Blog Tips

Creating a Corporate Blog People Want to Read

While many of the tips on blog resource sites concentrate on ?personal blogging?, many can be transferred to a more business-minded blog.

Yet what about corporate blogs, where many of the tips given might not apply, or come up against everyone?s favourite, the?Red Tape Roadblock?

Can generic tips apply to more organizational blogs?

Yes and no ? depending on the company in question, and their willingness to experiment. Here are some ideas for those that might be willing to look at how their organization could use a blog.

Work Around the Legal Blocks

One of the biggest complaints I hear about blogs for organizations and enterprise is that the number of legal hoops they have to go through, just to get a post approved, means it?s not worthwhile to pursue.

By the time the approval comes, it?s too late to miss a hot time for a particular story, or opportunity. Fair enough ? but if you?re missing out on a lead generation or business opportunity because legal is syphoning you, perhaps you have bigger company issues than jumping on a trend?

Organizations don?t always need to write things where legal minefields are visible. There are way more things to write about, that can receive instantaneous approval (if any is needed). These could include:

Loyal customer or preferred client showcase / thank-you.
Highlighting your great team.
How your company came into existence.
Cool innovations in your market that aren?t necessarily from you.

These are just some suggestions, but each offer a way to have continuous content without waiting for a dozen rounds of approval.

Use Video and Education

People are visual creatures. We like to see things, as opposed to just reading about them. So why do so many businesses not use video as part of their blogging strategy?

The great thing with video is that you don?t even need to have someone in front of the camera (although offering a face to the company is always a great way of humanizing it).

Video also makes it easy to offer an educational portion to your blog ? how to use your online purchasing system, for example, or how to put together one of your products, as opposed to a fifty page manual.

The opportunities with video blogging for businesses is huge, and it doesn?t even have to be top-notch production. You can get a great set-up ? camera, tripod, external mics, etc ? for under $1,000, which in the grand scheme of things isn?t that much.

Allow Honesty

The reason social media is so popular with customers is because it allows a greater connection between them and the brands they choose to connect with.

Connect well, and the potential for lead generation and sales ? as well as brand loyalty ? is palpable.

Another reason social media is so popular is one word ? honesty. There?s nowhere to hide online, and this is encouraging businesses to be better at how they deal with customer queries, issues and more.

Blogging?s just another facet of social media ? so use it as such, and try and be honest in your blogging.

Use it to admit to mistakes made by your company and how you aim to rectify.
Correct false news stories and present the facts to back your point(s) up.
Use everyday grammar as opposed to techy business talk, or creative talk (unless that?s specifically your audience).
Accept criticism of posts, and reply professionally and honestly, accepting the critiques if they?re valid.

Again, these are just some of the ways you can make your corporate blog more interesting.

You could also share examples of how you help in the community; or support local charities; or encourage guest posts from your customers about their experience with you (although this may come under legal, for obvious reasons).

The point is, there?s a lot you can do with a corporate blog to stop it being just another dull news site. And you might just be pleasantly surprised how well your customers ? existing and potential ? respond to a non-dull approach.

How about you? If you?re a corporate blogger, what have you found that works? Or, if you?re a reader, what would you like to see more of in a corporate blog?

image:?maxymedia

How to Get More Blog Readers By Having Your Content Syndicated

For most (if not all) bloggers, one of the key metrics on how their blog has grown comes from how many readers it has.

These don?t necessarily have to be subscribers, either, although I?m a fan of subscribers being more a metric than readers for success, since these are folks that are investing their inboxes with you. But I digress?

But as any blogger knows, wanting more readers and getting more readers can be two wildly separate entities. It?s a big blogging world out there, and people can be sparing with their time and where to invest it.

The good news is, there is a way you can attract more readers to your blog, and that?s through content syndication. The bad news, you may have to give up some control. So what are the benefits and how do you get syndicated?

A Quick Introduction to Content Syndication

Before we look at how you can get your blog in front of the eyes of more readers, let?s just take a quick look at what content syndication means. The easiest way to compare it is to local news journalists and major newsrooms.

For most local journalists, your stories are mainly read by the local township. There?s nothing wrong with this, and it?s a solid enough career. However, now and again you might write a human interest story that gets picked up by the nationals, and your piece is quoted in the New York Times or on CNN.

That kind of exposure can lead to bigger gigs and paychecks, as you?re approached to provide stories (or images) for these bigger outlets, as well as your local publication where it all started. This is the journalism version of content syndication.

