Small Business: To Blog or Not To Blog

By Michele Schermerhorn

A weblog, or "blog" started out as a personal journal on the
Web. They have evolved far beyond that initial concept. Now,
weblogs cover as many different topics as there are people
writing them. Some blogs are highly influential and have
readership which exceeds most traditional newspapers, while
others are mainly intended as personal journals to be shared
with only family and friends. So, should you consider blogging?

The power of weblogs is that they allow millions of people to
easily publish their ideas, and millions more to comment on
them. Increasingly people write, read and comment on blogs. Many
people mistakenly believe that blogs are only personal diaries.
More and more, blogs are being used by businesses to attract
customers. Since blogs now come in all flavors, let’s look at
the basics of blogging.

A blogger is someone who writes a blog. The “Blogosphere” is a
word used to describe the online community of bloggers and their
writings. A blog differs from a website only because it is a
website that is updated frequently, most often displaying its
material in journal-like entries. An entry, a post, or a
posting, are the terms often used to refer to a specific article
or commentary written by the blogger on his or her blog. Many
weblogs allow readers to write a reaction to what was written in
the blog entry. These comments can often be found directly
following the blog entry.

For millions of people, blogging is a hobby. For some, like
journalists, writers, business leaders and political leaders,
writing blogs enhances their professional careers. A blog gives
the voice a broader audience and allows more direct and
interactive contact with the readers. Some bloggers have
readership numbers approaching that of big media and are able to
earn income from their blogs. But potential profit should not be
the primary motivation for blogging.

Why should a blog be part of your business’ marketing strategy?
The blogging movement is picking up speed, particularly for
businesses. Blogging is one arena where the size of your company
won’t matter. A blog is NOT the place to promote your product or
company. It is a place to promote your ideas, provide tips, and
express yourself in the hopes of building an audience. That
audience may , in turn, become customers.

There are two key concepts to keep in mind when deciding whether
you will launch a blog or not; providing quality content and
blogging regularly. These are critical to creating an audience
for your blog.

A successful blog is written with a distinct audience in mind.
In this way, you can provide content that is unique to your
audience’s issues, needs, or desires. If you create content they
like and wish to return to read, you will produce quality
content. Successful bloggers have a focused topic and a unique
personality.

Both your topic and unique style will cause your audience to
return to your blog. When they return, it is critical to stay
true to your audience and tone of your blog. If people are
reading your blog, it’s because they like your topic and tone.
Try not to stray from your typical topics and style too much.
This will give your readers a reason to link back to your blog
on an ongoing basis. But your content and tone are just one
element to consider. Also critical to your ongoing blogging
success is how frequently you update your blog.

If you don't update your blog often enough, blog readers will
move on to other blogs. There are too many blogs out there
competing for your reader’s attention. Blog readers will go
where the content is.

Successful blogging takes a commitment of your time. When you
begin blogging and wish to capture an audience, you should be
prepared to blog every day. In this way, you can develop an
audience who counts on you to help them begin or end their day.
This means you should also try to post at the same time each
day. Your readers will get accustomed to your schedule and check
your blog at the appropriate time. The time of day is not as
crucial as the consistency in your posting.

So, is a blog right for you? You tell me. Do you have a distinct
topic in mind? Do you have a strong opinion or passion for the
topic? Do you know what audience you are writing for? Do you
have the time to commit to regular postings on your blog? If so,
see you in the blogosphere!