Is blogging for every business?

[MaineWeb]

I understand how a large company, with lots going on could benefit from a blog. However, the company I work for sells refurbished business phone systems. We have fewer than 40 employees. There isn't usually anything especially newsworthy going on. So, what kinds of things could I write about that would interest anybody? Maybe someone else here has a similar small business that has found a way to make it work for them?

Also, will people lose interest if you don't post anything for a few days?

[internet-marketing-cr]

Hi MaineWeb,

There is a lot of things you can write about in a blog. If you are into the refurbished business phone systems, there is probably a lot of interesting information you can write about for your clients, just think about your clients needs, what questions do they ask related to your company, related to your products, what information do they need to have a better use of the products you sell, anything that will give an added value to your products and Company.

When you have a blog is good to post with frecuency, the idea is to have updated, original, related, interesting information so your clients (vistors) find useful information, if your idea is to have a blog to increase visitors to your site and increase convertions.

[chatterfox]

In addition, think of "what-is-it-in-me" when writing articles about your company and its works. Think of your target audience. Compose articles that will benefit your clients and something that will make them interested. Blogs are all about "benefits" too. Be creative. There is always something in your niche. Just brainstorm about it. Good luck!

[Serrbiz]

Yes, you should have a blog. Consider an FAQ blog where all the customer technical questions and answers occur. Great stuff not just for the reader, but for the spiders if you create your blog in an SEO friendly way.

[Orion]

There's a couple of different ways to approach blogging.

1. if you are a professional or in a position that your name may mean something, an individual blog where you talk about your industry, the company and stuff that goes on daily or weekly is good. Even posting on some current events can be of benefit. This is where I steer most our small business / soho / self employed clients.

2. if it's all about the company and not any of the individuals there are blogging solutions out there (blogware for instance) which would allow you to set up a company blog and create several users, letting several departments or individuals within the company blog in there own little area. This can be great for companies like yours who may not feel they have enough to blog about but do have more than one or two employees. 5 people blogging once a week can keep a site looking pretty interesting.

Not sure if either of those options can be of help, let us know how you choose to approach it, as I find this is quite a common dilema out there.

[Irishjim]

Why don't you look around at companies you work with and create a mutually benefical blog that will help all of you.

I have a client site (a boating newspaper) www.azbw.com that puts out rss feeds for fishing and news and other clients who pull in these feeds for their pages.

It helps the newspaper and keeps the material fresh on the other sites.

In essence, I have turned the newspaper site into a blog. This can be done by anyone.

Good luck,

[NameCritic]

I manage blogs for both small and large companies. There is never a shortage of things to write about. Set up google alerts for all of the keywords and phrases associated with your business.

You will get email every day with all sorts of information using the alerts. Choose news and web in the dropdown menu.

The more you read on the topic the more you have to talk about.

[ppayne]

I'd say one good thiing about blogging is, writing about your own business gives you focus and helps you come up with language to evangelize yourself later. I write about what it's like being a gaijin [foreigner] living in Japan in my own blog, PeterPayne.net and it gives me a 1:1 relationship with readers, more than on my main site, J-List!. I use the same "content" (my actual update text) but everything else is so different Google doesn't seem to mind.

[tenkiya]

You absolutely should be doing it. 40 people? 1 is enough to start a blog. You have a great niche and a blog with lots of keywords could lead nearly every search engine result your way.

[Peter (IMC)]

There isn't usually anything especially newsworthy going on.

You need to visit the technicians more often,.... :) (especially the ones that visit clients.) Sit down with them when they´re having a coffee break or something. Listen to the stories,... You´re going to have a lot of stuff to write about.

[mnsandy]

Even one people companies blog. Don't see problems there.

[Purple13]

Hi. I just started a Blog for Purple 13 (award winning digital photo art site of my partner Mandy Collins) after being pestered to do so by all the SEO reports and newsletters I receive.

What to put on it? Purple 13 already runs a successful News Page which has weekly updates of new artworks, website updates and international sales and licenced sales etc so this was content 'fodder' for the Blog.

Also, I feel that the tme savings of posting smaller news snippets on the Blog rather than html programming and uploading of the main website pages are considerable.

The Blog also allows us to collect valuable feedback from visitors where as before, we would have had to invest in our own forum for the website.

You'll be amazed once you start looking exactly how much news worthy stuff you have to share.

For a better idea, visit our Blog at http://purple13.blogspot.com or visit our News Page at http://www.purple13.co.uk and follow the news link on the top navigation bar.

