What You Need To Know About Blogging

Creating a blog for your firm can be a savvy business decision, whether used internally for team communication, or externally for marketing or branding purposes.
Reported by Nicole Bliman

Of course, this nifty tool has its own set of compliance concerns, so it is important to check with your broker/dealer or compliance department about how or whether blogging can be used for your business.

Why blog? 

Unlike advertising, which costs big bucks, or news articles, which are in the hands’ of journalists, blogging is free and is entirely in your own voice. So, if you have something to say, a blog might be the perfect channel for you to use.

Also, blogs make you or your firm more “alive” for clients. Where a Web site is an essential tool for promoting your services, a blog enables clients or prospects to get to know the advisers behind the services and gives advisers­ an opportunity to “speak” more to clients or prospects. A blog’s informal nature is the ideal medium to allow your personality to shine through.

Lastly, blogs are designed to open a dialogue between the blogger and the readers. Most blogs have a space for comments at the bottom of each post. If you write something intriguing, maybe a reader, who might be a ­potential plan sponsor client, will have a thought he’d like to add, and then you can comment back. Or, you can pose an idea or question, and invite readers to leave their comments. This dialogue will show clients, and potential clients, that you care about what they have to say and can make you appear to be more approachable.

How to get started 

Blogs are generally created on specific Web sites that host blogs. The three most popular sites are Blogger.com, WordPress.com, and Livejournal.com. Or you can post your blog on an ­industry-specific Web site, like ­planadviser.com. By going to any of those sites, you can set up your blog for free. If you have a corporate Web site, you might have the ability to blog on your Web site.

Before diving into that first blog post, you (and any partners or teammates you have) should think about your blogging goals, policies, and tone. Is the purpose of your blog to express your thoughts on the retirement plan industry, is it to open a dialogue with clients or prospective clients, or is it simply to improve your firm’s online presence. (It could be a combination of all these things.)

Keeping the blog alive 

Once your blog is created and a link to it clearly is visible on your firm’s Web site, here are some things to keep in mind as you add to it

  • Keep it casual. Make your entries­ personal by speaking to readers directly­ and clearly.
  • Make it useful. By offering tips and links to other resources on the Web, your readers will be more inclined to tell others about your blog.
  • Don’t advertise. Your blog shouldn’t look or sound like an advertisement. It should be used for sharing ideas and personalizing your business. (Creating a resource for others will serve as good advertising.)
  • Update regularly. If you update your blog once a month or less, people will get tired of checking on your blog and seeing the same old posts that they’ve already read. Short updates often are much better than long essays infrequently.
  • If possible, have more than one person write on the blog. The different voices and personalities will help keep it interesting. However, if there will be multiple bloggers, it’s generally a good idea to have someone designated who will edit all the posts to see that they have a consistent message and tone.
  • Stick to it. If you decide to start a blog, make a commitment to keep it going. An abandoned blog can leave a bad impression.