According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, one third of all Fortune 100 companies maintain corporate blogs and view this as a key way to attract a loyal base of customers. The fact that the world?s most widely recognized brands turn to blogs--despite their history of business success and their solid position in the corporate world--only reinforces how important it is for small and medium-sized firms to follow suit and enhance their web presence through blogging. </p> <p>More than ever before, blogs are serving as corporate spokespeople and nothing illustrates this better than the actions of a Microsoft spokesman during a recent news conference. The Wall Street Journal reported that the technology giant?s spokesman told a journalist who had just asked a question to visit two blogs written by Microsoft employees, if she wanted the most accurate information. Some of the largest professional sports teams in the United States have adopted a similar approach?they now increasingly direct journalists and interested parties to their corporate blogs, rather than simply passing on a dry, mundane press release.</p> <p>Perhaps not surprisingly, Microsoft appears to be the world leader when it comes to corporate blogging?the multinational firm now counts approximately 2,500 blogs in total, all of which are regularly updated. Rick Murphy serves as the president of Edelman Digital, and he noted that a blog is not only useful for firms because it provides them with extra online exposure, but also because it can serve as a great way to address sensitive issues or concerns. In some cases, a firm may not wish to enter into a lengthy debate over a given issue in the media or during news conferences. Using blogs, however, they can make their own vantage point is presented in a controlled environment, without the risk of being thrown off topic.<br />

Content writing has surged in importance over the past year and a survey published by the Elance website suggests that writing online material is now the number two most prominent online activity on the firm?s Internet Work Index. As such, content writing is second only to PHP-related web jobs and right behind in third place is online article writing. This represents a jump of seven places on the top ten list, since content writing used to be the ninth most prominent internet-based freelance work. The rise of content writers, however, means that HTML coding now lags behind in fourth place, with graphic design slipping to fifth. </p> <p>While content writing is the second most prominent form of online freelance employment according to the Elance Work Index, other forms of written, freelance work are also near the top. For example, academic writing is among the top 25 most sought-after positions, as is copywriting and creative writing. In fact, both technical and academic writing skyrocketed up 30 places on the Work Index?s Top 100 Jobs list. </p> <p>Many may wonder what might be fuelling the noticeable rise in online writing work. Most experts, however, point to two clear factors. The first is related to the current recession; the vast majority of companies are cutting back on unnecessary costs and a great way to do this is to hire online assistance. Online content providers offer access to a diverse range of freelancers, from all walks of life. The second reason for the rise in content writing has more to do with the decline in newspapers and print media, and the rise of digital sources of newsworthy information. All serious companies must now maintain a website, as this creates the initial impression with potential clients. Additionally, the most dynamic firms go the extra mile and also develop blogs. These, however, can be time-consuming, as they require the regular publication of catchy, newsworthy written content. As such, freelance content writers are often best suited for corporate blogging.<br />

An article?s first sentence almost always makes or breaks the deal, when it comes to attracting and keeping a reader?s attention. As a content writer, crafting a clever or surprising first sentence is often the best way to ensure that your reader puts down his/her coffee and goes from casually scanning or browsing the piece to actually delving into it and remembering what was read days and even weeks later. </p> <p>When writing newsworthy articles, a good way to make sure that your article does not come across as a bland press release in the back section of the Financial Times is to justify why the subject matter being covered may impact the reader personally. For example, last year America?s United Airlines decided to cut all free meals on its transatlantic flights and sell $9 cold sandwiches instead. Not surprisingly, this move caused an uproar among bloggers and consumer rights activists. If you are a content writer, a good way to distinguish your piece from the hundreds of standard, sterile news pieces based on material taken from news agencies is to personalize the first sentence. As such, an effective piece might begin like this: The next time you fly on a United Airlines long-haul flight across the Atlantic, you might be well-advised to bring along some snacks, as one of the world?s largest carriers has decided to cancel its free meal service and sell passengers salads and cold sandwiches for $9 a piece. </p> <p>This sentence does three things. First, it ensures that the reader can relate to the article. Most of us have sat through long-haul flights and know how important a decent level of service can be when you are stuck on a crammed plane for 8 hours. Secondly, the sentence provides the key aspects of the story in a nutshell. Most readers rely on online content for quick, easily accessible information and it is important that they do not have to search through the piece to find out what the core of the story is. Finally, the sentence draws the reader in by suggesting indirectly that if one of the world?s largest airlines is considering such drastic cost-cutting measures, then other carriers are likely to do the same. </p> <p>In the end, bloggers and content writers had an impact on this story. United Airlines announced its cutback in August 2008, but was forced to withdraw these plans and continue meals service following the online backlash.<br />

