An agency's website should include a blog or magazine. After all, potential customers want to know whether the service provider has mastered its profession. Few online marketing tools are as effective as a blog, says Daniela Sprung, an expert in corporate blogs.

Blogs for agencies and magazines contribute to their own SEO, which is hardly the case with social networks. Nevertheless, many agencies and freelancers shy away from demonstrating their expertise via a blog. What do you need to consider for a blog project? How do you create good content with little time? And how does networking with other bloggers work? Our interview provides the answers.

Corporate blog vs online magazine

"Corporate blogs are dead, long live the online magazine" - that's what everyone is saying at the moment. Daniela, what is your opinion on this controversial topic?

Both variants have their justification. The question is: how is such a project implemented? I am a great advocate of classic blogs - with a comment function and posts that can also be more personal. The Daimler blog was a real pioneer in this respect. Now the blog no longer exists, it has become Daimler Magazine.

Once again, I think the implementation is very successful. Excellent contributions, an appealing design and yet the feeling remains that the very personal charm has been preserved. My only complaint is that there is no comment function. The discourse takes place below the posts on LinkedIn. I'm not a fan of giving up control. You're only managing readers' reactions on external channels that don't belong to you. DATEV has now taken the same approach and is inviting discussion on Facebook.

Aren't online magazines just blogs, only with a slightly fancier name? Where do you see the differences?

The difference for me is that online magazines are broader in their topics than a blog. The tone is more factual. It is also less about maintaining direct contact with customers, employees and partners. In a blog, the articles are more personal. They generally deal with more topics relating to the company, its employees, events and products or services.

Silja Troll has a good definition of what distinguishes a blog from a magazine:

A magazine is primarily organized by topic and tends to be informative and factual. A corporate blog, on the other hand, is often characterized by more subjective opinions. It aims - more than a magazine - to communicate directly with users. However, knowledge and information transfer are also key to corporate blogging.

Blogs and content marketing

I am often asked whether a company should call its project a "blog" or a "magazine". Which variant is suitable for which sectors or target groups?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer here. For many, the term "blog" has very conservative connotations and is associated with the origins of blogging, the digital diary. In times of buzzwords such as content marketing, content shock or even content hub, it is certainly more interesting for many to speak of a magazine. The term is trendier and not as old-fashioned as "the blog".

I myself always refer to it as a blog. Simply to make it clear that there is a difference to a magazine. The two terms "blog" and "magazine" are often used as synonyms. I would listen to the respective industry or target group to understand which terms they use. Which term attracts more attention there? However, it is important that it is clear what the collaboration is about. This is the only way to meet expectations and avoid disappointment.

Blog4Business: Networking with other bloggers

You organize Blog4Business, a conference for corporate and professional bloggers. Until now, corporate bloggers have rarely networked, in contrast to the WordPress scene, for example. Why is that the case?

For one thing, the number of corporate bloggers is manageable. If you look at how many companies have a blog and how many companies use social channels (and I'm not even talking about maintaining them), it quickly becomes clear that corporate blogs are a niche. Many do not consider a blog to be relevant or relevant enough.

On the other hand, a company blogger often not only takes care of the blog, but also has other tasks such as social media, marketing, community management, etc. These are all areas in which there are much more frequent innovations. I'm thinking of articles like "10 trends you need to know for your 2020 social media campaign" and the like. There are also events such as the D2M Summit, Social Media Week Hamburg, the Allfacebook Conference, etc. These events deal with topics such as Facebook Ads, Social Listening, Instagram & Co. Sharing ideas with colleagues works better because there is an entire industry for this.

This is not the case with corporate blogging. Not much changes here in terms of content. But, and I think many people forget this: The ability to write good texts, search engine optimization (SEO) requirements and analytics are constantly evolving. SEO is often a separate department within the company, or it is outsourced to an agency. Company bloggers do not always have access to the necessary data to evaluate it themselves. So who should you talk to about it? This is another reason why bloggers in companies find it difficult to exchange information.

This is exactly why Blog4Business exists. There has never been a comparable meeting on this topic before. What's more, you often have to ask your employer whether you are allowed to attend a certain event, including the reasons. In addition, there is only a certain budget for such events. Then you probably go to an event where there are lots of other colleagues, such as re:publica.

