Corporate Blogging: Tips for Getting Started [Magnet Minute video]

This week on the Magnet Minute, Amy talks about the business of blogging. Sharing free content is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry, but before you get started you need to make sure you have a game plan so your actions lead to the results you’re looking for.

First, making sure you outline a contributor policy is key, especially if you have more than one representative of your company writing for the blog. You want the voice of the writing to be similar, presentation to be consistent, and goals to be clear. Even if you are the only person at your company and therefore the only writer for the blog, write a policy. It will help keep you focused on the big picture as you’re contributing. Also, if you’re interested in having guest writers share relevant content on your site, you’ll need a policy for them as well. Prepare it in advance so when they inquire you can send them a copy and there won’t be confusion as to what they can and cannot do in a blog post for your site.

Negative comments are usually very rare. As a matter of fact, in the beginning of blogging you’ll be begging anyone to leave you a comment because that conversation can be difficult to jump-start. But in the case that you do have to deal with unfortunate thoughts on your website, you’re going to want to prepare yourself with a crisis management plan. Are you moderating each and every comment so you can filter out the bad ones? Or are you taking the feedback head on and showing the readers that you’re open to everyone’s thoughts and willing to learn how your business can better serve its community? Regardless your preference, make the decision in advance so the policy is consistent and is proper representation of how you want your blog represented.

Now it’s time to create! To keep yourself on a schedule, no matter what that looks like, you’re going to want to look at an editorial calendar as you’re planning your content. Some blogging platforms can include a built-in editorial calendar (such as WordPress with an extra plugin), but you can use any calendar that makes sense for you (Magnet Media likes to use Google Calendar so it’s shareable with its contributors). Once you have that setup, a good way of thinking strategically about your first posts is to think about 10 problems that you can help your potential customer with. Now for each of those 10 problems, write a case study, a how-to, and a checklist. Each gives you the opportunity to write something a little different and attract the people that need help with those issues. 30 days of content ready to help you reach you business goals right there!

Have more questions about corporate blogging? Leave a comment below or tweet with us: @Schmittastic and @MagnetMediaInc.

[ View all of Amy’s Magnet Minute videos on YouTube! ]

Is your business blogging? Share your link with this and your thoughts in the comments. Also be sure to join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.

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