8 Essential Elements of the Business Blog

Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 08:34am by Sabah Karimi in Marketing

Blogging is a natural extension of many business websites, and is quickly becoming a valuable way to attract and retain visitors to your site. Using a blog as an extension of your website�and even a marketing tool�can help you generate some new interest in your company and products, but there are a few essential elements to consider before you start posting. Here are just eight essential elements for your business blog:

Stick to a schedule. Lining up a schedule of postings will make sure your blog is updated regularly and consistently, giving readers a chance to �count� on your information. When visitors see that you are a reliable source of information, they are much more likely to come back�or subscribe to your site.
Make sure your posts are optimized. Search engine optimization isn�t just for website articles, and you�ll need the search engine recognition as often as possible. Make sure to use proper formatting procedures, tags, and appropriate keywords throughout your post.
Post at least 3-5 times per week. This is just enough to keep your readers interested and improve search engine recognition over time.
Make sure you have an RSS option. This will help create a steady list of subscribers and readers, and also make it easy for your site to reach social bookmarking sites with ease.
Run that spellchecker! Spell checking and editing your blog is just as important as writing content for a website. Keep your readers interested by providing quality copy.
Become a resource point for your industry. Allow visitors to turn to you as a rich resource of information, not just another �echo� on the web.
Provide fresh news on a regular basis. Even if you�re not a news-based site, develop at least a couple of posts per week that pertain to the state of your industry with summaries, links, or even video clips.
Keep your message clear and concise. Clear and concise writing is essential for your blog. This is different from article writing and print media, so make sure you can develop short and clear posts as often as possible.