A college student sent me a series of questions for a project they're working on. I decided to post my answers online.

When a company comes to you with the idea of setting up a blog, what steps do you go through with them to get it set up?

First off I like to assess the level of knowledge within the organization. When they say they, 'want to blog' I want to know what they think that means. In a few cases I have had potential clients approach blogging from the wrong direction. They're thoughts were usually purely marketing driven, which isn't the best thing. I also need to know who will be the primary blogger(s). The best-case-scenarios are when an individual or small team within a company really wants to start blogging and they contact me to help out. In that situation there is an internal passion and drive to make the project succeed. This is a big contrast to a communications manager that calls and says, "Yeah, we need to get one of those blog things going." Real enthusiastic!

This also goes back to the overall mood of the company. Are we dealing with an organization that has an open live of communication with the outside world (customers, vendors, etc) or are they somewhat secretive. Obviously a blog is a natural extension for organizations with open communication channels.

The next step is defining the purpose and content. Often an initial idea for a corporate blog will be very narrow in scope. While the narrow scope helps define the content it often can't support itself beyond a few months. I usually advise them to take things up one level. Once we establish the based needs/purpose for the blog we then look at the technical issues.

There are a number of other steps that can get quite detailed depending on the project. A while back I posted some other tips and questions as well. Most of them are research oriented.

What are some cautions that you give people before they set up a blog?

Going back to the first question. Think about the scope of the content. Can it support a blog for a year? Is the client committed to supporting the project for an extended period of time. Plenty of blogs have been created with much fanfare, but they fizzle out after a few months.

I also caution clients to be prepared for negative comments. There will always be negative comments, the true test of many organization is how they react to these. The best clients will always look at negative comments and work to improve their products/services to address the issues.

What are some definite do’s and don’ts of corporate blogs?

Last week I posted some basic PR blogging rules, but they just scratch the surface. Thinking of blogs as a conversational or content-based medium, just think back to that when working on it. Ask yourself, "Am I providing good content or conversation to my readers?"

What is the most effective way to use a blog to promote the company?

I think promote is the wrong word. Building relationships with customers/vendors, etc via a blog will result in great promotion. but it has to start with good content.

Tell me about the phrase “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

It's something I've said since I had my first business. Too often people will try to use the latest tool or trick just because it's new. Remember all those great looking web sites from the mid-90's that overused Alien Skin filters in Photoshop? Sure, blogs are a great way to reach customers, but so are events and personal phone calls. You need to evaluate your needs and use the tools that best fit that need.

When did you found hyku? Why?

I founded hyku in 2003 so that I could be my own boss and make my own hours. Sure working for yourself has some pros/cons. Sometimes I need to work weekends, but that allows me to spend time with my family during the week when I want to. I couldn't imagine working 9-5 in an office every day of the week. I also don't put up with internal-office-politics very well. If something is wrong I'll say it, even if it might offend 'the boss'.

What if you have a person who is completely technologically non-savvy. How do you deal with that?

The tools of blogging and social media are getting easier to use every day. With anybody (even the non-tech-savvy) you need to find the one thing that interests them. Once you get them connected with an interest they'll spend the time to educate themselves, and won't consider it a chore. In that regard Dogster has been great. If the person is a dog lover, just show them Dogster and they'll get it very quickly.

What advice do you give to people who are wanting set up a blog?

Think about why you're doing it and what you hope to gain from it. In this regard it's no different than any other project. Then I point them back to this.