This is a Guest Post by Lindsey from ProfessionalIntern.com.

The origins of blogs, with “blog” being the shortened version of  weblog lie in the personal publishing universe as a place where people could publicly publish their own content in their own space, allowing others access to view it as well as an opportunity to comment on each blog entry. It may be considered a precursor to the social media boom in which we find ourselves in the current technological age.

Being something that anyone can create as a handy, casual means of dialogue between an author and an audience, it makes sense that the blog format would eventually make its way into the business universe. Blogs have become a tool for companies to help drive potential clients to your website and attract new business.

Companies that have experienced success through blogging create content that speaks directly to the company’s strengths, what they provide for their customers and what they can do for future customers. Some companies use their blogs in a more global sense, as a means to spark ideas and create a dialogue specifically for their client base. The world will be your company’s oyster by using your creativity and finding the right angle to reach your audience.

Introduce yourself to your customers

With a blog, you can open up your company’s space online to multiple authors with varying types of expertise within the company to address a variety of possible client concerns and questions. Be sure to select topics pertinent to your clients, vendors, colleagues, shareholders, or anyone else who may view your website. You may select to have a weekly blog from an author from each department that you feel will gain the most client – or potential client – traffic to your website. You may also consider having a singular voice of the company who collects data from others.


Stake your claim in your industry

By maintaining an up-to-date, accurate, authoritative blog geared toward your particular market, you position your company as an industry leader and as a company to watch and follow. You and your authors should also be responsive to comments left on the blog, regardless of whether the comments are positive or negative. Try to find a positive way to allay the concerns of a customer, vendor or anyone else that finds their way to your blog space and is moved to post a comment.

Harness the power of social media

When integrating a blog into your website, be sure to support it with other social medial tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, creating links to the blogs web address so that your reader base can easily locate it. You may also have an email distribution list for those who do not subscribe to social media tools and send a link via email transmission.

If you’re new to blogging and feel you need some assistance or guidance in bringing your blog up to speed, consider using business blogging software to ensure that you’ve covered your bases. The goal should be to create search engine rich content that speaks to your audience and post it in a timely and efficient manner to your website. A software program will help you maintain the fundamentals while you are finding your blog’s voice.