Blogs aren’t just for tech companies. Today, every company can use a blog…here’s why:

• They are a great way to share ideas about your company’s research, products or industry
• They help build online awareness about your company
• They can act as a “less formal” extension to your press releases
• They provide an outlet for customers and investors to interact with your company
• They can help influence the media (see Blogs are Key to Influencing News Coverage)

Recently, I helped a biotech client, Nutra Pharma, launch its blog. We’re starting off slowly with one post each week on a different subject relating to its research, clinical trials or the life science industry. Just two days after we launched, we had 35 subscribers and a renewed excitement from investors.

Here are seven steps to jumpstarting your corporate blog:

1. Brainstorm a list of categories and topics you’ll cover on your blog
2. Sign up for a free WordPress account or download and install WordPress on your corporate site
3. Sign up for a free Technorati account and claim your blog
4. Install the FeedBurner plug-in and setup the email signup form
5. Post your first three blog posts (separate each by one business day)
6. After posting each blog post, submit the link on digg
7. Once you have several posts online, email your customers, vendors, and local media and let them know about your new blog