Why Blog?
Did you know that you are viewed as an expert in your field? Do you know that you have knowledge that you can share with the general public that could give your organization some exposure and provide valuable information to people?
An organization’s web site is not the only tool to get information out on the web. We recommend that you have a web site as well as a blog. In the simplest form a blog (web log) is a collection of information posted in reverse chronological order. This information can include anything from organization press releases, articles you have written, to sharing tips and tricks within your industry.
For organizations with limited budgets, blogs don’t have to be expensive. Google has a tool called Blogger which is simple to set up and is completely free. Blogger will give you a new web site address that is separate from your web site – so the one thing you will want to do is make sure that your web site has a link to your new blog and visa versa. There are a number of other popular blogging tools as well, many of which are free to use.
If you have your blog set up through a web site development company they will usually ensure that your web site address remains the same for the blog as the rest of your web site. You can also request more design customization to have the blog look more like your web site, in order to ensure that your corporate brand is maintained through all mediums.
When you have your blog set up, it is time to start using it. We recommend talking with your colleagues and coming up with ideas of the knowledge you could share with people who are interested in what your organization does. When you have your list of ideas you can then start to write. People like to know that you’re going to be feeding them new information regularly, whether that is daily, every week or every 2 weeks, so try to blog in a timely fashion. If you find that the commitment for this is too big perhaps two or three people are interested in contributing to the blog, which means that the work could be split between these people.
Blogging tools come with some statistical information and syndication functionality, and over time you’ll find that more and more people are finding your blog. Some people might even comment on your entry and provide additional insight to your blog. When this starts to happen you know that you are valued by other people for your thoughts and you gain respect from them. Imagine the influence you could have on people, other organizations or businesses with the knowledge you’re sharing. Blogging is a powerful tool.
So start participating in the next level of information sharing that the web has to offer. It can only give your organization an extra edge on your competition as you embrace another tool to broadcast your message to the world.
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