Chapter 2. Laying the Foundation for Blogging

In This Chapter

• Defining corporate blogging strategies

• Determining your content and responding to criticism

• Understanding industry expectations

• Assessing your resources and defining ownership

• Planning your content

The vast opportunities of the Internet have changed consumer and business behavior when it comes to purchasing decisions. In the past, customers would contact sales personnel to find out more about your products or services.

These days, though, consumers and businesses use the Internet to thoroughly research their next purchasing decision in advance. By the time your Web visitor has made contact with you, he may know more about your company, products, and services than the person he connects with on the phone!

Consumers are seeking additional information so they can make the right choice. If your company wants to compete for that decision, they must deploy an effective strategy to have the information needed where the consumer expects it. A blog is the perfect platform for deploying this strategy!

An effective corporate blogging strategy, offers a number of benefits, including:

• It provides a voice for your company beyond your brand and marketing.

• It showcases your authority, knowledge, and experience in your industry, positioning you as a leader or expert.

• It provides content that attracts search engine traffic.

• It gives you a knowledge base of information in an easily organized and searchable online format, allowing your company to save on employee education and customer service calls.

• It is an effective inbound marketing strategy, providing a path for visitors to your site to convert into customers in a manner that's efficient and affordable.