Used properly, web-based tools can go a long way in helping you communicate your message. Here are nine tips for corporate bloggers to improve their blogging efforts.

1) Keep it Current – Develop a schedule and drive towards maintaining it, routine posts and an up-to-date blog will keep people coming back to visit your site.

2) Be easy to find – Be sure your blog is easily accessible from your website and outbound emails… you could even be as bold as to set up a feed or prominently feature your blog on your homepage – maybe a quarter or third page.

3) Be Conversational – Remember people don’t have all day, keep your posts short and conversational to increase interest. If it's a longer article, have them click through.

4) Use Multi-Media – Pictures and video go a long way to enhance your posts; just be sure you're adding to your post and make the video components optional.

5) Do not (just) Drive Revenue – Use your blog as a means to keep people engaged, a source of information and a place for them to learn. If your visitors like your site, they will keep visiting, tell others and perhaps even make a purchase.

6) Solicit Feedback through Comments – Interaction is important, keep your comments in an original form, but sanitize them as appropriate.

7) Multiple May Work – Don’t be afraid to start multiple blogs to fit varying user interests and feedback, just remember to make all of your social media efforts easy for the user to locate and define how they differ from one another.

8) Feature Your Experts – Your experts are your consumers and some of your people. Try to feature them in articles and discussions – it will add to your credibility.

9) Tie it into Email – Use the content from your blog within your email campaigns. This gives your consumer real user generated content to read, improving engagement. Also, use the blog to promote your email marketing program.

Blogs add to your brand and your search-ability online, their dynamic nature also allows you to share information quickly to help enhance your reputation as a flexible organization.