Is networking with corporate blogs and online magazines currently improving? And how can a conference resolve this?

I can't say for sure whether this is changing at the moment. But I do know what a conference needs to offer so that visitors can network in the best possible way. My events are aimed at bloggers who use the blog professionally. For a company, for an agency or for themselves as freelancers. But there are also topics that go beyond that.

This year's topics are gamification and community management. These topics are more broadly based. They also appeal to people who work in the field of social media. In other words, agency employees, the self-employed, members of organizations, etc. For me, there are two key points that ensure a stronger exchange:

Firstly, the time between the program items. People want to talk to each other, and not just during the breaks. In my opinion, plenty of time for networking is the basis for getting into better conversations. Because it's the personal moments that bring people together. You can finally meet people you've always wanted to talk to and who you've only ever met online. What's more, a conference can be very large. I have started to admit a maximum of 100 people to keep Blog4Business informal.

Another point is the practical work: moving away from the frontal lecture and towards trial and error. Participants want to ask questions and learn about solutions. The more practice an event offers and the smaller the number of participants, the more likely it is that people will get into action and discussion. An event should be of a certain size, around 70 to a maximum of 150 people. This is usually enough, depending on the program.

Advantages of blogs for agencies

Agencies, but also freelancers, should urgently have their own blog to showcase their expertise. That's my opinion. How do you see it? What are the main advantages of an agency blog?

I am a big advocate of blogs. The topic is my passion. Because I am convinced that few tools in online marketing are as effective as a blog for showcasing your own expertise. In my opinion, the advantage of blogs lies primarily in their constant accessibility, worldwide. Every other medium usually requires a login. Be it Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Xing or Medium, to name just a few examples.

All media formats can be used on a blog. Try inserting a link, a video and an image in a Facebook post. You will have to decide on a thumbnail if you want your post to consist of more than just text. A blog works very well in combination with a podcast. I do that too. I publish my podcast on my blog and I usually create a text from the audio. That way, my visitors can not only read, but also listen. I reach two target groups and it pays off in terms of SEO. This doesn't work on any social network.

With a blog, you are independent of social networks and the press. Facebook frequently changes its algorithm. The current trend is that organic visibility is much more difficult to achieve than it was a few years ago. If companies, agencies or freelancers want to earn money and be seen, they are almost forced to place ads. Instagram still works, but structures are changing here too. Google+ no longer exists and very few people still talk about Ello.

On a blog, I decide what the posts should look like. I can decide how many and which media I want to include. I have a direct influence on search engine optimization and my visibility. There is another reason for blogs: many agencies and companies are very interested in appearing in the press. It is not without reason that there are communications departments that often employ a press spokesperson. But it is difficult to attract attention with a press release. It has to contain a story that is interesting enough for journalists to report on it.

I can publish my own stories on the blog and communicate about them in times of crisis. A few years ago, Anita Freitag-Meyer from the Hans Freitag cookie factory gave a very impressive demonstration of how this works. She was supplied with flour that contained metal shavings. In addition to the mandatory recall campaign, she followed the situation via her cookie blog and social channels. Although an external PR specialist was involved, she handled the personal communication via social media and the blog herself. She responded to comments and questions from her community.

As a result, the owner was later awarded a prize for her exemplary crisis communication. She herself said that she did not receive a shitstorm but a "candystorm". You can listen to an interview with Anita Freitag-Meyer about the case on my blog.

SEO and recruiting

What do corporate blogs do to attract new employees and for SEO? Which content formats are used?

A blog is also an excellent channel for employer branding and employee retention. Many agencies are looking for employees, often specialists in different areas. Articles with a look behind the scenes, videos and interviews with employees as well as presentations of projects offer good insights into the company. To show who you are and how you work.

In my opinion, the result agency from Cologne does this very well with their Wirkungsblog, but also you at Raidboxes with wp unboxed all about WordPress. Informative articles that go into depth as well as insights into your company. And all this with snappy texts that are fun to read. What more could you want?

Search engine optimization is another important point, as already mentioned. With a well-organized blog, you can achieve a place on page one of Google. If the following criteria are met:

• The implementation of Google's mobile first rule
• Fast loading times
• Good content that is better than that of the competition

The fact is: A blog contributes to your own SEO, social networks less or not at all. In my opinion, all these points speak very strongly in favor of agencies and self-employed people running a blog.