Ric Romero, an ABC news columnist and a specialist in consumer culture, believes that some talented online writers might be spending a little too much time on Facebook and MySpace, when they could be making money writing blogs instead. The number of private individuals from all walks of life, as well as companies both big and small, that generate extra revenue through blogging is growing rapidly. Cheryl Phillips, a stay-at-home mother of five young children, never thought that she would be able to top up her monthly income by nearly a thousand dollars when she first started blogging at dailyblonde.com, during the recovery phase of a serious car accident. But Phillips now makes upwards of $800 each month, as the popularity of her blog and its high ranking by Google has drawn in a wide range of advertisers. Jennifer Leal, another mother from the United States, is equally successful with what she at first thought would be a cooking blog geared towards a small, niche audience. </p> <p>Romero believes that the key to making money with blogs is drawing in readers from other, related sites and then building a dedicate group of core visitors that will keep coming back. As such, a good blogger must also be an avid reader of other blogs, and also someone that leaves regular comments. It is important to remember that each comment you leave is your cyber footprint and one of the best ways to let new readers know about your site. Once you have managed to do this, sign up for a Twitter account and encourage your regular readers to be your "followers." This way, you can drive your readers towards targeted articles by adding links to your Twitter page whenever you post status updates. </p> <p>When it comes to generating money through advertisements, Romero suggests a combination of two different services. First, Google's Adsense usually offers around 5 cents per click, but this alone won't be enough to generate a noticeable monthly income. But to use this in combination with Amazon's referral programme, however, is a much more successful approach, as you will receive a share of profits whenever you refer readers to their site.<br />

While only a few years ago, blogging was seen as a tool for private individuals with hobbies, good writing skills or with stories to tell, these days blogs are just as important for businesses of all sizes, and blogging platforms are catching on. Twitter, a micro-blogging site, announced this week that it would start offering a brand new service geared towards businesses, which would allow companies to obtain detailed statistical information and analysis on their readers. This service, however, would come at an extra fee and would become available by the end of the year.</p> <p>Wordpress, the most popular blogging tool, already offers detailed statistics for bloggers and at no additional cost. Businesses that run blogs should aim to read through these numbers on a regular basis, as they provide revealing information on their clients, what might interest customers, at what time of day most people visit the site and how they get there in the first place. For example, businesses with products that appeal primarily to the working population may find that many of their clients log on from work during weekdays. This means that it may be best to time the publication of blog posts accordingly?namely, from Monday to Friday during daytime hours. Google News tends to index these within 60 minutes of their posting, so publishing them at the right time would maximize the number of visitors. </p> <p>On the other hand, websites that appeal to stay-at-home mothers, pensioners or students should consider posting articles in the evenings, as well as on weekends. Wordpress allows for bloggers to post-date their articles and the system will automatically publish it at the requested time.</p> <p>Whether Twitter?s new business tool is worthwhile for companies remains to be seen, but it is certain that firms should pay attention to the statistical analysis offered by Wordpress. In fact, those who also Twitter users will be able to track how many of their ?followers? are enticed to visit the actual blog and which articles they find the most appealing.<br />

One of the best uses of a corporate blog is to listen to your customers and then make it clear to them that your firm is taking their suggestions and thoughts into consideration when developing new products or services. The big difference between a website and a blog is that the purpose of a site is to talk to customers about the company?s goals, history and services. A blog, however, talks with the customer and this continual online dialogue is what makes it such an effective 21st century marketing tool.</p> <p>Professor Lisa J. Abendroth, a marketing expert associated with the University of St. Thomas? Opus College of Business, recently observed that corporate blog articles must strike a balance between advertising the firm?s products in order to win over more clients, and actually providing relevant, newsworthy information that is not simply an overt marketing ploy, but manages to keep readers coming back to the company?s page. </p> <p>Abendroth points out that the most important aspect of an effective blog is actually listening to customers. Blogs should encourage comments after each article and especially valuable are candid observations on a given product or service. Always make it clear that your firm reads everyone of these comments by indicating this in a future post and suggesting that feedback can help better develop future merchandise. It is also advisable to link positive reviews of your products and services published on other blogs and websites in your articles. Not only does this give your product and blog further credibility, but the Wordpress platform is such that blogging statistics clearly show how visitors find a particular site and where links to these pages are placed. As such, these bloggers will pick up the fact that visitors from your site are clicking on the link in your article and in turn will likely be curious and visit your blog as well.<br />

