30 Tips On How To Make Your Company's Blog Rock

Writing an article for your company blog is not for everyone. Just trying to come up with ideas for the blog can be a challenge. At the end of the day there is one important element that is absolutely essential and its name is “Passion” with a capital P…. I couldn’t write about cooking, it bores me. ….Putting pen to paper about gardening would turn me to drink. So there you have it, it’s the one core ingredient required or else your blogging journey will not be a lifetime adventure but just a weekend away.

So you have the passion, you can spell, you don’t mind writing a few sentences and your grammar ain’t half bad, so what’s next. Well it helps to create the right mood, the right eco-system to help facilitate a creative writing head space.

Over at the inspiring Zen Habits blog to which I have my Google reader plugged into, I came upon an article titled “9 simple ways you can bring yourself into flow” which provided some great strategies on how to get into creative flow for writing. The 9 ways are below in simple format

• Pick a enjoyable, challenging activity – this means passion
• Eliminate distraction
• Think before you do
• Isolate yourself
• Let go
• Give yourself a time limit
• Keep moving
• Don’t think
• Practice

So we have laid the platform for a creative blog writing environment, what are some tips on keeping that blog post cupboard full of ideas and your company’s blog pumping out great content that will change your business.

1. Industry News – whats happening this week, this month

2. Industry Trends – where is the industry going, what are the emerging hot segments

3. Customers Pain Points – Write posts that provide solutions for your customers problems

4. Customers successes – Write up a case study about a clients successful project, they will often let you publish their name

5. What not to do – highlighting where something hasn’t worked (the names shall remain anonymous of course)

6. Create a video blog post by interviewing a successful client – this can a powerful providing authentic evidence of authority and credibility for both you and the client

7. Write articles for the different types of customers that are relevant for each of  your vertical markets

8. Brainstorm blog post topics with colleagues and management and create a list for future reference and planning

9. Subscribe to the top industry blogs in your market, both company blogs and personal blogs for ideas

10. Look through your latest news releases for ideas

11. Sign up other staff to write on topics in your industry or market that they are passionate about

12. Develop a series of how to blog posts

13. Turn the “how to” blog posts into short videos

14. When you have a great idea, go straight to your “add new” button and write the headline and save it as a draft or write it down before you forget it.

15. Include a great iconic image at the start of the blog that catches the eye

16. Case Studies are always popular to write about and not just your own

17. Place Powerpoint presentations on your blog by posting  and then embedding links from Slideshare

18.  Run polls and surveys on your blog

19. Create great headlines that catch people attention and makes them want to read the rest of the article

20. Add credbility banners such as how many subscribers, number of hits, blog grade and any awards

21. Provide “share this” buttons to Facebook and Twitter as a minimum

22. Implement “subscribe” buttons via RSS and Email

23. Write in bite size chunks and use bullet points so readers can quickly and easy consumption

24. Break up large blocks of text with iconic and interesting images

25. Take screen shots to place in your post using Software like Snagit to highlight points .. a picture is worth a 1000 words

26. Be yourself even if it is a company blog.. be authentic.

27. Optimize your blog for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

28. Promote and distribute your posts on to other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

29. Make the blog easy to find on your company’s web page with a large bannner or button

30. Finally, have fun, mix up the types of posts and add some humour occasionally

What makes your blog rock? Look forward to hearing your suggestions