I also recommend this to medium-sized companies in many cases. Because if you look around in the various sectors, many competitors don't yet have a blog - or they are pretty bad. This means that the opportunity to position yourself as a trendsetter and expert is extremely good. Sometimes you are the only company with a blog, so you fill a gap. The others have to get past that first.

Plan content efficiently

Freelancers often have little time to blog themselves. How can they still provide enough content?

There's too much work on your desk, you don't have time to blog and your blog lies dormant for a long time. This has happened to me too. Various strategies can help here. Firstly, you should write articles in advance, i.e. "in stock". Then you can fall back on the written material at any time. You can even plan the distribution on social networks and in the newsletter in advance to save time.

On the other hand, guest posts help to bridge the lull on the blog. This provides content from a different source and therefore variety on the blog. There are plenty of people who like to increase their reach and are happy to receive a do-follow link when they publish on other blogs. I recommend that you define the framework conditions for a guest post. This includes ensuring that the article is unique and will not appear elsewhere, keyword unique content.

Also clarify how you want to address your readers. Do you want to address them as "you", "you" or use neutral language? How would you like it? Avoid keyword stuffing and clarify who is providing the images for the post. The new Digital Week Dortmund blog has created a very good and clear regulation. It offers you good inspiration, see here.

But not only new and planned content can help to keep the blog going in bad times. But also updated content. It is often not necessary to constantly write new articles. It is much better to take old articles and update them. This includes checking whether the content is still correct or whether there have been any changes in the meantime. Further steps are

• Remove broken links
• Alternatively, replace them with new ones if they lead to helpful information
• Integrate other media if it makes sense
• Mark this revised article with an indication of when it was first published and when it was updated

Many readers no longer have such articles on their screens. New visitors, on the other hand, may not even know about the post yet. This way, you can create fresh content on the blog with much less effort than writing a completely new post.

Conference and barcamp for blogs

What can participants expect at Blog4Business? And what is the difference to the Corporate Blog Barcamp on November 5?

Blog4Business (B4B) combines two formats. The classic conference and the relaxed barcamp. With Blog4Business, I want to think outside the box. Here I combine the topics around corporate blogs and social media. There are three presentations by experts throughout the day that deal with corporate blogs and social media.

This year, it's Rouven Kasten from GLS Bank. He shows how the socio-economic bank has been running its blog successfully for over 10 years. And how they use it not only to reach their customers, but also to sell current accounts. I was also able to win Nora Breuker as a speaker. Nora is an expert when it comes to building and maintaining communities. She has built up a large community in the USA. I wrote at the beginning that I wanted to think outside the box with B4B. This should be the case with the topic of gamification. It is an exciting challenge, especially in relation to blogging. Roman Rackwitz shows how readers can be engaged in a playful way. And how the transfer of knowledge in blogs can be designed in this way. He provides examples of this.

The Barcamp takes place between the presentations. The special thing about this is that the participants design their own program. Anyone can come forward and suggest a session. This could be a question about social media or a blog. Or someone can explain how Pinterest works properly. There is no right or wrong. The only important thing is that the participants have enough time to exchange ideas. They should go home at the end with even more knowledge and good contacts.

The Corporate Blog Barcamp, on the other hand, is a pure barcamp. There are no presentations. Instead, the program is designed by the participants themselves. The sessions are very focused on the main topic of blogging. The Corporate Blog Barcamp will take place for the second time on November 5, 2020. Last year, we covered topics such as how to set up the Google Search Console correctly. The agency that manages the Ritter Sport blog gave insights behind the scenes. Leefke from Raidboxes talked about what good posts need to look like in order to convert. I am very excited to see what topics will be suggested this year.

A question that you probably can't hear anymore: Will Blog4Business take place despite "Corona"? Some WordCamps have already been canceled.

I currently see no cause for concern. I am constantly monitoring the information from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). I consider their instructions and recommendations to be authoritative. I have consulted with the Dortmund Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which is a co-organizer of Blog4Business. We have agreed that the event will take place as planned.

The IHK is excellently prepared, for example with a disinfection station at the entrance. We advocate that a smile or nod should replace a handshake. Basically, the same precautions apply as for the flu. I will publish an official statement on this and write directly to the participants. I think we are now well prepared. And we can look forward to a varied day.