Freelance writing for business blogs 2
October 9th 2010 06:09
Blogging is amongst the fastest-growing areas of the interactive digital world, and the business world is embracing this powerful promotional tool quickly. New corporate blogs are appearing every day, and as a result Craig's List and other web hangouts for freelance writers are teeming with opportunities.
To win business blogging contracts, however, writers must be able to show that they understand the corporate blogging environment. You must show a potential client not only what you can write for them, but why and how that will benefit them.
In this, our second post on the world of corporate blogging, we discuss the different types of corporate blog platforms.
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There are three types of business blogs, and you need to lead a potential client through the potential benefits of each. Obviously, the more homework you have done on the client's business, the better you will be able to identify which, and to what extent, each type of blog will benefit them.
Internal blogs
An internal blog aims to involve the company's workforce, creating a positive sense of community and team unity. Accessed through the company's intranet, it is both a forum for management announcements and workforce comment.
The key is informality, which encourages employee participation, discussion of issues and collective intelligence.
Such a blog can save time in that it can host discussions which would otherwise have required meetings or long email trails. The internal blog can overcome the problem of getting together busy people with conflicting schedules or in different locations, and can result in valuable input from people who may not have been otherwise aware of a meeting or discussion on the issue.
External blogs
An external blog aims to connect a business to the world. It will, through content which informs, explains and educates, establish a company and the people who work there as approachable experts in their field. It will build trust and respect with and from existing customers and potential customers.
A well-managed external blog can become a focal point for industry discussion, establishing the company as a leading voice in that industry and creating a level of credibility that can take years to establish by traditional newsletter and press release strategies.
External blogs are about transparency and accessibility in the corporate image, interacting with a target market on a personal level.
CEO blogs
There has been plenty of debate on whether CEOs should blog or not, and there are some strident voices on both sides of the argument. The issue, however, can be made simple by looking at the pros and cons.
The good news is that there are significant positives: it is an easy way for a CEO to keep in touch with a wider business community; properly done it promotes trust and credibility; it positions the CEO as an industry voice; and it boosts search engine visibility for the CEO's company and, therefore, its products or services.
The bad news is that it is a long-term commitment. A CEO blog will, like all good blogs, build a community. The trust and credibility which accrue can be lost with negative consequences if the blog is abandoned.
CEO blogs are ideal for leaders who want to write them - or, of course, put in the time with a contracted professional writer to discuss issues and generate unique content. Otherwise, most of the benefits can be attained through well-prepared internal or external blogs, on which the CEO can post as and when appropriate.
See also:
Freelance writing for business blogs 1
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