Blogging for Business

LEVERAGE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

Currently, 70 million people are blogging, and the number is growing rapidly. There is no doubt conversations are transpiring online and in the blogosphere about your individual products and services. The question is: Are you participating?

START BLOGGING

Twelve Horses provides blog hosting, implementation and strategic consulting for businesses of all size. We combine award-winning web design with our extensive blogging experience to provide you with the strategy, tools, and tricks for greater search engine optimization and differentiation from competitors.

Here are some recent client examples:

What is a Blog?

Blogs are weblogs, online journals, or newsletters that contain indexed and searchable information that is instantly published to a website for public consumption. Blogs portray the individual personality of the author, and they offer the ability for people and businesses to engage others in two-way dialogues about certain subjects. This exchange of information and ideas lifts the conversation and provides greater knowledge for all participants.

HOW CAN BLOGGING IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?

A business blog leverages a company's online presence, demonstrates its expertise, and differentiates it from the competition. Because blogs are more personal than a branded website, they facilitate stronger relationships between businesses and customers. Popular search engines like Google and Yahoo index blogs very high in search rankings because they put great value on fresh new content. Blog postings rich in keywords, which are applicable to your business, will greatly improve search engine optimization and turn more leads into customers.

Begin Blogging Quickly and Cost-Effectively

Twelve Horses can design and develop a branded business blog for you quickly and cost-effectively. We have helped a variety of different industries establish a more effective online presence by applying our experience and the proper tools to get the most out of your blogging strategy. Blogs implemented by Twelve Horses are built using Wordpress or Moveable Type publishing software and include the following:

Templates are designed and branded to replicate the look and feel of the existing company website, operate as a secondary site, or have their own separate theme and navigation.
RSS feeds are created and included for subscribers
Blogs are optimized for search engines
Instruction is provided on the use of the software, as well as helpful tips and tricks related to tagging, trackbacks, and pinging.
Ongoing consultation regarding the practice of blogging
Bloggers for Hire are available if needed

A variety of plugins can also be incorporated into your blog including:

Email subscription
Survey tools
Media players
RSS feeds
Geo Locators and Maps
Message Boards
Product Recommendations
Advertisements
And much, much more.

Blogging Makes Good Business Sense

In today's Web 2.0 world, consumers look beyond a company's branded, static website for product reviews, complaints about customer service, and online conversations about a brand's reputation. The Web is not just a one-way conduit for content. It is a community consisting of the company and the consumer's collective intelligence.

If a consumer is shopping for what you have to offer, and they see you and several of your competitors. What will govern their buying decision?

The websites look similar
Features are identical
Price is comparable

However, one company has a blog.

This particular blog discusses important subjects related to that industry. The author(s) is personable, experienced, and willing to share their individual perspectives on a variety of helpful topics pertaining to the reader's needs and interests. It even provides helpful links to other sites for further customer service. This blog is topical, timely and relevant to what you have been searching for online.

All of the sudden the reader feels a connection with that company. It is clear that this business cares about what they do, and they strive to do it better than anyone else. The reader chooses the company with the blog.