Now, take that back to your blog. That?s the local publication, and the bigger newsrooms might be Mashable, or ReadWriteWeb, or Techcrunch, or Technorati ? basically, anywhere that might be in your niche but has an audience hundreds of thousands of times bigger than yours.

If you could get your content into their feeds, then the sky is the limit to where you can go as a blogger. So how do you get out there, and what are the best options for you?

The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Content Syndication

The simplest way to have your content syndicated is to do it yourself.

Yes, it?s also the most time-consuming, as you have to do all the legwork and find the sites in your niche that accept blog feeds to be shared. But until you have the good fortune to be noticed by other websites for your blog content, getting yourself out there in syndication land is the only way to go for now.

To help you make this process a little quicker, here are some of the best (and most widely-read) syndication sites and options currently out there, regardless of your blog?s niche:

Alltop: Although Alltop gets a lot of stick from many people, it can still act as a great library of blogs and bloggers. With a complete A-Z of topics and syndication as easy as submitting your blog details, it?s a great way to get your blog in front of a new set of readers.

Networked Blogs: Primarily a great way to share your blog posts on Facebook, Networked Blogs also has a library of blog topics to submit your blog to. The cool thing about Networked Blogs is if you can get enough of your Facebook friends and colleagues to follow your blog via their Facebook app, you can rise to the top of the topic list and get even more readers.

Scribnia: From my friend David Spinks, Scribnia has become a great resource for finding quality new blogs due to their voting system. People can show their approval (or disapproval, so make sure your quality is good!) of your blog with a vote and description and, like Networked Blogs, this helps you rise in the ranks until your content is in front of thousands. Again, submitting your blog is straightforward.

These are just three options you can begin submitting your content to for syndication. There are more (and this is where ), but I chose these for the width of topics and audience size.

As a way of potentially growing your readership, syndication offers the best ?bang for your buck? when it comes to the number of new readers you could attract. However, it does have some downsides.

I Get a Whole Bunch of New Readers ? So What?s the Problem?

While syndication can get you new readers, by its very nature it can also be a limited amount of new readers. If you take a look at the three options I highlighted above, you?ll see that there are hundreds (thousands) of other bloggers syndicated there too.

So, to make sure your blog stands out, you have to know how to best use each network for promotion. A widget on your blog (Alltop, Networked Blogs and Scribnia all offer this) is a start. As is adding the syndicated feed to your email signature, or other online destinations.

Additionally, syndication often means losing control of your content. For instance, instead of people sharing your blog post on Twitter, Facebook, etc, they share the syndicated feed. So, your work is read but readers still aren?t necessarily coming to your site versus the syndicated one.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind before going down the syndication route. There?s no doubt it can work ? just make sure you?re ready to do the work to make it work.

Then again, isn?t that how all blogging growth really happens?

This post originally appeared on For Bloggers By Bloggers. For more blogging tips on how to grow your blog, you can subscribe here.

image: Google Libraries

12 Bloggers You Really Should Read in 2012

The great thing about blogging is that you get to meet so many smart people. While a post might start the conversation, the comments take it in a whole new direction altogether, and makes a post better for it.

As well as blog comments offering the opportunity to read the views of these smart people, they also allow us to check out more of their writing, thanks to plugins like CommentLuv.

I’ve discovered some really great bloggers through comments left on this blog, and I’d like to share 12 of them with you today.

Each one of them brings a tremendous voice and point-of-view, as well as something to learn from every time. And you can’t ask for more than that.

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are 12 bloggers you really should read and subscribe to in 2012.

1. Judy Dunn

One of the original For Bloggers By Bloggers core authors, Judy has long been one of my favourite bloggers from the first post of hers I read. Her Cats Eye Writer blog is one of the best around, period, for writing advice, style, life lessons weaved into blogging and more. If you want to be a better writer, read Judy Dunn.

2. Craig McBreen

Craig came into my radar last year, and he’s been there ever since. A fairly new blogger, Craig writes about social media and business, but from a more human angle. His writing style is very warm and incredibly smooth, and flows from one sentence to the other. If you want a business-type blog without the boring corporate fluff, check Craig McBreen out.

3. Jayme Soulati

Never one to pull punches or walk in territories others would be afraid to, Jayme Soulati writes an excellent PR-led blog over at Soulati-‘TUDE. Although there are many reasons to love her blog, her no-nonsense approach to showing what’s wrong in PR and how to improve it make it an essential read for anyone with an interest in public relations.