[spherica]

Originally Posted by MaineWeb

I understand how a large company, with lots going on could benefit from a blog. However, the company I work for sells refurbished business phone systems. We have fewer than 40 employees. There isn't usually anything especially newsworthy going on. So, what kinds of things could I write about that would interest anybody? Maybe someone else here has a similar small business that has found a way to make it work for them?

Also, will people lose interest if you don't post anything for a few days?

For the record I don't blog but I do post alot at forums and there is always something interesting to teach, learn, or newsworthy... and I do have an original copy resource [http://www.coopyrite.com] that captures the same information just in a different format.

It's important to view this issue from 'different eyes'...

While it is likely in your best interest to have a section detailed specifically for your business interest (informal communication with your customers/potential customers - these are not likely (as you noted) going to be your 'cash cow topics' at least early on (but it could be a future development with vast blogging experience and a little innovation).

Some choice areas to consider:

• 1. Humor: crank calls is likely a good section that will get the public to respond to pretty quickly. A side promotion with customers (or just staff members in lieu of customers) either way could be gold mine (asking them to participate and then seeing who is the best "gifted" at the cranking :-) ... and then blogging to stories. (could be staff members in lieu of customers)
  
  2. Wrong Number: happens alot and suspect an office full of phone people you could have enough material to generate public interest to comment on theirs.
  
  3. CelTel: a more serious note - could be driving safety & Cel talk... 3 different angles grows this: governance & enforcements, personal stories, or possibly preventive safety. The latter draws on the difference between casual talk between driver and passengers (usually isn't a major safety concern... so how can talking on a Cel & driving be made 'safer').
  
  4. Emergency: Both business and personal communication 'emergencies' have a serious and ligher side - you can gain alot of added exposure from both. It's noteworthy to mention here that near everyone in the world has a "lighter side emergency" and it's human nature to share those things that make us laugh.
  
  5. Podcasting: Since you are in the voice communication business - tying in with audio clips is likely an easy stretch. Ever listen to a one sided converation - and thought you heard what "wasn't actually said" simply by "reading between the silence"...?

Blogging isn't chore nor about being 100% "on topic"... it's about innovative approaches for acquiring eyeballs that comment on related topics such that you advance your exposure to the point where you now have multiple choices to expand on.

[cctech]

Additionally, with all the talk about VoIP lately, maybe your company has a particular perspective on that issue. Great way to grab some traffic.

[bj]

Blogging doesn't have to be a chore, and it doesn't have to be at regular intervals, nor do the post have to be long. Sometimes a simple two sentence post about a newsworthy item with a link to the story is enough. There's been a lot in the news about Telephony these days.

Blogging is something that can be done daily or weekly and still have merit. It does need to be done somewhat regularly to be effective.

I'm a one person business, blog regularly, and all my business comes either through my website or word of mouth from past business. This didn't start to happen until I started blogging. Yes, blogging is effective.

A couple things--

Make sure to host your own blog. You then have control over the server and database AND the links are coming directly to you and your site, giving YOUR site googly goodness (instead of blogspot) and allowing frequent easy backups of your database.

Use good blog software that allows you to ping as many blog update services as you wish. Wordpress is one of these. (Blogger only lets you ping ONE.)

Use Technorati Tags on every post. Tags are used by many of the social sites to categorize your blogposts.

Have FUN with it! As a couple other poster have pointed out, you don't need to keep it "all business." I also think you could get the tech folks from your company involved in it. You'd be surprised at what they can come up with to talk about.

[chrisJumbo]

Our company is a company of 4 and I "blog". At the moment it is in the form of a current news page that I add to. I created two RSS feeds, one for our updated CD rates and a second for the news page.

One of these days I will move the news to a blog. I have found an increase in traffic and calls about our services. So go get 'em.

[alciere]

Actually, I might be in the market for a refurbished phone system. Do you carry hybrid systems, that can use both regular and internet phone services?
Obviously I saw your post and I'm responding, so there must be something about the more personal nature of a forum that involves me more than your website. Actually, I've never visited your website, but I will now.
Same concept with a blog. If people get to you know you a little bit, they might be more comfortable doing business, and maybe even visit your main site or give you a call.
(Feel free to call me at 413-773-5400 X609)

[Heal3r]

Great blog info from the other posters, thank you.

For your efforts a blog would be a good tool in a couple different areas.

Credibility-Be an expert on all the aspects of your services and share that information on the web. Your ccustomers and searchers will appreciate the knowledge, your knowledge, and may consider give you new or more business. And credibility is great when it comes to getting interviews regarding your industry or accomplishments or events. Maybe identify what other industries would benefit from your knowledge and invite them to read your blog. Like companies that sell phone accessories. Build a partnership or network.

