This article first appeared on February 14, 2013.
There are too many terrible blogs. What businesses don’t seem to understand about blogging is that you actually have to add some sort of value to the internet.
If you’re not providing useful information to your audience, whoever that might be, then why are you even trying?
Thankfully, there are plenty of Australian bloggers in business who know what they’re doing. They’re smart, they’re funny, and they post regular updates on a wide variety of topics.
But there isn’t just the reputational benefit you get from blogging and becoming known as a thought leader. Google loves it too. If you’re blogging under your own name, posting regular updates and getting a lot of social traffic, then the rankings of your blog and potentially your business’ website are going to increase.
Take a look at 20 of Australia’s best business blogs – there’s something for everyone.
Sarah Mitchell’s blog was originally set up as a way to support her company, but Global Copywriting has transformed into something much more valuable. Regular updates on the nature of copywriting and how to improve your own marketing efforts make it worth visiting often. The occasional guest contributor helps keep the content fresh.
Public relations and social media is an area where a lot of entrepreneurs tend to drop the ball. CP Communications’ blog, run by managing director Catriona Pollard, gives advice on how to manage your public and social presence. The topics are broad, too, covering information on how to draft press releases to understanding Google tools.
Paul Wallbank is one of the country’s leading technology experts and analysts, appearing in a number of publications, (including SmartCompany). The strength of Wallbank’s posts come from their variety, with recent examples including a post on the Dell buyout, the past 15 years of radio and technology, and debating whether kids in school should be using laptops.
Digital marketing group Switched On Media runs one of the most comprehensive and informative blogs in the country, writing posts from practical lessons on how to utilise certain social media platforms to broader entries on key industry trends. A focus on the Asia-Pacific region, and a watchful eye on current events, makes this a blog worth reading.
SEO is an area where frequent updates can do your head in. Jim Stewart’s blog – a lot of which is available on SmartCompany – gives regular explanations on the latest Google changes. A weekly video is the highlight, where Stewart explains in clear language what the latest changes are and why you need to know about them.
The head of Physio Co, Tristan White is big on culture – so big that he created an entire blog about how to maintain and grow a culture within your own business. He’s certainly proven himself – The Physio Co has been named regularly as one of Australia’s best places to work.
Finding marketing blogs run by companies which don’t carry any sort of advertising for the business’s main products is a challenge. King Content, run by Craig Hodges, differs from the fairly saturated pack by offering practical tips and round-ups of need-to-know information. Hodges told SmartCompany last year he keeps the post schedule updated regularly; and the high quality of the posts are a clear result.
This one’s a little unusual – a blog run by a private investigator. Julia Robson writes about the nature of investigating, but mostly broadens the topic stream to anything related to staying safe online. That includes everything from stories about privacy, to watching out for online scams.
Trevor Young is at the forefront of public relations in Australia, and his blog is a valuable resource for understanding the ins and outs of PR. But Young’s blog extends beyond that, exploring how social media and public relations collide – making it stand out from the pack of PR blogs already available. Recent posts include thoughts on Twitter’s latest video venture, Vine, all the way to a recent corporate Instagram gaffe.
This blog run by the leadership team of online retailers Shoes of Prey is a look into not only the company’s strategy, but also some thoughts and feelings from the owners themselves. With the business at the forefront of Australian online retail, there are regular posts on the changing nature of selling online and what businesses need to do to stay ahead of the game.
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Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
