- Dell – Though Dell’s corporate blog rarely strays from Dell-centric news, the company posts with a great conversational voice, often breaks news on their blog (which keeps people coming back), and listens and responds to customers. Dell also posts regularly (1-2 posts per day at least) which keeps content fresh and encourages repeat visits.
- Lenovo – The great collection of blogs from computer maker Lenovo demonstrate that the company really understands blogging. Lenovo intersperses posts about its product line with musings about business, design, life, and technology. Definitely don’t miss the Design Matters blog, which should be a must-read for any designer.
- 37signals – 37signals is kind of the poster child for corporate blogging. Their “Signal vs. Noise” blog has almost 100,000 RSS subscribers and there’s a good reason: 37signals rarely blogs about their products anymore (they split off a separate product-only blog for that), but instead shares advice and insights about business, design, editorial, and other topics.
- Adobe – Adobe offers a huge collection of employee blogs, many of which are great reads. By allowing employees to blog, Adobe has empowered them to evangelize their products for them — many post tutorials, advice, reviews, and other great tid-bits promoting Adobe products — while not pigeon holing them into talking only about Adobe.
- BBC – In addition to their news blogs, the BBC publishes a series of behind-the-scenes blogs. They’re tremendously interesting, especially The Editors blog, in which BBC News editorial staff dissect the broadcaster’s news coverage and the media industry in general.
- Southwest Airlines – Southwest Airlines’ “Nuts About Southwest” blog doesn’t take itself too seriously — and that’s a good thing. The company blogs about itself and the airline industry with a personal touch and has been producing a series of fun, behind-the-scenes videos that are both interesting and engaging.
- Sun Microsystems – Like Adobe, Sun allows their employees to blog. They’ve been doing it for a long time, and their blog portal has over 4,500 bloggers covering over 110,000 posts. Some of their blogs, such as that of Web 2.0 and Web Services Evangelist Arun Gupta, have become quite popular on their own. That’s 110,000 posts of promotional gold for Sun and they know it.
- Freshbooks – Taking a page from 37signals, the team at Freshbooks uses their corporate blog to share advice and insights into their way of doing things. Slowly, and in large part due to their blog, Freshbooks is turning their users into true fans.
- Marriott International – Marriott on the Move is the official blog of Marriott Hotels, Resorts, and Suites Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott. Though a self-described technophobe, Marriott uses the blog to talk about his thoughts and opinions on all sorts of things related to being a hotelier. Marriott, who was recently featured on NBC Nightly News for a story on corporate blogging, says he blogs because it is “a great way to communicate with [your] customers and stakeholders in this day and age.” We agree.
- General Motors – The GM Fastlane Blog is a great example of corporate blogging because GM has clearly realized that regurgitating press releases is not what blogs are made for. GM talks a lot on their blog about their cars and trucks and the design choices they make while creating them, but they also throw in interesting treatises on current hot-button issues, such as alternative energy.
- Quicken Loans – Quicken Loans publishes a handful of unique blogs — unique among corporate blogs in that they’re not overly self-referential. Their What’s the Diff? blog, for example, publishes stories about “things that make the difference in business and in life.” The Quizzle blog, on the other hand, posts advice about how to understand the home loan market. It is all subtle marketing for Quicken Loans, but it is done in an informative and useful manner that will win points among customers.
- FiveRuns – FiveRuns, who create products aimed at Ruby on Rails developers, also publish an excellent blog. Along with regular tutorials about how to do things with Rails and use their products, the FiveRuns team also posts weekly five question interviews with prominent members of the Rails community. Brilliant stuff.
- Accenture – Consulting firm Accenture publishes 8 blogs that are definitely worth checking out. Rather than just blog about what Accenture can do for your business, the company has tapped some of its smartest employees to share insights on business, communications, technology, consulting, and hiring. A sample of recent posts: how to balance work and life, thoughts about Twitter’s downtime, and musings on GTD theories.
