There are lots of different opinions and descriptions of what a blog is, so it would seem sensible to start with a brief overview.
A good place to start for some background on the terminology of blogs and the blogosphere is Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org). There, blogs are described as:
The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called *blogging*. Individual articles on a blog are called *blog posts, posts or entries*. A person who posts these entries is called a *blogger*.
Blogs did indeed start life as a personal online publishing system which allowed individuals to quickly and simply write, publish and distribute their own opinions via the internet on any subject that took their fancy. These would then appear in chronological order, hence often giving the appearance of a diary type format.
Mainly because of this, blogs are still often described as “Online diaries” – however, this is now akin to describing a PC simply as a Word Processor. Certainly, in both cases, it is one of the uses that they can be put to, but it barely scratches the surface of what you are really able to do with them, particularly from a business perspective.
Looking at blogs in another way, they could also be considered as a special type of website. However, by using the special characteristics that a blog offers, they have now been converted into a hugely effective marketing and communications tool for businesses.
Why blogging is great for business
So what are the special characteristics that blogs have which make them so great both for personal use and for business use?
- No technical knowledge required: you don’t need technical expertise to write a blog. You add pages or articles through a “Windows” type of interface so there is no need for a web designer to update it for you – you can do it all yourself and in double quick time – I use and recommend WordPress, that’s what this blog is built in and I love it! As do all my clients.
- Readers can leave comments: your readers can respond to your posts so that you can start to see who is interested in the same areas as you or as a business open a conversation with potential clients, suppliers or partners. The perfect opener to developing a relationship and a network! On that note, why not comment on this blog post below!
- Automatically organised: ‘categories’ and ‘archives’ are integral parts of a blog and each post will automatically be placed correctly according to the selection you make. This gives great organisation and structure to a blog which is perfect for visitors and search engines alike, and which allows you to concentrate on the content.
- Internal and External Links: blogs thrive by links and referring to other articles so that conversations and ideas can be taken up and developed. At its best, this allows a viral effect in terms of promotion and helps develop both relationships and networks.
- Search engine magnets: with regular posts, categorised content and search engine friendly links and addresses, business blogs become ideal places for search engines to find the type of content they love … and you can rank very highly!
The above point is my top reason for any business to start a blog. I cannot emphasise enough, the impact regularly blogging has on a websites search engine rank.
Related post: Blogs, Blogging and the SEO effect
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Should businesses even bother with online marketing? Why not just drive money into existing marketing routes and save the hassle of moving over?
So, is online marketing really all just a waste of time?
Well, if you’re like most businesses, and even more so if you’re a sole trader, you or your employees or colleagues are probably stretched a little thin at the moment – recession and all that. So, during the typical work day you are doing your actual jobs, whether that’s sales, admin, servicing clients, doing accounts, whatever it is. You’re doing your business and hopefully keeping it running.
You’re busy right?
So, surely the last thing you want to do is waste time?
Well definitely, if you’re busy you can’t afford to waste time. And to put it bluntly, done incorrectly online marketing can be exactly that – a waste of time.
Online marketing is a waste of time
When online marketing is being carried out, whether that’s on social networks like Facebook or Twitter, or via Pay Per Click advertising, if it’s done badly, it’s an absolute waste of time. And hey, in business time really does equal money, so it’s a waste of money too.
But done correctly, online marketing can transform almost any business into a profitable one.
Online marketing can save time and make money
As above, flip online marketing on it’s head and carry it out properly, in a planned and thought though way it can not only save a stretched business time, but it can also make + save money.
- Save time? Yes, when it comes to things like customer services. You can receive customer complaints, quieries or even praise via an open Twitter account for example. You can then respond in real time. Which not only makes you look great and puts a voice behind the brand, it also saves time responding to lengthy emails – as each tweet is only 140 characters in length! You can also save time by carrying out quick polls online, instead of phoning companies or sending out lengthy paper surveys for market research, you can ask for quick responses via online surveys.
- Save money? Well, this is a given really. Online marketing provides one of the most cost-effective communications and business promotional methods in comparison to traditional marketing methods. Think of how much your latest Yellow Pages advert cost you? Or maybe the membership fee of a club or network? Well, 99% of online marketing is absolutely free! The only real outlay is for your website and blog. Once that nominal fee is paid you’re on your way. From then on-in your online marketing can only make you money.
The key to everything “online marketing” though is to remember, it must be carried out properly. Don’t just “be online” with a poor website and a naff Facebook page, be active, engaging but also work to a properly thought out online marketing plan, otherwise it really is, just a waste of time!
Related blog post: 6 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Social Media
| I’m giving away a free 30 minute telephone consultation, exclusively available to my website readers. It’s 100% free and we can discuss any problems you might be having, from websites to blogs, to SEO and Twitter. Just click here to sign up, for free! >> |
