This report will help you get a grip on business blogging. See how your blog can enhance your enterprise’s web presence. Learn how to take control of your own blog and blogging team. Apply these ideas to get the most out of your new enterprise blog! Learn the What, Why, Who, How, When and Where of blogging for your business. You'll get a great handle on whether blogging is right for your business. You'll discover how your enterprise can approach blogging and maximize it as a powerful marketing channel. If you think of business blogging as talking into the wind, think again! With the right approach, your business blog can help develop relationships and referrals with your customers.

2. Blogging for Business
Rogue Star Studio
roguestarstudio.com

3. Introduction
Do you wonder if a blog is necessary for your business goals?
Whether blogging personally, or for an organization, you want to
make an informed decision about your Web presence – especially
before committing to a business blog. Aren't those
high­maintenance?
Not necessarily.
Not every organization needs a blog. Executed poorly, a blog could
even do more harm than good to your organization's image. Like a
restaurant with no clean tables, and no busser in sight, a cheap or
neglected blog can put off any traffic who happens in.
Let's examine factors that go into a successful blog implementation.
It covers the what, why, who, how, when and where to blog. By
the time you read this section of the book, you'll have a firmer grasp
on how to approach blogging for business – and how to succed at it.

4. What is a blog? Does my business need
one?
A weblog, or blog for short, is simply a dynamic web page that
updates in real time. It presents an ever­scrolling page of new
content; and it automatically archives older content. A blog can
feature news, opinions, products, services, and people.
The dynamic nature of this type of website carries a certain appeal
and captures return visitors. This, in turn, generates compounding
relevance – and value – to one's target audience, or market.
Blogs play by many different rules and strategies. They can promote
thought leadership to product reviews to magazine style publishing,
or be simple personal journals shared with family and friends.
Entrepreneurs may use blogs to discuss industry issues and shed
light on the value their service and expertise provides.
To get closer to the point: a blog is a demonstration of activity – a
living presence on a digital wall. It can deliver a human presence for
PR value; a stream of commercial content; a community around
your brand – and more.
It can attract new customers, while keeping old ones coming back.
A blog is, in short, a compounding traffic engine.
Is this something your enterprise could use? If you answer yes, read
on!

5. Why blog? Does it really matter?
It doesn't matter – unless you, or your competitors, make it matter.
Then, it may matter a great deal. A blog has virtually no ceiling on the
amount of readers it could reach. It has no geographical limitations.
It also has none of your brand value – unless you deliberately add it.
Many elements go into establishing a brand impression through a
website: color, layout, navigation, content – the list goes on. Ideally,
all of these elements would pull in the same direction. If you're not
sure how, stick to a personal blog – or get skilled help.
The more activity around your site, the more search engines and
social media see it as a relevant resource. The more relevance, the
easier it is to get found. This matters in a medium centered around
user activity and search engine page rank.
The better your blogging stategy and implementation – the more
powerful results a blog can generate.
Are you in a position to cultivate a new channel for marketing? If you
answer yes, read on!

6. Who should blog? Who should speak for
my organization?
Not everyone needs to blog. It really depends on the native level of
interest around your value proposition, product, service, or mission. If
there's something in there people like to talk about – news,
questions, service, issues – then a blog can very well hit the mark.
Content can be generated by staff, personalities, news sources, or
writers­for­hire.
For organizations, it's possible to give any who choose their own
blog­within­the­blog. They can talk about their own departments, or
issues.
For more formal sites, content can reflect a more impersonal,
informative tone. Sometimes it's a kind of alchemy, coming up with
content strategies that strike a chord with your target market. It may
involve direct or indirect approaches to related topics. It may be
informative, or it may be fun. It may be planned, or it may be organic
– that is, community­centered.
Where does your business fall on the formality spectrum? If its
culture is more stakeholding and democratic, encourage multiple
staff bloggers, with visible profiles that can gain Web social equity. If
its messages are more centralized, consider impersonal content
without bylines.
Ask yourself: is there a face for my business? A natural
spokesperon or cheerleader? If you answer yes, you don't have to
hire an outsider writer – you already have the best person to blog for
your business.

