Set up a blog for your business.

What is a blog?

The term ‘blog’ is short for web-log – a constantly updated web page that gives visitors usually a daily update or set of views from a particular person – a sort of on-line diary. Most blogs are run by individuals but an increasing number of businesses are now running their own blogs to keep people informed of – and interested in – their activities. You can usually reply to blog entries as well – but this is not always the case.

What can it do for your business?

Blogs can be used as a marketing tool, giving potential customers a different way of getting a feel for a business than a conventional web site. If the blog is interactive, it can also act as a fairly informal first point of contact for new customers and contacts. By making sure the blog is up to date and interesting, you can encourage people to get into the habit of visiting the site.

If you can make it work, a blog can open up regular dialogue with customers and potential new customers, position you as a market and thought leader – or just as the top dog in your area and expose new ideas or products and services to the market faster.

What to put on Blog pages .

You can use it to put up simple or amusing anecdotes and developments but also more serious information such as new projects, offers and promotions. If you get enough traffic you can even use a blog to test market an idea or an offer. But you do need to keep it up to date – otherwise, visitors will soon drift off to other sites.

Matters of style.

Unless your blog is aimed solely at existing customers, the expected style of writing a blog is light-hearted, engaging and humourous. A blog is not a sales brochure but a way of communicating with existing and potential customers in a more personal way. Content can be personal – your views and thoughts for example on anything that is happening to you or to your business – but never insulting, rude or inflammatory in any way. Nor should it be in any way considered libellous – you are responsible for what you publish on the blog as much as you are responsible for the content of your own web site. You should have a clear statement somewhere that says that the views expressed on the blog are those of the individual employee and do not reflect the opinions of your company as a whole.

Setting up a Blog.

There are lots of on-line web tools that enable you to set up and manage your own web log pretty easily. You can be up and running within an hour or two and thereafter it is just a matter of keeping it up to date. Two of the most popular blog sites are Blogger, which is free; and Typepad, which has a small monthly cost but more customisation options.

You can direct people to the site hosted on their web site, but it looks more professional to buy a standard web address and link that to the site. e.g. www.abclimitedblog.co.uk sounds better than http://abclimited.bloghostingcompany.com. Also see www.businessblogconsulting.com for reviews of various publishing platforms and if you are more comfortable with a familiar approach, take a look at Windows Live Spaces - http://spaces.live.com/

There are numerous software packages that let you add a blog section to an existing web site which is probably the best way to do things if you already have a site.