wp4bizbloggersContentRobot couldn’t wait to dive into our copy of WordPress for Business Bloggers by Paul Thewlis (published by Packt Publishing). While we have our own methodology, we were quite interested in his approach and the advice he has for the business blogger blogger-to-be.

Thewlis chose to navigate the reader through a sample case study, which involved installing and configuring WordPress (version 2.6 as of press time), plugins, and widgets. He also touched upon design, content, promotion, analytics, and monetization, which drove home that blogging isn’t something to jump into lightly.

It offered a great overview of all that goes into successful blogging. However the book seemed to be better suited for those solo bloggers who are responsible for their sites (and who like to tinker). In contrast, business bloggers could be turned off (or downright intimidated) because they don’t have the design or technical skill set that seems to be required.

Chapter one, which described what makes a great blog, was a wonderful way to help business bloggers think about how they should embark upon their own projects. Unfortunately, the book then got too techy, as not everyone needs (or wants) to learn CSS, resize images, or know how to install WordPress locally.

We enjoyed the tips on how to write great content and connecting to the blogosphere – ContentRobot agrees that these are cornerstones to any high-quality blog. The search engine optimization chapter was chock full of great tools and resources, and should be a part of any WordPress bloggers arsenal.

We didn’t agree with the inclusion of monetization as part of a business blogging strategy. ContentRobot feels that Adsense and affiliate marketing links can take away from getting a company’s message out. (Admittedly, our definition of a business blogger may differ from Thewlis’.)

Although we think this book is misnamed, WordPress for Business Bloggers can provide valuable roadmap for those who are just starting out, need some general blogging guidance, want to use WordPress as their platform.