According to an article in the New York Times, industries throughout the western world are being reshaped by the growing popularity of blogs and by the increasing influence of young, tech-savvy bloggers. For example, ?Dirrty Glam? has become a hugely successful online fashion magazine and blog and has taken the biggest media names in the fashion world by surprise. But what?s most surprising is that this trendy sartorial publication?s writers and bloggers are all just 19 to 22 years of age, and thanks to their use of blogging technology, they seem perfectly capable of giving the much older, established names in fashion media a good run for their money.</p> <p>Why are bloggers so successful in competing against the largest media giants? The answer is relatively simple. The beauty of the internet is that major search engines?such as Google?level the playing field between the largest and the smallest publications. When you visit Google News and type in a key phrase, articles from the Los Angeles Times or a giant like The Guardian will appear right next to entries and news pieces from upstart, but increasingly popular blogs, like America?s Susie Bubble or London?s Cherry Blossom Girl. Google does not discriminate when it comes to larger and smaller publications; the article with the highest ranking and best searchability will simply be the one with the most effective set of keywords and highest search engine optimization. </p> <p>The world?s largest publications admit that they have little choice but to adapt to this new media reality, as the editor of a prominent French publication, L?Express, pointed out. But G</p>

The businesses with the most successful online presence have learned that mainline company websites and blogs serve very different functions, but both are equally important in attracting and maintaining loyal customers. While a firm?s website should aim to present a professional and formal presence for the given company, a blog serves as an opportunity to be more personal and casual in the diffusion of useful, quality information. A recent blogging podcast published on The Independent?s website noted that a website is a company?s main online presence, and just as one would dress in a suit in the business world in order to make a good impression on clients, a website plays the parallel role in cyberspace, when it comes to the all-important introduction of a given company. But while you might dress in a suit and tie for a business meeting, a neat golf shirt and khakis might be the more casual appearance you would go for when it comes to outdoors marketing events for your company. It is best to think of your business blog in the same way.</p> <p>But however you do dress up your blog?with quality content writing and a crisp design?it is very important to remember that there are well over 100 million blogs currently on the internet. As such, you need to find a way to draw attention to your business and product, and stand out from the crowd. Blogging specialists suggest that in some cases, your company may have to create a blog that might seem slightly off-topic to what your business actually focuses on. For example, if your company deals with interior design products and services, you may find that the internet is already oversaturated with blogs that concentrate on interior design. As such, a better option would be to post blog articles on the lives of well-known of fashion designers. This would be a related topic, but more novel and creative, and would likely give clients a reason to keep visiting the company?s blog. </p> <p>

The world?s most experienced bloggers may not agree on much when it comes to the politics, business and cultural news that they write about, but one thing that there is a consensus on is that the secret to blogging success is longevity and discipline. Some of the world?s first bloggers were simply technologically-savvy people who needed an outlet for their thoughts on computers and the then still fledgling world of the internet. But what many of these pioneer bloggers soon realized is that a good blog has to be updated at regular intervals, otherwise it stands the risk of losing its group of readers very quickly. </p> <p>The biggest challenge for most bloggers is keep up the initial zeal that led them to join the blogosphere in the first place. Fortunately, however, much has changed since the early days of blogging and content creation companies employ professional freelance writers to produce blog entries for firms or individuals who feel that maintaining a good blog is too time-consuming, yet an essential promotional tool. </p> <p>Robert Ambrogi, an American media consultant and legal expert, pointed out that many first-time bloggers underestimate the challenge of keeping a blog going for an extended period of time. One of the best ways to succeed, however, is to focus heavily on a topic that one is truly passionate about. Once such a topic has been discovered, it is best to post a set number of blog entries each week for a period of time, before actually seriously advertising the blog. One can treat this as a test drive, and the website is also much more likely to get listed in Google News if it already has quality content at the time of application.<br />

As a site owner, getting Internet users to visit your site is a key component in doing business online. If you are like most of them, you check your traffic numbers regularly, and consider rising numbers to be a good thing - which it is. Unfortunately, having large traffic numbers isn't going to help you grow your business if they don't translate into the kinds of actions you are looking for.