7. How should my business blog?
Like it matters; or not at all.
The watchword here is consistency. Reward reader loyalty by
meeting expectations. A posting schedule helps here. Whether posts
are published once a month, week, day, or multiple times per day,
publish as regularly as clockwork. Take out the guesswork for your
readers. This applies not only to posting frequency – but subject
matter too.
Understand the topics that generate the most interest for your target
readers. Do searches of other blogs and forums to find categories of
key interest. Include both popular topics, and those characteristic of
your Unique Value Proposition – what distinguishes your enterprise
from all the rest. What is your enterprise's special value? How can
you support and spread that brand message?
Implement careful keyword strategies to ensure you're hitting all the
right notes with search and and social media.
Respond to people engaging on your site. Pre­empt bad news and
rumors with accurate information. Respond quickly to key issues.
Create email lists of subscribers and loyal followers. Build a
marketing funnel with this base of self­selecting prospects. You can
offer them more specialized products knowing they will be more
likely to convert!
Are you willing to value a channel accessed by interactive
technology? Are you willing to optimize these channels, and to
interact – or hire someone who can? If you answer yes, read on!

8. When should my business blog?
Not until it has the whole package put together.
Establish all the elements of a professional or semi­professional
blog. Add content for a few weeks before launching a publicity
campaign using digital and social media channels. Customer
acquisition through a blog relates directly with posting frequency, as
demonstrated in the following statistics:
Blog Post Frequency & Customer Acquisition:
Source: Hubspot
Multiple posts /day ­ 100%
Once daily ­ 90%
2­3 x/week ­ 69%
Once weekly ­ 58%
Once monthly ­ 38%
Less than monthly ­ 13%

9. In short, the more frequently and regularly you blog, the more
compounding marketing power you can generate. Quality and
quantity work hand­in­hand to create conversions – sales,
subscriptions, sign­ups, and more.
Blogging is a bit like training in a gym; chances are, you won't
accidentally get powerful. You have to work at it. Keep moving
forward. It's digital, not set in stone. You can change just about
anything that doesn't work. In fact, you should actively test results.
Are you prepared to take your blog one step at a time – done right?
Are you perpared to create a consistent launch and posting
schedule? If you answer yes, read on!

10. Where can my business blog?
On your own domain, of course – if you're serious. This refers to a
Web address that is dedicated to your business alone. Credibility
and brand substance are paramount objectives for digital media.
Once blogging, readers spread authentic content organically, and
sometimes take it to whole other levels of amplification.
Broadcast your articles in blog networks, blog carnivals and content
aggregators. Slant your articles and add them to highly­trafficked
information sources, where content­hungry publishers gather.
In a word: network. Draw your blogging activity to other people's
sites. Typical processes include developing social media networks;
guest posting at popular blogs; and participating in forums. Produce
related media content, such as viral videos and screen
presentations, for viral and networked distribution.
Are you willing to venture outside the company grounds? To leave
your comfort zone? To participate in other meeting places and online
social zones? If you answer yes ­ you're there!

11. Blogging for Business ­ the Final Word
If you've read this far – congratulations! Chances are business
blogging is something you can succeed at!
What now? Look over your Website Marketing Plan and Social
Media Team Plan from Rogue Star Studio. Get started succeeding
online today!
The blogging enterprise comprises many elements – but like any
journey worth taking, the adventure occurs with every single step;
and among all the people you encounter along the way.
The destination is not “out there.” It lives in the unfolding character
and experience. Whether for a sole interest or a group venture,
blogging creates an opportunity for personal engagement. It
generates influence, and enriches the greater global community one
voice at a time. It establishes your place in the world.
What are you waiting for? Get blogging!