Feedback. Priceless. Blogs create another opportunity for your current or potential (or past) customers to share their thoughts feelings and opinions. How you respond to what they share could be a huge win.

So create a purpose for your blog, create some content, and then market it.

Have fun!

[NameCritic]

Think of every question any customer has asked you over the years and post the question as the title and the answer as the body. Great way to get found by searchers who need answers and providing the answer makes you who they want to do business with.

[Webdreck]

I think the question is a very good one in terms of the amount of time spent on indirect marketing. It can be difficult to quantify the time required keeping a blog up to date. If you are able to quantify the hours and resources writing and promoting the blog, suddenly it becomes difficult to justify your "spend."

As has been pointed out, however, you can use your blog to develop your business strategy, your network, your team-building initiatives, your market research, your company handbook, your customer care pledges and so on. In other words you can use the blog as a way of communicating aspects of the business you will be working on anyway. There's a lot more to blogging than increasing your site's link popularity/page rank.

And, as spherica very comprehensively pointed out, there are creative ways of developing interesting low-budget content. My Doodleblog site is updated daily with simple drawings I was making anyway (and have made for the last 20 years). When I thought about setting up a blog I realised I had a huge amount of practically inexhaustible cheap content that some people "get" and some people don't but that gives everyone an insight into the sort of person they will be working with (for better or worse!). It's certainly not a direct advert for my business site but it's a pretty useful ice-breaker for business development meetings!

Good luck with the blog (if you've been convinced).

Cheers,
Simon

[begabloomers]

Thanks BJ for talking me through some very basic aspects of setting up a blog with a Technorati ping.

I set up a blog attached to my pure comforts web site, and really just left it for 14 days, I updated some info today and lo and behold, 12 people have linked to my blog! And it is only half built, non news or business related and really a very niche topic range is discussed but I guess 12 people may think that in some point in the near future there will be something worth reading!

I was rather skeptical about whether anyone would find me, then actually care enough about the content to link , but it does work.

Susan

[bj]

You're welcome, begabloomers!

Just remember if you're using WordPress (or one of the other better blog platforms) to set up your pings to the update services. More on that here for WordPress, including a really great list of them:

Update Service Ping setup in Wordpress

[NameCritic]

On technorati. What real value do you get out of making the tags for it and all? Not sure I know. My blogposts appear there anyway and I never tag anything.

Is there something I'm missing by not doing so?

[bj]

If you tag a post you are determining the focus, rather than letting software do it for you (possibly to your detriment.)

[yanchor]

Hi everyone,
Just need more information on how we need to do to promote our blog? I'm a new member, and still in learning process to make a very quality blog. I wish to get good trafic tracking. May someone help me on this purpose?! Thank you.

[incrediblehelp]

Every time you blog, syndicate your posts through social networks like Delicious and Digg. Just out this helpful thread in setting them up on your blog.

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=65796

I am huge fan of client/corporate blogging and basically require every one of my clients to do it or at least try, lol.

I have never found a client where it was "to hard" to come up with content to blog about.

[bj]

Do the usual you'd do to promote any website. Then there are some blog specific places to promote, Technorati being at the top of the list.

This is a pretty good rundown:
www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/

There's a pretty good article here as well:
successful-blog.com/marketing/blog-promotion-basics-for-everyone/

[yanchor]

Thanks dude!!! and I am going to put it in practice...

if anything' I’ll come back and ask for more explanation, may I?!! Thanks for the guides.

[NameCritic]

Originally Posted by bj

If you tag a post you are determining the focus, rather than letting software do it for you (possibly to your detriment.)

Okay, but I hate creating that tag every time. Any way to automate that in your blog that you know of? :) Its just I have to write to way too many of them, but would like to determine the focus as you said.

[bj]

kickasswebdesign.com/wordpress/2006/01/yet-another-technorati-tag-plugin-tryout/

[NameCritic]

Originally Posted by bj

kickasswebdesign.com/wordpress/2006/01/yet-another-technorati-tag-plugin-tryout/

I think you just helped me a great deal! Thank you!

[bj]

You're welcome!

[IgorMordkovich]

Ok ... for a Blog you can utilize the FAQ system. Meaning that you take common questions and you evolve around them. Kind of like the college paper, remember?

If you are 100% sure that you won't have anything to write about at least once a month then forget about the blog and instead just have a section called "Articles or Information". There you can write once every 3 months or whenever you finally have something to write about.

I would though recommend a blog and an open mind. Spin around things that are about your industry, company, people ...

[business888]

great info there and here is my blog. I am linking my blog to my main site with affiliate programs and also to my forum for traffic gen.

cheers
Business888