4. Robert Dempsey

One of my favourite marketing blogs, because like Jayme above there are no punches pulled, Robert Dempsey’s blog is one of those blogs that has you hooked once you read a post. Knowledgeable; genuine; fearless – if you want a great marketing blog that really tells it like it is, Robert Dempsey is your guy.

5. Stuart Mills

There are many blogs that write about life and how to remain positive when the shit hits the fan. Many come across as false, though, and just out for eyeballs. Stuart’s Unlock The Door blog isn’t one of them. A tremendous blog that shines with humanity and real emotion, this is one of the best blogs out there to show you how to really live life, personally and professionally.

6. Bill Dorman

The self-penned “Invisible Blogger” because no-one used to read his blog (man, how that’s changed!), Bill Dorman is another blogger who effortlessly seems to bridge the gap between business, life, human emotions and storytelling. That’s not an easy trick to pull off – but Bill does it with ease. Read his blog and you’ll see how for yourself.

7. Ken Mueller

Ken Mueller is simply awesome – that’s all you need to know. More? Okay – Ken’s blog is one of the very best at providing solid business and social media views with humour and deprecation. This is a guy that’s not afraid to get the lady clothes on for a video to prove a point – and that’s just one of many reasons why you should read his blog. ‘Nuff said.

8. Samantha Collier

A fellow Canadian, Samantha Collier writes about social media for law firms on her blog. In an industry that has to be extra-careful at what can and can’t be said online, Samantha’s blog is a great educational resource, as well as a helping hand for law practitioners when it comes to the social media space. A great read.

9. Howie Goldfarb

I’m not quite sure whether Howie is an alien or human being, or something in-between. One thing I’m certain of, though, is that he’s one of the most-informed people I know when it comes to talking about advertising and social media, amongst other things. While his blog needs a visual makeover (my eyes, Howie!!!), it’s no slouch when it comes to solid information and overviews. Read it and learn.

10. Brankica Underwood

One of my perennial favourite bloggers, Brankica writes about Internet marketing, SEO, blogging and more over at Live Your Love. Her voice is one of the most vociferous out there when sharing opinion (and that’s a great thing to have), and she also continuously recommends awesome products for anyone looking to create a business online. Required reading.

11. Marya

I found Marya’s blog completely by accident. She suggested a guest post for For Bloggers By Bloggers and I checked out her stuff, and was blown away by the quality of educational content. Much like Judy that started this list, Marya writes excellent blogging and writing tips, and has a great community of commentators over at her Writing Happiness blog.

12. Dan Perez

I always give Dan stick for being a miserable sod – but deep down (okay, on the surface too!) he’s one of the most genuine guys you’ll meet. Dan writes about a lot of topics – social media, people, business, non-profit and more – as well as makes great videos to share them. But despite the multi-topic approach, Dan Perez’s blog is one of the most cohesive and educational/inspiring ones around.

So there you have it – 12 bloggers that you really should add to your reading list in 2012, if you’re not already reading them. Like I say, each one offers something unique to them, and makes blog reading and commenting a delightful lesson.

I hope you check them out – I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with any of them. Oh, and if you’re looking for more blogging tips and advice, there’s always our little site over at For Bloggers By Bloggers, too…

Happy New Year, all!

image: Kikolani

Three Things I Would Have Done Differently If I Started Blogging Today

The following post is an excerpt from my chapter in Danny Iny’s new book, Engagement From Scratch: How Super Community Builders Create a Loyal Audience and How You Can Do the Same.

It features lessons in community building and content marketing from the likes of Guy Kawasaki, Brian Clark, Mitch Joel, Kristi Hines, Gini Dietrich and many more. A review of the book will appear later this week.

I Would Have Posted Less Frequently

I started off writing a blog post a day (and sometimes I posted more than once on the same day). Sometimes this made me publish stuff that, in hindsight, could have (should have) been better.

In the middle of 2011, I made a conscious decision to post less frequently, and really ask questions of things in the stuff I wrote about. It made me a better blogger, and resulted in the ensuing comments going through the roof.

I Would Have Been More Honest

Let me rephrase that: I would not have been afraid to speak more honestly. There were times early on when I wouldn’t have said anything negative about certain people, since I (incorrectly) thought they were right. Turns out we all get blinded by vacuous respect. When I realized this, and began writing openly about bad practices and calling out bullshit, it once again raised the level of engagement through the roof, as others were clearly thinking the same thing. Be honest, and you’ll have engagement.

