by Bill Comcowich
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In this two-part series, I analyze the steps for planning and implementing a corporate blog. The first article, on planning a blog, examines the key decisions on subject, mission, audience targeting, market survey, blogger selection, securing a corporate champion, and making the "go" decision.
This second article, on implementing a successful business blog, dissects the steps of selecting development tools, working out a content plan for launch, making a debut, developing a style and personality, handling responses, monitoring consumer discussion on your subject, and enjoying the process.
Herewith, nine tips for implementing and launching a blog.
Tip #1: Select tools/location/hosting service
Most bloggers use online services to create and publish their blogs. All the services provide the necessary tools to easily create a blog, write regular postings to it, and make your blog postings available for viewing on the Web. The following are the most popular services:
- Blogger (www.blogger.com) is Google's free blogging service.
- LiveJournal (www.livejournal.com) from SixApart is a free blogging service, largely used for creating personal journals.
- Typepad (www.typepad.com), another service from Six Apart, is used by many business blogs.
- Movable Type (www.sixapart.com/moveabletype/) provides more advanced site design and development capabilities.
- WordPress (www.wordpress.org) is a personal publishing platform for bloggers who want more sophisticated features.
Instead of creating a blog within one of the free public services, many companies host employee business blogs on their Web domain. Examples:
- Sun Microsystems: blogs.sun.com
- General Motors: www.gmblogs.com
- Microsoft: www.microsoft.com/Communities/blogs/PortalHome.mspx
Homegrown blogs require substantial technical support from a company's IT department.
Placement in search engines, links from other blogs, and publicity are the key methods to generate visits to your blog.
Tip #2: Develop a content plan for launch
Blogs gain audience, influence, and trust over time. Postings during the first few months should stake out the territory. The first 15-25 blog posts over the initial two to four weeks are designed to establish a presence, define the "subject" or "space" for the blog, and establish the credibility of the blogger. Like football coaches who script certain plays to start the game, the new business blogger is best advised to script the initial 25 posts before publishing the first one.
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