One of the more frequent questions I get from people I work or interact with involves the value of blogging for companies. Blogging goes beyond simply getting people to your blog to read and comment on your articles.

Blogging, when done correctly can be a very important of many different aspects of your overall marketing strategy. Here are five different ways I have used blogging outside of the blog itself:

• Repurpose blogs in your newsletter – One of the most common reasons companies don’t generate regular newsletters is a lack of interesting content. If you are blogging regularly, they are perfect for inclusion in your newsletters and generate very good click through rates.
• Populate dynamic content on your website – By using proper categories you can create custom posts that keep your web content fresh and relevant in different sections of your website. A perfect use of this tactic is on your industry pages.
• Link blogs through social media – This one is a no-brainer, yet people often still fail to use their blogs on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other sites to engage their community and solicit feedback and comments.
• Use a blog in press outreach – Often a short blog can be the seed of a longer and more detailed article that your PR team can pitch to publications. In this case your blog serves as an abstract for your idea and also establishes your expertise in a given area.
• Use your blog as a competitive sales tool – I have often used a blog as a way to address a corporate position on a competitive topic. You can do this without naming your competition (or not), but still highlight your key competitive issue and make your case. Your sales team can then reference this post that I have found to be far more effective than a static competitive grid. The nice thing about this as well is how flexible it is to address a changing competitive environment.

There are many reasons for blogging beyond what I mention here, including search, thought leadership, and customer/prospect engagement. Plan your blog and ensure that you get the most out of your investment in this increasingly important marketing vehicle.