To Blog or Not To Blog?
- By Robin Matuk
- Published 09/26/2008
- Blogging
- Unrated
Robin Matuk
Digital Coach, Robin Matuk addresses the needs of entrepreneurs and business owners looking to maximize the use of the Internet to build, manage, and grow their businesses. Check out her website, My Digital Coach at http://www.mydigitalcoach.com.
http://www.mydigitalcoach.com
It seems that everyone has a blog these days. Unfortunately, few organizations make the best use of their corporate blogs, and therefore never receive the benefits from them that they could potentially be getting. Blogs can provide businesses with an invaluable marketing tool if they are used effectively and updated frequently.
Blogs are similar to journals, or evolved versions of online diaries. They are websites that consist of content and web links, and are generally displayed in reverse chronological order. The content of a blog can be in any format, and typically includes a combination of text, photos, audio, video, and links to other blogs or relevant websites. Blog content provides readers with commentary, news, and information, and is designed to reflect corporate or personal interests and opinions.
Originally called weblogs, blogs have become extremely popular and are created and maintained by both businesses and the general public. A truly effective blog offers readers useful, quality content and a unique perspective. They can be used to record and share any type of information, including company updates, commentary on current events related to your organization, and even instructional posts aimed at your audience.
1. A blog that is properly maintained and regularly updated can considerably increase the visibility of your brand, provide a straightforward way of connecting with your customers, and encourage a positive reputation for your organization.
2. Blogs also allow you to monitor public perception of your brand, and can provide you with valuable insights into the needs and opinions of your customers.
3. Blogs are an extremely effective tool for establishing relationships with your existing and potential customers. Providing your readers with rich and engaging content, and encouraging them to leave comments and share your content with others, generates a viral marketing effect that stimulates the growth of traffic to both your blog and your organization's website.
4. Blogs also enable you to directly communicate with your target audience, and help you uncover the true needs and opinions of your readers.
5. Blogs have the potential to reach a much larger audience than your website alone, and an engaging blog can humanize your organization.
Your blog should be viewed as a direct reflection on you and your organization, and they can be a useful way to monitor and control what is being shared about your brand and organization. A poorly written or unprofessional blog will cost you sales and traffic, and will damage the reputation of your organization.
In addition to increasing traffic to your website and providing a means of interacting with your audience, blogs allow you to develop a wide reader base of consumers interested in your product. If you give those readers a reason to return to your blog by frequently updating the content, you will increase the likelihood that those readers will recommend your blog, and your product, to their friends and family.
Blogs are similar to journals, or evolved versions of online diaries. They are websites that consist of content and web links, and are generally displayed in reverse chronological order. The content of a blog can be in any format, and typically includes a combination of text, photos, audio, video, and links to other blogs or relevant websites. Blog content provides readers with commentary, news, and information, and is designed to reflect corporate or personal interests and opinions.
Originally called weblogs, blogs have become extremely popular and are created and maintained by both businesses and the general public. A truly effective blog offers readers useful, quality content and a unique perspective. They can be used to record and share any type of information, including company updates, commentary on current events related to your organization, and even instructional posts aimed at your audience.
1. A blog that is properly maintained and regularly updated can considerably increase the visibility of your brand, provide a straightforward way of connecting with your customers, and encourage a positive reputation for your organization.
2. Blogs also allow you to monitor public perception of your brand, and can provide you with valuable insights into the needs and opinions of your customers.
3. Blogs are an extremely effective tool for establishing relationships with your existing and potential customers. Providing your readers with rich and engaging content, and encouraging them to leave comments and share your content with others, generates a viral marketing effect that stimulates the growth of traffic to both your blog and your organization's website.
4. Blogs also enable you to directly communicate with your target audience, and help you uncover the true needs and opinions of your readers.
5. Blogs have the potential to reach a much larger audience than your website alone, and an engaging blog can humanize your organization.
Your blog should be viewed as a direct reflection on you and your organization, and they can be a useful way to monitor and control what is being shared about your brand and organization. A poorly written or unprofessional blog will cost you sales and traffic, and will damage the reputation of your organization.
In addition to increasing traffic to your website and providing a means of interacting with your audience, blogs allow you to develop a wide reader base of consumers interested in your product. If you give those readers a reason to return to your blog by frequently updating the content, you will increase the likelihood that those readers will recommend your blog, and your product, to their friends and family.
