Blogging, an abbreviation of "web-l...

Blogging, an abbreviation of "web-logging," is common of the latest rages to hit the Internet. A blog is an online diary that is organized in turn topsy-turvy chronological order and includes expositions announcements, links, or anything besides of interest to the blog writer (the "blogger")

The ease with which someone can just start blogging has l to an explosion of blog upon the Internet. Parents have created blog about their families; teenagers have created blog about whatever's cool; populace of all ages have officeed blogs about their interests or hobbies; and many businesses have begun using blog to communicate with customers.

Blogging for business

Businesses can take advantage of blogging in a number of ways. For instance, the blog's more intimate and immediate format can be ideal for creating and maintaining relationships with generally received and potential customers. Here are a scarcely any applications:

* Technical support: Use a blog to exhibit your customers daily tips and provide answers to not rarely asked questions.

* Be an expert: Use a blog to demonstrate your expertise and establish yourself as an authority in your field.

* Newsletter: Create a newsletter for your customers and email them each time you upload a of the present day edition.

* Area of interest: Create a blog upon an area of interest to your customers. For example, if you race a ski lodge, you could create a blog about the local skill hill.

* throw organization: Use a blog to help communicate the details of a shoot forward within your project group.

Things to consider

The immediate and spontaneous nature of blog makes it easy to libel someone misrepresent yourself and your company, or reveal proprietary information. Make never-failing you create guidelines for your employee forward the appropriate content for any business blog they create. Employee also ne to make unfailing anything they say on their hold personal blogs is stated as a reflection of their possess ideas, and not their employers'

If you're going to create a blog for your business, be upfront about it. Don't essay to misrepresent your blog as the creation of a happy customer-the blogging community will recognize your fakery, and you will stomach a huge backlash. Be upfront and as good as one's word about the fact that yours is a commercial blog and you should have no problems

To create a prosperous blog, you should also appreciate the difference between business communication and blogging. Blog readers want links, and including links helps you demonstrate your knowledge of the enthrall in question. After all, readers probably raise your blog through a link forward someone else's website, and they'll appreciate links onward your site that enable them to continue their virtual travels in Cyberspace. You must also be mindful of your word count-keep it short, because a computer defence is much harder to read from than a piece of paper.

I commend going out and reading about blogs to get good ideas upon how best to communicate in this recently made known medium. In the accompanying sidebar, there are a not many samples.

Tools for blogging

If you want to blog you're going to ne the right program.

The simplest option is to use a blogging program armed forceed on another website. One of the better known blog-hosting services, "Blogger" at Pyra Labs at www.blogger.com, is a web-based tool that will allow you to start blogging immediately, without having to install programs or create your acknowledge website. It has a basic delivered service, as well as a pay service with more features. (Interestingly, Pyra Labs was lately purchased by Google.)

Another option is to commit to memory your own website and install your have blogging program. A popular example of of the like kind a program is "Movable Type" through Six Apart at www.moveabletype.org. a certain quantity of technical skills are required to install and fix up Moveable Type on the web server still it has good documentation and a parcel of features. Moveable Type is unrestrained for non-profit and personal use, if it be not that commercial use requires a licence.

A third way to risk up your blog is to install a Hogging program forward your desktop computer, then upload the situations to a website. One example of as it is a program is Radio Userland through Userland Software at http://radio.userland.com. You can upload your blog to your allow website or take advantage of the released year of hosting included with this package.

More resources are provided in the sidebar forward page 19. And, of course, if you have any friends who blog ask them what programs they find easiest to use.

WEBSITE FEATURES

Is there anything you'd like to papal court added to the ICABC website? Email your suggestions and ideas to me at mikusch@ica.bc.ca

By Rita Mikusch, Webmaster

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Jan 2004

Provided according to ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved