Why Your Company Should Blog

Blogging Intro

Blogging enables you to show your customers, employees and other stakeholders that you're serious about wanting tboth way communication. The Web has provided businesses with far quick ways to communicate and enabed many to become global but it has also made it easier for your customers to find your competitors and post feedback (positive or negative) on your products / services.

Blogging lets customers have a connected but managed view of your operations and keeps your staff and suppliers up to date with what's happening in the organization. Rather than let perceptions form based on rumour and the view of the odd disgruntled customer, you can have significant control of your business / brand reputation and stay connected with sustained and consistent blogging.

Blog to Get Your Message Across...

1. It's cost-effective Customer Relations Management (CRM): By providing a forum for your customers to talk about their experiences with your product and service, you'll get the recognition and are likely be the first to learn about "issues". Helps you be better prepared for damage control!

2. It's a vital link to your employees: Staff buy-in is critical, no matter how brilliant your market strategy may be. Maintain a close connection by keeping your employees in the loop and build morale by acknowledging their contribution.

3. It sows the seeds for innovation: Creative, new ideas offer a fertile ground for innovation and help you stay ahead of the game. What better way to get in to the mind of your consumers and/or stay in constant touch with their changing needs?

4. To know more about the essentials and best practices for blogging, Living Streams recommends the free email course 'Better Business Blogging', entering your referrer as 4444.  Please also join us in a free webinar entitled "Blogging to Build a Reputation", this is being run twice on Thursday 28th October -  at 1pm BST and 6pm BST:  You can register to attend at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/797786864 and https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/772614664  respectively, entering 'Tony Thornby' as the name of the WSI Consultant who invited you to this session. 

An Effective Blogging Strategy builds a strong and reliable brand image

How do you get your customers to see your company as the best solution to resolve their problems? One highly effective method is by rolling out a strategic corporate blogging plan. Whether you're a banker, a multinational company or the local grocer, persuading your customers to see things the same way as yourself requires a good deal of thinking, smart strategies and flawless execution by an effective team.

Ten tips on creating a successful blogging forum

1. Determine your purpose (and timeline) and a create a theme that's in line with your USP
2. Select the right people to drive your message across
3. Be clear, concise and hard hitting
4. Make sure the process is seamless, have a growing library of information for ideas
5. Maintain a healthy dialogue and convey sincerity
6. Avoid "selling" and marketing overkill
7. Enjoy the praise but use negative feedback to take your service up a notch
8. Let your customers be your most avid promoters; use blogging for powerful word-of-mouth advertising
9. Make your clients aware of your blogging forums - engage, involve and inspire them!
10. Monitor and track your blogging efforts to optimise results

Blogging Your Way to a Successful Brand Image

Reading about effective ways to create a blog does not necessarily prepare you for the important task ahead. You can't afford hits and misses with your business reputation. Expert guidance and proven blogging strategies drive results sooner than later. There's no harm in taking a page out of a best seller or learning from the gurus of effective blogging. What matters is building a strong consistent reputation that influences customer loyalty and motivates your employees to help you get the job done.

If you'd like to partner with a specialist web consultancy company to ensure that your blog achieves what you want, please contact Living Streams.