Blogs and Bloggers have certainly made their presence known over the past couple of years. For the politicians and celebrities they have undeniably become a valuable force to pay attention to but...

Is A Blog Right for Your Business?

Wikipedia defines the term 'blog', short for web log, as a web based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles, most often in reverse chronological order...blogs often focus on a particular subject...Although blogs are typically a text medium, there are also non-text versions such as audioblogs (podcasts), photoblogs and videoblogs."

It is my intention in this article to present a list of pros and cons, and sources for more information, should you be considering adding a blog to your marketing mix.

PROS:

-Blogs, like newsletters, can enhance a companies credibility if done correctly. As a blogger you're out there in the blogoshpere providing information about your industry and answering questions. You are the expert.

-Blogs can also be a useful customer service tool-they provide a medium to respond to your customers in an open dialogue and to solve problems before they become problems. If a blog, yours or someone else's, posts a review of your product and there is a problem that needs to be fixed, you can post the fix on the comment section of the blog.

-Blogs increase your exposure in a variety of ways. A simple trade-advertise on my blog and I'll advertise on yours' is an easy method to increase exposure. Additionally, by monitoring and posting on other blogs relative to your industry you can increase brand/website awareness.

-Blogs can also be a tool to direct traffic to your website or storefront. By listing links to your site, your readers can click through and possibly become customers.

CONS:

-Blogs require constant updating and monitoring. According to the Blog Squad, 'if you can't commit to writing short posts 2-3 times a week, and if you're not open to dialogue with your potential customers, then blogging might not be for you.'

-Results from blogging are difficult to track and generally slow to come. It takes a while to develop a presence in the 'photosphere' and tracking reader to customer conversions are difficult.

-It takes a concentrated effort to produce creative, interesting, and intelligent content is difficult to come by. Because anyone who wants to blog can, there is a lot of information out there and thus a lot of competition. The good news is that if you are committed to providing quality content, you have a better chance of getting noticed.

-Distribution and publicity are also challenges. Making people aware of and interested in your blog is a marketing campaign in and of itself. Since people have to search for blogs, and they're not sent to them like other forms of marketing, you have to be proactive in your attempts to get noticed.

Bottom Line:

Many marketing specialists will recommend adding a blog to your marketing plan, if you can afford the time to make valuable contributions 3 or more times a week. For more information on how and where to market your blog see Marketing Optimization 101 for Blogs. http://rssdiary.marketingstudies.net/content/marketing_optimization_101_for_blogs

If you're considering adding a blog to your marketing campaign or are interested in more information you may find the following links helpful:

"Tapping into the Blogosphere"
http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/24/google-apple-microsoft-cx_tt_0125straightup.html
"Can Blogging Help You Market your Product Online?" www.bly.com
"The Blog Squad" www.nextlevelpartner.typepad.com/bbab/

And

"Business Blogging or Not" www.webpronews.com

For more information on marketing your business please visit me at www.AMBCreative.net.

Sincerely,

Annette Elton
AMB Creative, LLC