| When you decide to set-up a Business Blog, there is | | | | make it really successful. 2. Who do you want to read |
| one aspect which is often overlooked in the | | | | your Blog? In the same way that target groups with |
| excitement (yes, excitement!) of creating your new | | | | your products or services, you need to decide who is |
| marketing and communications tool. This is the planning | | | | the target audience for your Business Blog and |
| phase - a critical element if you want to create a | | | | consequently who you are writing for. This will |
| successful blog and something which you need to | | | | influence the content of your posts and also the way |
| spend time on before diving in and writing your first | | | | in which you write them - two elements which will |
| post. As you plan your blog, you should identify what | | | | effect how your readers view you and your business. |
| you are looking to achieve with it and who you are | | | | You might be looking to demonstrate your in depth |
| writing for. The answers to these questions will allow | | | | knowledge of your niche to prospective partners, |
| you to be much more focused when it comes to the | | | | create an interactive relationship with clients or |
| content of your posts and will make sure that you are | | | | motivate internal staff. Each will require a different |
| writing in line with the requirements of those who will | | | | approach to both what you write and how you |
| be reading them. To do this, you need to have | | | | present it. 3. What results are you looking for? You |
| answered three key questions: 1. What do you want | | | | should also be clear as to what results you want to |
| your blog to do for your company? It's important to be | | | | achieve with the Business Blog. While a blog is certainly |
| very clear about why you want to start the Business | | | | not a direct sales tool, there are nevertheless many |
| Blog. Are you looking to position yourself as an expert | | | | ways in which you can measure its direct |
| in your field, to use it as the focal point for a network | | | | effectiveness. These might include number of visitors, |
| of contacts for your company or perhaps to promote | | | | subscribers to your RSS feed, sign ups to a |
| a particular service / product using 'educational | | | | newsletter, contacts initiated or clients achieved |
| marketing' as part of a soft sell approach. Perhaps it | | | | through a contact form on your Blog etc. By identifying |
| will have an internal communications focus, either for | | | | the results you want, you will be able to measure how |
| the company as a whole or specific teams within it, or | | | | successful you have been and make changes |
| you may intend to have it as a development area for | | | | accordingly. By spending time on this part of the set up |
| a new product where developers and partners | | | | of your Business Blog, you will reap the rewards later. |
| contribute and in the process create a group of | | | | You will ensure that the blog maintains its focus in |
| evangelists for it, or . These are all great goals for your | | | | terms of its content and, as a consequence, provide |
| blog (or blogs), however, you should identify and focus | | | | your readers with what they are looking for and you |
| on the one that you want to achieve if you want to | | | | with a successful blog for your business. |