How important is a blog?
How important is having a blog?
With the advent of Web 2.0 and social media, a blog is pretty much a “must have”. You may already have a website, but once it’s published the detail on there remains static.
The changing culture of the internet people now want more than just a website, they want to get to know you, they want to form a relationship with you. People are more likely to buy from people!
A blog becomes the link between your website, you and your clients/customers. It provides them with a reason to return to your site (increasing the chance that they will buy), it allows you to showcase your expertise, provide reassurance to your clients that you know what you are talking about, updates to your services or products. It also allows your clients to form a relationship with you and boosts your reputation with them.
Blogs also gives you a platform from which to address a number of different media. You can twitter without a blog, although you aren’t necessarily going to increase your business by doing that solely, a blog provides you with a hub, from which you can dripfeed information into the social media network.
These days very few companies don’t have a blog and if your competitors have a blog then chances are you’re missing out.
The great thing about blogs is that they become a medium for people to interact. There’s a certain relationship that can be built through blogs and that it’s a way for ordinary people to share what they know through their experiences.
Thank you for sharing this very interesting post.
Hi Emily.
I think that if you’re even only half-serious about online marketing, then a blog is a must have.
It’s easy to suffer early burn-out though so I’d suggest (both for your own sanity and the benefit of readers) that you post regularly – whether that’s every day every week or only every month. As long as regulars ‘know’ when to expect a post.
Use RSS feeds to help you remind people.
The biggest surprise of my blogging? To be honest and I’m sure I speak for many, the low comment count compared to what I consider a pretty good average daily reader/viewer rate. But that’s how it goes.
I suppose our blog is more for information than begging for participation.
However, I have found Twitter to be a far greater source of replies and directed comments – perhaps the shortness of replies allowable and it’s so easy to see a question, a funny or a serious link pop up and reply to in real time there and then.
What do you think or more importantly, is your blog about information or participation? Or why not a little of both?
Cheers Emily – It was you on radio interview earlier wasn’t it? Well done.
Jonathan.
http://purple13.blogspot.com (our blog).
Thanks Jonathon, great points there.
For me personally, my blogs are about information, this one is a showcase of my talents and, I hope, identifies how my services can be of benefit.
I have it set up though, that I can get feedback like yours and Luigi’s earlier, because as you’ve both quite rightly pointed out it’s all about interaction! Creating that all important dialogue that turns prospects into customers or creates business opportunities.
It was me on the Radio earlier. I’ve had some great feedback from it too, although a lot of people have commented that in real life, I sound no where near as posh as I came across.