1. Fresh content. Too often a company’s blog hasn’t been updated for months since the company bloggers never add new posts. Content gets stale fast on a blog. Get into the habit of posting weekly. Set up a reminder in your calendar.
   
2. Say something meaningful. Avoid blog posts that are clearly sales pitches and do not have any new or meaningful content. Don’t use your blog to just sell your services. The rest of your site can do that. Use your blog to communicate interesting ideas, insights on your industry or anything meaningful that your visitors might find worthwhile reading. If your company is doing something interesting and you want to blog about it, fine, just be careful about sounding like a used car salesman.
   
3. No “I” in Team. Too often only one person from the company posts. As a visitor and potential client I want to know what your team is like, how they think. Only hearing one voice doesn’t give me that insight.
   
4. Have a point of view. Too many times I read a blog that simply quotes another blog and then summarizes the rest of the post that they are quoting. I want a blog to have a point of view. Companies are often sensitive about being controversial and blogging can sometimes cross that line. It is better to be a little controversial than boring. No-one remembers a boring blog post.
   
5. Be passionate. That is really rule number one. If you aren’t passionate about your subject, or your job!, then you probably shouldn’t be blogging about it (or doing that job). Start with passion and the rest will follow.

Do you have any rules to add? Oh yeah that reminds me of another good rule.

6. Engage your readers. Don’t just stand behind the podium preaching. Ask your readers what they think, encourage interaction. Once they are having a conversation with someone you have already crossed the important confidence threshold. Focus on relationships and a sale won’t be far off.

So what do you think?