The advent of internet has opened new vistas in the fields of information and communication. There is a sea change in how we communicated a decade back and how we communicate now. Widespread access to the internet has changed how people work, how they access information, how they play games, and how they network with others.

What is blogging?

Blogging is a wonderful offshoot of communication over the internet. In simple terms blogging is the art of creating electronic write-ups which are easily accessible by others on the internet. The scope of blogging has increased in the past few years. Initially individuals used to set up a webpage and type in personal entries, notes, essays, important web links, opinions, etc. on a regular basis. Now people upload music, photos, images, and other audio-video content in their blogs as well. While the primary objective of blogging remains sharing textual content, many people blog to share other content as well.

With widespread acceptability of the internet more people are becoming habitual of reading and writing blogs. Blogging is no longer restricted to individuals who want a platform to make their opinion known to others. Most recently companies and political parties have used blogs to create effective press releases. This proves that blogging is becoming popular among individuals, interest groups, and companies.

Blogging on www.DataCenterProfessionals.net

The vast number of online networks has made it easy for people to remain in touch with family, friends and colleagues. But there is one problem which every internet user faces: the problem of maintaining multiple accounts. He has a separate email account. He has a separate instant messaging account. He has separate bank accounts. He has a social networking account. He also has a professional networking account. He maintains his own blog account. He has so many accounts that at times he is overwhelmed and skips doing many things that he may otherwise want to do.

One of the solutions is to have just one account and do several things. We have tried to create a platform (www.DataCenterProfessionals.net) where industry professionals can easily meet their networking and blogging needs. People can use a lot of features to make this as their one stop shop for networking. For example, they can add their contacts, write blogs, participate in discussions and forums, publish whitepapers, network for events, business opportunities, etc. People can use Groups, Companies & Products Directories, Industry Training Directory, Business Opportunities, Classifieds, Events, Bookstore and Jobs. Plus they have access to LinkedIn profiles.

Our professional networking site is specifically for the Data Center Industry and we encourage professionals companies to ''blog'' and create ''Press Releases'' on our site. This will have the following benefits:

1. There is no need to create multiple accounts on different websites.

2. You will get first hand information and news about your industry. Otherwise you need to visit other technology websites and sift for relevant news on the internet.

3. You do not have to maintain a separate blog account. It will be easy for others to identify who you are and what you can provide by visiting your profile. You can use the blog to post press releases as well.

How to create an effective press release with a blog on our website?

A blog can be used for personal and professional reasons. Let us presume that you have a professional profile on our website and you want to create a blog linked to your profile. You want to regularly publish press releases on this blog.

One thing to remember is that writing a press release on your blog is very different from writing a traditional press release. A traditional press release is typically a very formally worded draft targeted at a formal audience. On the other hand a blog press release linked to your profile is more casual and has a direct tone while targeting internet-using consumers. These consumers are more responsive: they write comments, read reviews, do comparative analysis and belong to your industry. They are well-informed are looking for valuable information. There must be a proper strategy in place when communicating with such consumers. In this context let us understand how you can use your professional account to blog and create press releases. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Innovate with unique content

Always remember that there are a lot of websites on the internet. The difference between a good website and an average website is the quality of content. Post good content and you will have an increasing number of visitors on your website. You can influence people’s opinion if you write interesting and relevant blog posts.

2. Have a good headline

A catchy headline is very important to get your press release noticed. Avoid using complex terms and jargon. Try to keep it straight and simple. There are many search engine optimization techniques available to help you draft a searchable press release.

3. Present facts

The power of internet is unprecedented. People can read your online press release minutes after you post it. Unlike traditional means of communication like newspaper, magazines, and journals news spreads like fire on the internet. There are many examples of companies facing lawsuits hours after they posted updates and press releases on websites. This suggests two things. You must draft your press release with utmost care and make sure that all the information is based on hard facts.

4. Clearly understand your means and ends

Please do not confuse means with ends. Your professional account is only a medium to achieve the goal of marketing and promoting your image. You must focus on what you want to communicate, where you want to communicate, and to whom you want to communicate. Good blogging on a professional site has two advantages: Firstly, you can reach a targeted audience most relevant to your industry. Secondly blogging is a method of building a positive image for your company.

5. Be forthright

The primary goal of a press release is to share new information. The importance of being forthright cannot be emphasized enough. Responsiveness on internet is so high that if you are presenting a half truth chances are that your press release will be ripped by comments and reviews. So it is advised that you should not misrepresent facts. For example when Netflix wanted to tell people that they were removing their profiles feature they blogged that this was for the benefit of the consumers. Later it raised such a furor among subscribers that many people discontinued using their service. They would not have faced such a problem had they been forthright in their approach by, for example, telling the users that “this feature is costing us a lot of money” or “we have some software issues which we want to fix” or just the plain simple truth. Blog readers immediately realize that something is amiss or that the company is beating around the bush!!

How to create an effective press release for your professional network?

By integrating professional networking and blogging we have provided a one-stop solution for the busy professionals. Consider how hard it is to maintain your own blog. You have to make many choices, for example, there are many blog software and publishing applications available in the market today: WordPress, Weblog, NanoBlogger, Slash, LiveJournal, etc. You will have to choose how much programming you can do and in which language. You will have to devote time in creating a blog and managing the traffic. Typically, large companies prefer to use proprietary software packages and relatively smaller companies prefer to use open-source software which is freely available on the internet.

If your blogging is integrated with your professional network as on www.datacenterprofessionals.net, you can start at a beginner level with a user friendly platform. You do not have to worry about the traffic as only the people from your industry will have access to your blog. You will provide information to those who value it most.

Conclusion

Press releases have existed from time immemorial. But the reason for drafting a press release has not changed: to publicize or market an important event or issue. Trade, commerce, and industry rely heavily on press releases as powerful marketing tools. However the use of professional networks to create blogs and press releases is a new development. Blogs are read by a significant number of internet users. There is a huge potential for the effectively using your professional account to blog and publish press releases. This will not only help you present a true and fair picture to your readers but also increase your company’s visibility in your industry.