for community-building.

6. Add a picture.

Use a photo a relevant photo that’s striking or amusing to draw the eye and help break up the text. Only use pictures you own, or have permission to use from the owner.

B smart: Search the Creative Commons section of a photo-sharing site like Flickr for images you can legally use (as long as you link back to the owner).

7. Post on a schedule. 

You don’t have to post every day – five posts a week can be daunting to your subscribers as well as your writing team – but posting one to three times week, preferably on the same days (e.g. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) is ideal.

B smart: Share your own posts on your social networks. You can connect some networks (like LinkedIn) directly to your blog to post new article links automatically. 

8. Reply to every comment. 

Answer questions and thank people who compliment the content. Strike up conversations with your potential customers.

B smart: Don’t feed the trolls – in other words, don’t try to argue with people who post inflammatory comments just to get a rise out of you. Instead, shut them down with something benign like “Thank you for your input.” Consider implementing a Comment Policy reserving the right to ban trolling, strong language, racial slurs, etc.

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What questions do you have about blogging? Let us know in the comments!

Imagine earning a living by letting thousands of people read your diary. It sounds ridiculous. Crazy. Dangerous, even. But happening nonetheless. Well, sort of.

The blog (short for web log) started out as a sort of online diary where people published their daily musings for all to read. Now, hundreds of millions of blogs all over the web are resources for entertainment, information and income.

Yes, some bloggers make a living blogging. Not by posting random musings, though: by posting fun or useful content other people actually want to read. Niche blogs may help people get out of debt, dress fashionably, get novels published, or (yes) blog for a living. These bloggers build huge followings with great content, then make their income by either selling their own products (e.g. books or online workshops) or selling ad space on their blog.

Business and blogging.

Oh, yeah. Businesses are jumping on the blog bandwagon. And for good reason:

• Search Engine Optimization – Search engines love keyword-rich content, especially new keyword-rich content. So if you are regularly updating your blog with articles relating to your business, you’re going to get more traffic from Google, Bing and the rest.
• Trust – Starting a conversation, giving your organization a face and a voice, and connecting with customers. By posting content like how-to articles, you are solving problems for customers and potential customers—so they’ll naturally trust your product or service to solve their problems, too.
• Authority – Just by being in the business (whichever business it is), you know more about it than the average Joe. Show off that “inside look,” and you give the subtle impression that you know more than your competitors do.

But if you’re going to do it, do it right.

Maybe you already know the benefits of a corporate blog. Maybe you already started one. But are you doing what’s necessary for success?

• Produce Great Content – A blog post is an article, not an ad. Leave your sales pitch at the door. Make it useful, entertaining, and related to your business—but don’t list services or product features. In the medical industry? Give healthy living tips or compare fad diets. Sell luggage? Review great destinations and give tips on getting through customs. Ask yourself what information will make your customers’ lives better. Then give it to them.
• Post Regularly – You can’t just write one or two posts every couple of months and expect new business to come pouring in. The experts say you have to post twice a week, minimum. It helps if you do it the same days every week, like Mondays and Fridays.
• Reply to Comments – You’re trying to connect with people remember? So reply to every comment: thank supporters, answer questions, and resolve issues with any disgruntled customers. Plus, reach out and become an active commenter on other blogs in your industry.
• Expect to Spend 10 Hours Per Week Blogging – I know from experience. Sometimes it’s a little more, sometimes a little less, but between researching, writing, reading, and replying to comments…10 hours is a safe estimate.