7 Steps to Give Your Business Blog a Definite Edge Over Your Competitors

7 Steps to Give Your Business Blog a Definite Edge Over Your Competitors This article will show you the benefits of adding a business blog to your marketing techniques and how your blog can have an edge over those of your competitors.

More and more it is becoming apparent that businesses that include blogging in their marketing activities have a definite edge over their competitors.

Here are some of the reasons:

Word-of-Mouth - there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added each day. Its also been estimated that approximately 30 percent of internet users are blog readers. For the most part, bloggers are friendly and helpful and are more than willing to spread the word about your company's blog. The only thing you have to do is embrace and take an active part in the blogging culture and your product will remain branded in their memory.
Open communication with your customers creates trust and loyalty. Being there to respond to their questions and comments makes them all the more willing to try your products and services and tell others about them.
Customer Feedback. Blogs are an excellent tool for conducting product research and reviews. And by observing customer comments left on your blog its easier to discern their thinking and behavioral patterns. Blogs also give you a quick and easy means to take immediate action to answer or dispel any customer concerns.

If you are already convinced of the potential of blogs for marketing your business, you're now ready to start blogging.

Following are some basic steps to take when setting up a business blog.

1. Visit several blogs related to your target market and study their blog design. Depending on which blogging platform you choose, you're usually provided with pre-designed templates. Or you can opt to host your blog on your own website using easy to install blog applications and ask your design team to design and layout your blog to match your company's identity and needs.

2. Choose a topic. Its good to have a line-up of topics you want for your blogs, but be sure they are in sync with your business objectives.

3. Strive to be consistent with your topic at all times.

4. Schedule updates regularly. It seems as if Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to update blogs.

5. Regularly monitor the comings and goings of your readers and measure your results.

6. Adjust design, topics and publishing schedule if needed.

7. For the most part you can do whatever you want on your blog, but there are some blogging Do's and Don'ts. Its best to follow these safety measures when posting to your company blog, especially if more than one person will be publishing to the blog:

Legal issues are sometimes involved in blogging; it is safer to include disclaimers and limitations of liabilities;
Corporate communication and/or your legal department should be responsible in educating the senior management on how blogs might affect the business;
Create blogging policies; set limits on who gets to blog and what information is and is not permitted to be made public;
Avoid a blatant sales blog or you may turn your readers off;
Keep content updated, relevant and fresh;
Reinforce your company's core values; and encourage employees to abide by them.

You should now be ready to enjoy the benefits of business blogging.

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