We like what Chris Gmyr of Cheetah Builder has to say on the topic of business blogging.
One of the most important factors to business blogging is developing a voice. Your blog should mimic what customers can expect if they email you or contact you over the phone. Think about how you want the “voice” of your business to sound: strictly professional, humorous and light, or a combination of the two.
Be personal. Regardless of the tone you choose for your business blog, make sure your blog sounds like it was written by a real person, not a “corporate entity”. The content should be relatable and approachable. The other side of this, however, is that while personable is important, you don’t want to get too personal. Avoid stories about your family, friends and life outside of the business, unless it really fits in with what you’re writing about that day. Even then, keep the personal stories to a minimum. Also, keep your opinions and beliefs about non-work related things to yourself.
Be clear and concise, and shy away from industry lingo (unless you will be defining it). Make your work as easy to understand as possible. Aim for an eighth grade reading level, and don’t use words that are more complicated than they need to be. For example, substitute ‘use’ for ‘usage’.
Your readers are your customers– treat them as such. Use the same level of courtesy and respect in your blog as you would in real life meetings. Respond to comments, address any issues that arrive in a professional manner, and show appreciation for their involvement on your site.
Most importantly, if you can’t keep up with regular blog posts, don’t start. Delegate the task to someone else, hire a professional writer, or even skip the blog altogether. Blogging is definitely one of the best ways to truly connect with your customers, but when you go weeks or even months between posts, it looks unprofessional. As you lose blog readers (due to the lack of posts), you’ll also start losing customers. It’s better to put your energy into an amazing website, and not tackle a blog if you don’t think you’ll be able to keep up with it.
Marie Ennis-O’Connor BA, MIAPR, holds an Honours degree in History from University College Dublin. She is a graduate of the Irish Academy of Public Relations and has worked in a variety of PR roles over the past 12 years. Marie is editor of several award-winning blogs ranging from life sciences to health to business. She is a panel member of the newly established Bloggers International and is a regular contributor to Health Works Collective, an online community for thought leaders in international healthcare. She is a featured blogger on Webicina, an online service that provides curated medical social media resources in over 80 medical topics and over 17 languages, and has been awarded a top blogger accolade by Empowered Doctor.com and most inspiring writer by WegoHealth. Marie is also in demand as a trainer in social media marketing and travels the country teaching small business owners how to get online and maximise their online presence.