- Amazon Web Services – Amazon’s Web Services blog is truly one of the great corporate blogs because it reads like a fan blog. You’d never know that Jeff Barr, the scribe behind the AWS blog, is a Web Services Evangelist at Amazon just by reading his posts. That’s because Barr doesn’t write like a corporate flak. Instead he writes with the voice of someone who is truly amazed each day by the stuff that people build on Amazon’s suite of web services, and that makes reading the blog a pleasure.
Frequently Asked Questions about Corporate Blogging
What are the key elements of a successful corporate blog?
A successful corporate blog is characterized by several key elements. Firstly, it should have a clear purpose and target audience. This helps in creating content that is relevant and engaging. Secondly, it should be updated regularly with fresh and unique content. Consistency is key in maintaining reader interest and improving SEO rankings. Thirdly, the blog should be interactive, encouraging readers to engage through comments, shares, and likes. Lastly, it should reflect the company’s brand and values, helping to build a strong and positive brand image.
How can a corporate blog benefit a business?
A corporate blog can offer numerous benefits to a business. It can help in driving traffic to the company’s website, improving search engine rankings, and increasing online visibility. It can also help in establishing the company as an industry expert, building trust and credibility with customers. Additionally, a blog can provide a platform for the company to share news, updates, and insights, enhancing customer engagement and loyalty.
What are some examples of companies that excel in corporate blogging?
There are several companies that excel in corporate blogging. These include HubSpot, which offers valuable insights on marketing and sales; Buffer, which shares tips and strategies on social media; and Shopify, which provides useful information on e-commerce and entrepreneurship. These companies are successful in corporate blogging because they consistently deliver high-quality and relevant content to their readers.
How often should a company update its blog?
The frequency of blog updates can vary depending on the company’s goals, resources, and target audience. However, it is generally recommended to post at least once a week. Regular updates not only keep readers engaged but also improve SEO rankings. It’s important to maintain a balance between quantity and quality, ensuring that each post offers value to the readers.
How can a company measure the success of its blog?
The success of a blog can be measured using various metrics. These include the number of visitors, page views, and shares, which indicate the blog’s reach and visibility. Other important metrics are the number of comments and likes, which reflect reader engagement. Additionally, the number of leads and conversions generated from the blog can help in assessing its impact on the company’s bottom line.
What are some common mistakes to avoid in corporate blogging?
Some common mistakes to avoid in corporate blogging include not having a clear purpose or target audience, not updating the blog regularly, and not promoting the blog effectively. Other mistakes are not encouraging reader interaction, not aligning the blog with the company’s brand and values, and not measuring the blog’s performance.
How can a company promote its blog?
A company can promote its blog through various channels. These include social media, email newsletters, and SEO. It can also leverage partnerships and guest blogging opportunities to reach a wider audience. Additionally, the company can encourage its employees and customers to share the blog posts, increasing its reach and visibility.
What role does SEO play in corporate blogging?
SEO plays a crucial role in corporate blogging. It helps in improving the blog’s visibility on search engines, driving more traffic to the blog. This involves using relevant keywords, optimizing meta tags, and creating high-quality and unique content. Additionally, SEO involves building backlinks and ensuring a mobile-friendly blog design.
How can a company engage readers on its blog?
A company can engage readers on its blog by creating interactive and engaging content. This includes asking questions, encouraging comments, and responding to reader feedback. The company can also use visuals, infographics, and videos to make the content more engaging. Additionally, it can offer incentives like giveaways and contests to encourage reader participation.
How can a company ensure the quality of its blog content?
A company can ensure the quality of its blog content by having a clear content strategy and editorial guidelines. This includes defining the blog’s purpose, target audience, and content themes. The company should also invest in professional writing and editing services to ensure high-quality and error-free content. Additionally, it should regularly review and update the blog content to ensure its relevance and accuracy.
Before joining Jilt, Josh Catone was the Executive Director of Editorial Projects at Mashable, the Lead Writer at ReadWriteWeb, Lead Blogger at SitePoint, and the Community Evangelist at DandyID. On the side, Josh enjoys managing his blog The Fluffington Post.