TO BLOG OR NOT

Websites are key to success. They reinforce the presence of your business and build customer confidence. However, websites are just static creatures. On their own they can’t sing and dance to attract new clicks and customers.

That’s the role of social media marketing. A blog is one tool to do this. It’s easy to be tempted to establish one. You have special knowledge and product insights you want to share. You want to stay in touch and build your client base.

Great examples of this abound such as Eric Kim Photography. His blog over time has turned into his website. With the help of his blog, he has become not only a photographer but also a sought-after product reviewer, street philosopher, seller of camera accessories and giver of seminars around the world. A very profitable enterprise.

Blogs have the advantage of being easy to launch and update. They are great “calls for action” platforms and can be shared on other social media sights such as FlipBoard, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. 

Blogs can be key in building your business, but there is cost and risk.

The biggest cost of a blog is your time, creativity and perseverance. You can find yourself putting in large amounts of time on maintaining a blog. Time you might better use in other traditional marketing pursuits.

There is also a certain art, skill and creativity that is needed. You have to be a good writer and editor. You have to be part artist to keep your blog attractive and interesting. And you have to be clever to come up with new blog topics.

There are some key risks with blogs. It might actually distract from your business image. Even the best blogs suffer from some signs of burn out. For example, the post that simply was done to keep the blog going. Every post needs to be reflective of the best of your business.

If you stop blogging or leave large gaps in time between posts, customers might think your business is not vibrant, lacking in the zip it deserves. Blog gaps create uncertainty in customers mind.

If you have what it takes to make a great blog, do it. Your business will profit from it. However, if you don’t, I would suggest waiting for a better time to launch one.

David Young

Other Thoughts on Blogs:

The best blogs support your primary website and business presence. They stay on target. 

Taking customers behind the scenes of your business is good subject matter for a blog. Intrigue them with your back-room activity or new product development. Great blogs never give too much away. They focus on being a call to action. Drawing new customers to find out more about your products, activities and business. Blogging can be a valuable social media marketing tool. In some cases, it can hurt. If your Blog is great or entertaining, people will want to share it creating that important “word by media marketing.” There is a strong desire in all of us to share knowledge. Blogs can create “hot traffic,” customers ready to buy when they reach the product offerings on your website. As in the case of Eric Kim, blogs can make you an authority on a subject or product. Blogs help put you on even footing with larger firms.

Additional Reading:  

“Pros and Cons of Blogging for Your Business: Why it is Important for Marketing” from contentadore.com “Is it Worth Blogging for Your Business?” From Solocube