I Wouldn’t Be So Closed Off

One of the things many bloggers complain about is that social sites like Twitter and Facebook have seen comment numbers decrease, as conversations about a post shift there, as opposed to taking part on the blog. Heck, I even wrote a post about Twitter killing blog comments! But that’s missing the point – engagement comes in all shapes and sizes, and while your blog may be the most desired place for discussion, true engagement allows the discussion to expand in all directions.

If I was to do anything differently, it’d be to get active on Facebook sooner (and now Google+). Because, ironically, I’ve tended to find that the more willing I am to converse away from my blog, the more likely people are to click through and read more of my stuff. And that’s a win-win for everyone.

Engagement From Scratch: How Super Community Builders Create a Loyal Audience and How You Can Do the Same is available now. 50% of all profits from book sales go to support the teaching of entrepreneurship.

12 Common Mistakes New Bloggers Make

Blogging?s a great way to grow awareness of you and/or your brand and, with bloggers now getting book deals and media contracts, it can also be a lucrative one.

Unfortunately, many bloggers shoot themselves in the foot by making some basic errors that holds their blog back from its true potential.

Knowing how to avoid these mistakes can mean the difference between just another blog online, and one that stands out as the kind people take notice of.

1. Not owning your own domain

Having your own domain ? as in,?blogname.com?? certainly isn?t a must-have for all bloggers. But if you want to be taken seriously, having a professional domain makes that much more likely. The great news is you can even buy a premium domain and use it on free blog services like?WordPress.com?and?Blogger.com.

2. Not owning your online property

For anyone serious about blogging, a self-hosted option is the only way to go. Not only does it give you more options for styling and customization, it shows you?re in this for the long haul, which can be an attractive proposition for brands looking to sponsor blogs.

3. Not optimizing your blog?s permalinks

Usually, a new blog?s permalinks are set to?blogname.com/?p=123. Pretty ugly, eh? It?s not very search engine friendly either. As soon as you set your blog up, change your permalink settings so they just show the post or page name after the main URL. So something likeblogname.com/posttitle?or?blogname.com/pagetitle.

4. Forgetting to change your favicon

When you have a browser tab open, there?s a little icon on it that shows which site you?re on (Gmail has a red envelope, for example). This helps your site stand out when multiple tabs are open. Use a favicon generator like?favicon.cc?to make your own.

5. Having a generic logo

While you don?t need to go all out and custom design your complete blog as soon as you start, at the very least get your own personalized logo. This is one of the first things new visitors see and can say a lot about your blog.

6. Not using a web-friendly font

A lot of bloggers want their blog to stand out, so go for a font that looks cool. Unfortunately, on the web, it might be painful to read. Stick to a?sans-serif font?for all your main body content, and try not to use too many different fonts on one page or post.

7. Not submitting your blog to the search engines

While a blog is incredibly search engine friendly as it is, because you?re offering fresh, new content, they need to know you exist. You can speed this up by submitting your blog to search engines when live. Google makes it really easy to?submit your blog.

8. Not learning SEO

Many bloggers will tell you content is king. It?s a good point ? but if content is king, SEO is blogging?s queen. If you want people to find your blog, understand how SEO works ? there are many?free resources as well as paid options.

9. Not taking the time to format posts

Web pages that have nothing but lines of continuous text are horrible to read. Make your blog jump from the page by using short sentences, bullet points, headlines and great images. Even long posts can seem shorter with great formatting.

10. Not offering more than one subscription method

Many bloggers offer just an?RSS subscription feed?for their blogs. But email subscription is hugely popular for those that prefer it, while services like?Odiogo?offer another great option for the visibly impaired. Make sure you offer more than one option.

11. Not offering social sharing options

For many bloggers, social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are big drivers of traffic. Make sure you offer the most popular social networks as sharing options on all your posts, and make them prominent.

12. Wanting to be someone else

Perhaps the biggest mistake new bloggers make is to want to be someone else. But the other bloggers you want to be like already have that audience ? so be you, be cool with making mistakes, and grow your style naturally.

These are 12 of the most common mistakes I see new bloggers make. While they may not all be crucial to where you want to go with your blog, they will play a big part in how soon you get there (if at all).

Blogging is fun. It can also be hugely rewarding. By making sure you don?t make these 12 most common new blog mistakes, it?ll be more fun and rewarding for you too.

A version of this post originally appeared on?12 Most.

image:?chrisinplymouth