"A lot of people are getting into blogging, including CEOs," explains Jordan Ayan. "Unfortunately, many are doing it for the wrong reasons. As a result, most blogs are so bad that the only folks reading them are the writers and their mothers.

"Before you invest any time in launching a blog, step back and ask the tough question: Why am I doing this? If it’s just to follow a fad or feed your ego, don’t waste your time. But if you have something to say that can add real value to your customers, then you have the first ingredient for a good blog."

The Three R’s

According to Ayan, the best blogs are:

• Real. To truly connect with people, a blog has to be real and personal. It can’t be just another piece of PR junk written in typical corporate speak. "One of the worst blogs I have seen comes from the president of General Motors," notes Ayan. "It’s dry, impersonal, and comes across as just another ‘corporate PR dump." Everyone knows he doesn’t write it and nobody cares what he has to say."

• Relevant. Customers want information, but they don’t necessarily want to know what’s new or great about your product. Instead, look for ways to provide information that customers truly value. For example, have customer service talk about fixes or enhancements to your product, or write about industry trends that affect your customers in meaningful ways. If you can’t state with certainty how your blog will be relevant to your customers, don’t do it.

• Reliable. If you start a blog, be prepared to invest the time to keep it going. A blog doesn’t necessarily have to be frequent, but it does need to be consistent. You don’t want to have postings for Dec. 1, Dec. 3, Dec. 5 and then June 8.

What’s the proper frequency? That depends on the nature of the blog.

"There are no hard and fast rules about how often to blog," advises Ayan. "The key is to develop a relevant message and put it out there with whatever regularity is appropriate for the content of your message."

Who’s Listening?

Above all, an effective blog must have an audience. Otherwise, you’re like the town crier shouting into an empty town square.

How do you get people to read your blog?

"Start with relevant content and then find others who are willing to link to your blog and vice versa," suggests Ayan. "Better still, send your blog to people rather than waiting for them to come to you. This can be accomplished using a new technology called RSS, or real simple syndication."

According to Ayan, RSS creates an XML feed that sends the content of your blog to a newsreader, a type of software that enables people to automatically receive pre-selected news on their PCs. The first time people read your blog, they have to find it and subscribe to it. After that, your blog automatically shows up on their PC every time you send it out.

You can also distribute your blog via e-mail. Either way, you’re far more likely to increase readership by sending your blog to people rather than waiting for them to come to your Web site.

"Blog, e-mail marketing and RSS technologies complement each other very nicely," says Ayan. "RSS is a ‘pull’ technology, while blogs and e-mail are ‘push,’ but all three can be used to broadcast the same content. When used together in tight coordination, they enable companies to create a very good communication strategy."

Have a Heart

Ultimately, suggests Ayan, the best blogs touch people at a personal level.

"A blog has to have heart," he concludes, "and that’s where a lot of corporate bloggers miss the boat. They overlook the personal touch and try to turn it into an online PR shill for their company. If your blog doesn’t feel genuine, if readers can’t get a sense of the person behind the words, they will turn off in a flash and never come back.

"The other side of blogs is that you ought to monitor what people are saying about your company in their blogs. Log onto www.blogsearch.google.com, type in your company name and see what comes up. You can learn some very interesting and useful information in this way."

Mr. Jordan E. Ayan Chief Executive Officer SubscriberMail LLC / Create-It, Incorporated Lisle, Illinois 60532 United States

Business: (630) 778-2600
jordan@create-it.com
http://www.subscribermail.com