The document emphasizes the importance of corporate blogging as a marketing function that aims to increase sales and engage a wide audience. It provides ten reasons and strategies to enhance company blogs, focusing on creating valuable content, leveraging social media, and fostering employee involvement. Additionally, it addresses the realistic expectations of blog engagement, advising businesses to align blogging efforts with their corporate goals even if immediate engagement levels appear low.

1. Mark W. Schaefer@markwschaeferPlease. Stop making your company blog suck.

2. BIG, BIG, BIG IDEASTen reasons your business should blog (even if nobody reads it!)Evolution of corporate blogging 10 anti-sucking ideasBONUS – Content is power

4. Why Are we blogging?

5. It’s about …

6. Corporate Blogging is a Marketing function. We aim to sell more stuff

7. to more people

8. more often

9. for more money.Source: Base One 2011 Buyersphere Report

10. The Social Web Model: Systematically Create an Info Eco-systemEmployeesCustomersYour WebsiteProspectsLocalStakeholders

11. Let’sDISCOVERHow to have a company blog that doesn’t SUCK

12. TOP 10 Reasons to BLOG!

13. SEARCHengine benefits

14. DIFFERENTIATION

15. INFINITESearch Life

16. INTEGRATEwith sales strategy & other channels

17. CRISISmanagement

18. FOCUSon strategy and POV

19. RE-PURPOSEcontent in newsletters, whitepapers

20. REFERENCE library

21. INTERNALcommunications

22. PRopportunities/Massive reach

24. EVOLUTIONof corporate blogging

25. Personal

26. Multi-channelhttp://www.oracle.com/blogs/index.html

27. Multi-topic

28. Innovation

29. Problem-solvinghttps://caterpillar.lithium.com/caterpillar/

30. Community engagementhttp://www.wegmans.com/blog/

31. Voice of Authorityhttp://www.manpowerblogs.com/

32. The curious case of the Fiskateers**Courtesy Brains on Fire

33. Ten Simply Amazing IdeasTo Keep You From Sucking

34. 1) GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW … FIRST

35. Such as … Content planApproval processEditorial responsibilitiesResources

36. 2) ENTERTAIN

37. 3) CONSIDERCULTURE

38. 4) Go ahead and sell, dammit.

39. Direct sellingBlog-only offersProduct adsGiveaways that require opt-inFeature helpful uses for your product that encourage people to buy moreWhy NOT?

40. 5) Social validation

42. 6) Engage Leadership

43. 7) Deputize

44. 8) Leverage your content (baby)

45. 9) FIVE steps to a PERFECT postCompelling headlineOriginal viewpointCourage to be imperfectDon’t write, re-writeTimely

46. 10) LOWEREXPECTATIONS

47. The myth of community-building85% of the visitors to your blog will have never been there before and will probably never be there again.2% of the people who read your blog will take the time to comment.75% of the Fortune 500 companies have some restrictions on employees even accessing blogs from work.

48. What engagement is realistic?Not having comments does not mean people aren’t engaged. Consider:Page viewsRSS feed subscriptionsOffline commentsCustomer feedbackTweetsReferences to your posts

49. CONTENT IS POWERConsider all the business benefits of blogging, even if nobody reads it

50. Re-frame how your blog can align with your corporate goals

51. Think through the 10 ideas

52. BLOG:www.businessesGROW.comTWITTER @markwschaeferEMAIL MSchaefer700@gmail.com