Business Blogs:
Are They the Future?
Short for “web log,” a blog in its most basic form is a publicly accessible journal on the internet. Typically, a blog site’s web pages consist of daily or weekly entries, articles or “posts” by one or more authors. Generally, these authors or “bloggers” have a particular focus – be it personal, political, or professional – and invite readers to comment on posts to stimulate online topical discussions.
According to the Pew Research Center, which conducted a survey in July of 2006, about 12 million American adults (8%) keep a blog:
”Most bloggers say they cover a lot of different topics, but when asked to choose one main topic, 37% of bloggers cite ‘my life and experiences’ as a primary topic of their blog. ‘Politics and government’ ran a very distant second with 11% of bloggers citing those issues of public life as the main subject of their blog.
Entertainment-related topics were the next most popular blog-type, with 7% of bloggers, followed by sports (6%), general news and current events (5%), business (5%), technology (4%), religion, spirituality or faith (2%), a specific hobby or a health problem or illness (each comprising 1% of bloggers). Other topics mentioned include opinions, volunteering, education, photography, causes and passions, and organizations.”
The Value of Business Blogs
Although the survey determined that business blogs currently account for only five percent (5%) of all blogs, they are becoming increasingly more commonplace. Many companies recognize blogs as an important vehicle for marketing communications, public relations, and business relationship building. Links from a business blog to an existing company website can increase its visibility and search engine rankings.
More Blog Readers — More Business Blogs
Even more businesses will start to blog to take advantage of the ever-increasing number of blog readers. This year, thirty-nine percent (39%) of internet users (57 million American adults) will be reading blogs. That's up significantly from twenty-seven percent (27%) reported in the fall of 2005.
So You Want to Start a Blog
Perhaps you’ve researched, read articles, visited countless blogs, and now have decided to take the plunge. What are your next steps?
- Consider your readers. For businesses, a blog can be used for many purposes — press releases, relating industry news, reviewing products, etc. Decide on a clear focus and what kinds of information would be appropriate to share.
- Select a “blog tool.” Most novices can easily start a blog for free on blogger.com or by subscription on typepad.com, (includes 1 month free trial). Typepad.com is preferred by many bloggers, because it offers options that can increase web traffic. However, if you want a custom design, need more sophisticated features, or want to host your own blog on a private server, help from designers and programmers may be required for setup and configuration.
- Name that Blog. The blog name should reflect the company or organization and its mission. This is also a good opportunity to provide a description.
- Make it easy to share your content. Allow other blogs to find, cite and link to your posts. This can be done with the use of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and permalinks, which are usually offered by the blog tool you use. Essentially, these options allow readers to subscribe to your blog and find individual posts without having to scroll or search. The more you share, the more popular your blog will become.
- Link, link, link. It’s important to include links in your posts not only to your primary website (to increase traffic) but also to other organizations, weblogs, news articles. If you establish your blog as a rich resource for information, or provide expertise, readers will keep coming back.
- Check your stats. Find out how people are finding your blog and where they’re coming from. Both Site Meter and STAT COUNTER are free, but web-stat.com is a subscription service that is very easy to use and provides detailed statistics.
- Allow readers to make comments. Comments add more depth and interactivity to your blog. You can allow comments to be posted freely, or retain some control by making comments pass through an approval process.
- Archive your posts. Archives, by month, provide a history or your entries and add to your blog’s credibility, investment and commitment.
- Keep your blog current.If you are not seriously committed to making regularly posts, you risk the chance of losing readers. An abandoned blog on the web is worse than no blog at all!
Honesty, Transparency,
and Blogger Commitment:
Author of Blog Business World, and an expert in blogging, Wayne Hurlbert (see sidebar) offers key advice for maintaining a successful business blog:
Let the Light Shine in
on Your Blog
“Be honest...Be transparent. Don't hide the truth about the products and services, whether the news is good or bad. Openess and a willingness to discuss problems and challenges will create powerful blogger and reader relationships. For example, if a blogger makes a strong endorsement of a product, the reader should know if the blogger has been paid for that statement.”
Set Blogging Guidelines
Once you have determined the individual(s) in your company who are to take ownership of the blog, involve the bloggers in setting guidelines.
”Blogger involvement in establishing the business blog is the key to its long-term success and overall value to the company.Edicts from on high are rarely as powerful as ideas formed with all of the stakeholders involved in the process. Let your bloggers share in the creation of the handbook, and they will take ownership of the ideas. Once internalized, the chances of major public relations disasters are largely averted. At the same time, the need for strict enforcement is reduced.”
Whether you are considering starting your first blog or have already established one, remember that your readers need to trust your blog’s content. If you and your bloggers can commit to creating an open dialogue with your readership, your business blog has the potential to create loyal and long-term clients and customers.
(See sidebar for more information on the future in business blogging.)
______________________________________
Happy Blogging,
Linda Enrico
Growing trends in Blogging
CEO Blogs
If written “with honesty about the business and its products, including the problems and challenges faced by the organization, the CEO blog could develop a powerful sense of goodwill toward the company.”
Professional Blogging
“While many business and professional firms would like to add a blog component to their online presence, not all of them will be able to maintain a long-term business blog...Professional blogging pays off...for everyone.”
About Wayne Hurlbert
Wayne Hurlbert is the creator of Blog Business World. He provides practical hands-on advice to integrating blogging into marketing strategies.
Enrico Design can help you get your message to your target audience with impact and memorability in print and on the web. Whatever your organizational goals, we keep you top-of-mind with your customers and prospects. Visit www.enricodesign.com, call 781-631-2520 or contact us by e-mail.
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