Business Blogging Tips

How to Create and Run a Successful Online Web Marketing Blog

A Web marketing blog is essential if any business wants to have a strong online presence. It's as simple as that. Yes, there are lot of blogs out there, and you may be thinking that there's no possible way that anyone is going to read your company's Web marketing blog when there's already millions of more popular blogs online. And maybe you don't think you're a very good writer. Or maybe you just plain hate writing, and computers.

Don't worry. Creating and maintaining a Web marketing blog is easier than you think. And it will help your business, if you do it right. It's not too hard to learn, and with time you may even enjoy posting to your web marketing blog. It doesn't matter if you're manufacturing plumbing equipment or running a dog grooming business-you can still craft an interesting and engaging Web marketing blog that customers and potential customers will read.

So how do you create a Web marketing blog that people will read? Here are some tips that should help you get started.

Blogging Tip #1: Keep it Simple
Setting up a Web marketing blog is easy. Services like Blogger and Wordpress allow you to sign up and start writing Web marketing blog entries within minutes.

If you really spend time with your Web marketing blog, you can personalize it by incorporating your company logo and contact information onto your page, but a Web marketing blog shouldn't be too flashy. There should be few bells and whistles-you won't find a lot of Flash animation or music on a good Web marketing blog. Because there is something honest and elegant in the stripped-down layout of a good Web marketing blog, it presents something simple and modest.

Just the words (and sometimes video) on a page give a Web marketing blog a kind of casual intimacy. And it's that kind of intimacy that consumers demand nowadays. A good Web marketing blog can deliver it easily. So don't go overboard with extra features. You want to have as little between you and your reader as possible.

Blogging Tip #2: Be Casual
GM has embraced the Web marketing blog, and it helped the company's corporate image. When GM's Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz started his own Web marketing blog, it became a quick online hit. One reason was that Lutz didn't hide behind PR speak. He was unafraid to address direct criticisms of his company. The Web marketing blog was an outlet for a powerful GM exec who could talk about negative company press in a regular-guy voice. Lutz's candidness helped diffuse a sticky situation for GM.

Blogging Tip #3: Define Your Audience
With millions of blogs already out there, your Web marketing blog can seem like just another drop in the ocean. But you know something that most of those other bloggers don't. You know your target audience. You're not going to be able to write a Web marketing blog that everyone will love.

A successful Web marketing blog is one that finds a niche. If you've taken part in any previous marketing, you'll know what this is about. Think about a specific niche of people whom you will address. Who is going to read your Web marketing blog? Most likely not all of your customers will be interested (and if they are then congratulations-you've got it easier than most) so think about who would be interested in reading your Web marketing blog and write for them.

Blogging Tip #4: Stay On Topic
Sorry, but people aren't visiting your Web marketing blog to hear about your cat. And they really won't be interested in your review of the last movie you saw. So try to keep your Web marketing blog about one thing. In most cases, that one thing will be your business. This comes with a caveat. It can help if you blog about something else in your life from time to time, as it makes you more authentic. But do this sparingly. Don't blog with a review every time you go out to a new restaurant.

Blogging Tip #5: Promote a Blog Through Your Business
The primary goal of your Web marketing blog is to promote your business. But it doesn't have to be a one-way deal. Make sure that your current customers know about your Web marketing blog. The more they know about you and your company, the better they'll feel about doing repeat business. And if your Web marketing blog answers important questions about your business, it may save time for both you and your customer. They'll be happy if they can find answers there instead of calling or emailing you with questions.

Blogging Tip #6: Enable Discussion
You should enable comments on your Web marketing blog, but don't immediately delete all criticism. Instead, think of it as a way to talk set the record straight. That's what Bob Lutz did at GM. When the new line of Pontiacs drew criticism, he replied with humor. "Did you take a look at seat tailoring? Carpet fits…hood gaps, hem flanges? We used to be bad at those, too," he said. People loved it.