Some industry leaders like Microsoft, IBM, Sun Microsystems and General Motors, to name a few, have dived headlong into corporate blogging. These companies recognize that a blog is an immensely effective yet low cost way to boost corporate communications and marketing objectives and at the same time connect with customers and prospects.

A corporate blog

• makes it easy for readers, be they customers or prospects, to find the latest and most accurate information about its new products and services.
• helps achieve customer familiarity with the company products or services.
  creates trust and builds customer relationships.
• serves as a channel for a company and its customers to meet on common ground and to know each other more.
  allows a company to closely track where and under what condition its products or services are being discussed online.
• allows a company can keep an ear to the ground to hear what is being said about the company and speaking up when the situation calls for it.
• gives a human face to a perceived faceless and detached business entity.
  conjures images of people who are passionate about their products or services and are eager to engage customers and prospects.

It is a risky world out there and the blogosphere is no exception. For companies who are contemplating on setting out into the world of corporate blogging, it is in your best interests to have knowledge of some basic dos and don’ts of corporate blogging.

If a corporate blog can fit your company culture, selecting the individual or employee who will write your blog is doubtless to say the most important decision. An ideal corporate blogger is one who is an expert in his field. He should also write with passion and sincerity. The object of your blog is to engage your customers and prospects in conversation and the most effective way to start a conversation is to be sincere and honest in your blog while writing about topics that are important to your company.

In corporate blogging, goals/missions are of prime importance. For a blog to yield value, it has to be created with specific goals in mind. Some of these goals may be to increase company credibility, enhance customer service and interaction, and give customers a peek of the behind-the-scenes “feel” of the corporate culture, showcase new products or services and more.

Do take time to know your customers or prospects. Find out what your audience care about, what they are interested in. You have to identify what their needs are and what service you can perform for them. To get their attention, work out a way to participate in a conversation credibly.

To be credible, come up with worthwhile content – ideas, insights, news and information. Content need not be long but should be interesting. Corporate blogs should not veer away from its chosen categories or topics. This is not to say you cannot be personal in your blog posts because you should, but the audience you are trying to connect with do not want to read through your blog if it is injected with a litany of personal rumblings.

For a blog to accomplish its mission, do update regularly. Post frequently and consistently, daily or weekly, at least. Do be generous with your links. Linking is one reason why blogging has become a popular online communication medium. The best corporate blogs, more often than not, have lots of links in each blog post.

Lastly, a blog is not a miracle cure. It will not single-handedly turn your distressed company around. Corporate blogging should be incorporated with other marketing and communication tools to achieve desired results.

The considerable synergy of Pam with the other Group companies enables it to offer its customers a comprehensive package for manufacture of solid dosage forms.

A technology company, the challenge was to present the entire product range on the home page, the products here being capsule filling machines and tablet compression machines – not exactly glam material !

Using flash, an interface was created within the splash movie on the home page offering navigation to the entire product range. Besides this, the USP of the company were integrated within this movie making it visually appealing.

Click here to visit www.pamindia.com

There were specifically three challenges we faced.

1. Create a look an feel that was apt for a product like Citigold
2. Create a synergy with the existing offline marketing collaterals that the Citigold product already had
3. Create a design and integrate it within the existing larger framework of www.citibank.co.uk website without any scope of deviating.

To view the end product visit www.citigold.co.uk

Here is a list of popular toolbars for your web browser.

Most popular toolbars:

1. Google Toolbar- Search with Google from any web page, block annoying pop-ups and automatically fill out forms are just few of the popular features. Check spellings, Autolink and see the pagerank. Quick access to all major Google services.
2. Yahoo Toolbar – allows searching the web with pop-up blocker. Anti-Spy Window Spyware protection. Quick access to Yahoo services and add fresh content to My Yahoo! easily to name a few features. And now with tabbed browsing in IE.
3. MSN Toolbar – Browse smarter with tabs and switch between Web sites within the same Internet Explorer window . Search the Web and easily locate documents, e-mail messages etc. Fill out online forms and one click Access to MSN services.
4. Alexa Toolbar – a free search and navigation companion that accompanies you as you surf, providing useful information about the sites you visit including traffic information and contact info. Find related links for each page and share opinions.
5. Wikipedia Toolbar – The Wikipedia Firefox extension makes editing of Wikipedia pages easier by adding a new toolbar to your browser and by providing new menu items in the context menu (right mouse key). A related WikiSearch Toolbar is available, allowing direct Wikipedia searches from Internet Explorer.
6. Ask Jeeves – Search the Web and personalize your search experience with saved locations, your local news etc. Save images, web pages and searches, and access them right from the toolbar. Now with a search box for maps and business listings.
7. Dogpile Toolbar – use the web Search, find white pages & yellow pages listings, and keep track with the customized news ticker. It also has a RSS Tool and SearchSpy with scrolling terms to see what people are searching for in real-time. Rated No.1 by PCworld it says.
8. AltaVista Toolbar – Gives you the research tools to perform searches and translations from your browser.
9. Ebay Toolbar – quick, easy access to eBay from your desktop. Stay updated with ebay auctions.
10. MapQuest Toolbar – Maps at your fingertips at all times. Access to MapQuest Driving Directions and Yellow Pages.