Marketing Explosion Equals Business Necessity
Blogs are one of the most powerful strategic business communication tools in use today by organizations large and small. Surprisingly, most organizations are still completely unaware of what they really are.
You know what? They are not alone. Most people don’t know what they are either. A lot of people who read blogs on a daily basis don't even think twice about them, how they work, or how powerful they are. However, even if people do not necessarily need to know what blogs are, companies do.
Before we go any further, here is a definition of a blog:
A publication of content and Web links, sorted in chronological order, with the most recent at the top. The content reflects personal or corporate interests, and is almost always written by an individual. Blogs were originally called web logs or weblogs. However, as 'web log' can also mean a server's log files, the term was confusing. To avoid this confusion, the abbreviation 'blog' was coined, and became the common term.
Blog content varies dramatically from one site to the next. Often, it reflects what is happening in a person's life. In a business context, there are many blogs used by companies to distribute content. These companies have realized that blogs are a fabulous customer service tool.
Originally, blogs were simply standalone websites dominated by links and peppered with personal commentaries and observations. They were little more than a person maintaining a personal website, much like someone keeping a diary, with links pointing to items around the World Wide Web that had caught their interest along the way.
Today, blogs are much more dynamic. Some major corporations' websites contain internal blogs, where employees can post their thoughts, ideas and more; sometimes they are public, sometimes not.
These blogs are a potential goldmine of insights for readers, provided by business leaders, market leaders, innovators, and many other opinion makers. These leaders have taken to using the Internet to publish their thoughts for the same reason they make public speaking appearances, to build credibility for themselves as individuals as well as for their company, and to become recognized as a resource, usually with the expectation that it will lead to sales. Blogging presents an easy, non-time consuming, and inexpensive way to quickly reach thousands of interested parties all around the world.
The effect that these leaders have had in posting their thoughts and musings online has helped evolve blogs into powerful viral marketing tools. Blogs allow you to quickly and easily reach people who are not in your direct network, and to greatly expand the number of people you and your company reach.
Like any other communication medium, a blog’s effectiveness depends upon quality of content and execution. During a conversation I had with Greg Sterling from the Kelsey Group, we got on this topic and talked about how good blogs were useful and valuable resources. Greg made a witty observation and pointed out, "bad blogs are just Towers of Babbling."
I like that line! It’s accurate and should be part of all businesses’ self evaluation when reviewing their blogs. It should also be a warning if you are thinking about starting a blog: always make sure there is value.
If you plan on starting a blog for your business, below are some easy steps to follow:
- Keep it up to date.
A blog in which people will consider relevant should be updated every few days. Concentrate on providing the most current information on issues facing your industry, or information of interest to your marketplace at large. Also, remember to post any breaking news you come across as soon as you find it.
- Ask for feedback.
Successful blogs encourage reader participation. If you are afraid of criticism, or don't want to host a debate forum on your ideas or your company policies, stick to publishing informative articles on your website.
- Link to numerous outside resources
and to other blogs with like content. It shows your readers that you are keeping up to date with what is going on elsewhere too.
- Keep it Simple.
Use very few graphics and keep to simple color schemes. Focus on the text; that's why people come and read your content anyhow. If you discuss many topics, use categorical sections, and keep archives of older material.
- Be Patient.
You should expect a small audience initially, and allow it to grow organically. The better the content you provide, the quicker your audience will grow.
Whether blogging turns out to be a passing fad, or if it proves itself to be a whole new way to communicate with existing and potential customers, you owe it to yourself, and your company, to examine its potential.
Another reason blogs are popular is that links from blogs help a website in the search engine, Google. A blog alone will not help a website jump to the top of the search engines, but it is a piece to the puzzle.
I would highly recommend that you have some sort of publishing strategy for your business. Whether it ends up being a blog or writing newsletter articles as I have done here, sharing good, coherent information with interested parties will help you and your business build credibility. Publishing will go a long way towards building your professional reputation, one word at a time.
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