Business Blogs

If you’re blogging to promote your business and your brand, it’s essential to have a clearly defined plan. Yes, this seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many bloggers just jump into the blogosphere without doing a little bit of research, reading the work of other successful bloggers, and establishing some kind of blogging plan.

Yes, in blogging as in business it’s important to have a plan, even if it is just a loose outline.   Some aspects that a blogging plan should include is a posting schedule, an organized set of categories and keywords, and a series of goals that the blogger intends to achieve (of course, you can always add keywords and categories later, or switch up your schedule, but really, most people operate better under some kind of set parameters and a good plan will help you start off on the right foot).

Setting goals, even small ones like “gain ten new high quality incoming links this week” or “move up five spots in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for your top keyword” is a good way to propel yourself through the ranks of the blogging community.  Reaching these goals is also an excellent morale booster, especially when you look back at what you’ve accomplished on days you’re feeling discouraged.  It’s important to remember that every blogger starts with just one opening post, even the Technorati Top 100.

You could also set writing goals, such as “post three times a week for the next month” or plan to a finish a longer piece such as a tutorial or glossary (your flagship content) by a certain deadline.  Creating a certain number of informative podcasts and video posts is another potential goal.

Of course, you need to have the big picture in mind as well.  What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?  Do you want to be in the top five search results for your main keywords?  Want to establish yourself as an authority and get consulting gigs as a result of your expertise?  Want to use your blog to generate internet buzz about your company and products?  Writing these things down and having an end result in mind will ensure that your blogging efforts are more focused and accompanied by a sense of purpose.

The type of goals you set should depend on your niche, your expectations for your blog, how much time you have to work on it, and most importantly, the sort of blogger you are.  However, it is extremely helpful and even necessary to create a plan or outline, including a series of goals - and don’t forget to reward yourself with some kind of treat when you reach them!

Filed under: Getting Started, General on August 14th, 2007