| The next generation of the Web is here and it is | | | | This blog is written by a company called |
| called Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is the use of new | | | | Diamodns-USA however its content is much more |
| technologies and old technologies combined to | | | | general than helpful advice for buying a diamond |
| create the ultimate user experience of a media: | | | | but is loaded with fun and interesting fact and |
| direct interaction. Are you an expert on a | | | | stories about diamonds & jewelry. This is a great |
| subject? Write about it on Wikipedia. Have a great | | | | example of an industry leading blog because of its |
| idea for a movie? Don't wait for the movie | | | | style and wide ranging content. |
| studios, make your movie and publish it on | | | | The benefits of Blogging: |
| YouTube so the masses can watch. Before | | | | 1. Blogs are the perfect public relations tool. Their |
| making a webpage involved knowing code, now | | | | personal nature gives you and your organization a |
| anybody can create a mySpace page or a blog in | | | | unique voice online - a voice heard by the people |
| few minutes which is customized to their | | | | who matter - your customers and clients, other |
| personality. Web 2.0 encourages people to take | | | | bloggers and the media. |
| action and create the media that they want to | | | | 2. Blogs help to position you and your company as |
| see. Every subject matter how small can have a | | | | experts and leaders in your industry. |
| network in Web 2.0 and if doesn't exist now you | | | | 3. Blogs act as instant-feedback mechanisms. |
| are free to create it. | | | | They allow readers to respond to your posts via |
| What is a blog? | | | | the comments section or link to them on their |
| The term "blog" is a combination of web + log, or | | | | own blogs which are read by other people who |
| diary. This is first and foremost the place where | | | | might be interested in what your business has to |
| people can write their memories, thoughts, ideas, | | | | offer. These features provide near real-time |
| feelings and save them as their own personal | | | | feedback on ideas, opinions and issues that affect |
| diary. What makes a blog different from a | | | | them, or highlight and address new or existing |
| traditional journal is that it instantly published is | | | | problems. |
| updated frequently and allows for user feedback | | | | 4. Their simplicity and addictive nature allow you |
| via comments and syndication through RSS feeds. | | | | to share more of your knowledge more often. |
| Popular blogs can draw hundreds of thousands of | | | | Blogs are about sharing what you know, think and |
| readers. Business blog can also achieve a wide | | | | believe on an ongoing basis. |
| audience whereas the goals and uses of a | | | | 5. Search engines index your blog posts more |
| business blog are much different from a social | | | | often because of more frequently updated |
| one. | | | | content. Your ongoing blog and knowledge sharing |
| What is a business blog? | | | | shows up in the search results, making it easier |
| A Business blog, is a very powerful tool which | | | | for your customers and prospects to find you. |
| enables a firm to extend its communication level | | | | 6. You can have many conversations with many |
| with certain segments of its target audience. The | | | | people at once - something nearly impossible in |
| firm's business blog is the place to communicate | | | | the brick and mortar world. |
| the "underground" materials from the firm's | | | | 7. They're automatic buzz-machines. Go ahead |
| headquarters - information which will usually not | | | | and try it. Blog about something new - a new |
| be put on the company's website and only those | | | | product or service launch, an improvement to an |
| who know people can know about it. The | | | | existing product, or a newly appointed manager. |
| business blog allows its readers to access | | | | See how fast the news spreads throughout the |
| company information such as R&D, development | | | | blogosphere. |
| and more giving readers a special insider | | | | 8. They're self promotional due to their RSS |
| perspective. Whether it is new ideas, | | | | feeds being aggregated across the net almost |
| developments, beta versions or sometimes | | | | instantly. |
| personal posts by leading personnel like a CTO or | | | | 9. Feedback. You can track your RSS subscribes |
| R&D manager, or sometimes a simple as pictures | | | | with tracking software and start to identify |
| from a company outing, blogs create a regular | | | | marketing trends and new markets. |
| returning readership when written well. | | | | 10. Companies who blog are considered early |
| The Goal of a Business Blog | | | | adopters, thought leaders and "in". Blogging is |
| The goal of a Business blog is to inform and | | | | "cool" therefore companies who blog are "cool" |
| connect with specific segments of target audience | | | | and "up to date".. |
| - whether potential clients, distributors, partners or | | | | But the most important thing to remember when |
| potential employees. Business blogs are routinely | | | | blogging is that you're not a speaker talking to an |
| used for PR by other sources greatly expanding a | | | | audience, you are sharing and interacting. You are |
| company's marketability. Business blogs which | | | | one more voice to be heard and how powerful |
| offer industry wide information can help a | | | | that voice is depends on how much interacting |
| company become more respectable and an | | | | you do. |
| authority, no matter what size of the market the | | | | Readers of blogs make comments and other |
| company controls. | | | | readers reply to those comments. Bloggers will |
| A great example of a business blog is the one | | | | commonly take posts from other blogs as ideas |
| used by Magic Software Enterprises, at They | | | | for new posts. A blog is more than an online |
| offer hints and tips for making their products | | | | journal it is an interactive communication platform. |
| more useful. Plus the blog is well read by their | | | | When done properly blogs can create authority, |
| software users who leave feedback and create | | | | respectability, and marketing leverage for your |
| positive free word of mouth advertising. | | | | company over the competition. |
| Another example, but quite different is blog at | | | | |