Corporate Blogging: Connecting to Your Customers

Personal Touch Puts a Face to Your Brand

Most corporations now have a fairly robust online Internet presence. While the company web site often includes an engaging Flash animation, has a slick design, and is chock full of informational content about their products and services, it's still missing something.

Personal touch.

Web sites do a fine job of bulleting out what the company promises to deliver, but they can't share much beyond the corporate-sanctioned copy and professionally-shot photography to explain why or how to use their offerings.

Enter the corporate blog.

Blogs offer a new and different way for businesspeople to communicate with the outside world. This strategy allows companies to fully participate in customer conversations, and is a great way to build networks and virtual communities. It will, in fact, put a face on your corporate brand.

Why? In today's world, people now expect to immediately connect and share news and information about a variety of topics. Blogs, then, can provide a way for you to speak directly and honestly with key customers, prospects, influencers and stakeholders.

By connecting with audiences on a personal level, you'll build trust, collect valuable feedback and foster strengthened relationships. It's also a great way to network with current, past and even future customers.

Successful blogs start with a sincere interest to provide their audience with great value with useful and engaging content, information, help, discussion and ideas.

You'll be able to articulate your viewpoints, knowledge, and expertise on matters pertaining to your products as well as your industry. Blogs can remove that "cleansed" copy feel, as content writers/bloggers will be perceived as helpful community managers, not as corporate shills.

Blogs will give you the opportunity to tell your story over and over and help set you apart from the competition. It will create a place where customers and prospects spend more time with your brand, and get more interaction from them by sharing product information and providing more personal customer service.