Business Blogs Are An Overlooked Marketing Tool
In a span of 23 years of employment, I have worked in 5 full-time positions and a handful of part-time roles.
As time has moved along over those years, I have found myself involved more and more with company blogs. For the most part, they have been good experiences and with companies that “got it” when it came to the importance of blogging.
One former company, however, didn’t quite get it when the term blogging came up.
You see, this one particular company I did work for violated the famous search engine cardinal sin of not providing fresh copy for their readers. As far as Google and other search engines are concerned, you might as well wear a shirt with a bulls eye on it that states “Our blog is bad and we know it.”
So given the fact my job was in an area of the company that encompassed social media and marketing, I went to the powers to be and suggested early on in my employment with them that the blog needed some TLC. Their response essentially was that since the blog didn’t make them money, it was low on their priority list.
Given this was not my first rodeo, I diplomatically stated otherwise. I tried to impress upon the higher-ups that the company blog was more of an asset than a liability, something that they should not so easily dismiss.
As a matter of fact, the company blog at any small, mid-size or large business serves several purposes, including:
- Being a bridge between your business and current and potential customers;
- Giving you a real-time interaction with the public, something that is critical in today’s fast-pace society;
- Serving as a reminder of your company’s brand for the entire world to see. Where else can you get such exposure for pennies on the dollar?
- Allowing you to discuss new initiatives that the company is planning to unveil. Throw them out there on occasion on the blog in order to see which ones may attract positive feedback from customers and which may not. In doing so, you haven’t spent any money on advertising.
So after some haggling, I told the company heads that I would include the blog in my responsibilities, meaning it was now my baby to work with.
While it grew slowly, the blog did begin to get more attention from readers, including what pleased me the most, interaction with the public.
We expanded our efforts to do more social media, promote the blog at every opportunity possible, and essentially market what the company had to offer at a far less price than advertising would have cost.
When I left that company to pursue other opportunities, I checked back from time to time with the previous employer’s blog to see if its efforts were being carried on by my successor. Much to my chagrin, the answer was no.
Yes, the work I put into that blog in writing content, promoting it, interacting with readers, etc. was something that made me very happy.
What made me a little less cheerful was the fact that despite not costing anything other than time and effort, I had not been able to fully win over the suits who decided whether or not the blog should stay or go.
If you find yourself in a position where you have to defend your company’s blog or pushing to have one instituted in the first place, don’t give up the fight.
While blogs may not have quite the staying power they did a few years ago before all these different social media outlets emerged, they do still serve a purpose. That factor holds true for business leaders whether they are just starting a small business or have been around for a while.
If someone tries to tell you otherwise, then write a blog post on it….
Image Credit: Petras Kudaras (Flickr) / Creative Commons 2.0
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Latest posts by Dave-Thomas (see all)
- Do Business Blogs Still Matter? - March 8, 2012
Hi Dave,
Today is a Business Blogs a must have for every company, big or small and no matter what branch, it is as important as the social media companies are today in their marketing campaigns.
Blogs can certainly help many businesses Lennart, I don’t know about all of them but I understand the point.
Blogs are still in their infancy IMO.
Yes, some “tech geeks” think the strategy is dying off, but like radio, TV, etc… it won’t, it will just evolve.
Blogs represent an opportunity to connect with the people who could be doing business with you, are doing business with you, and who want to complain about your business (an opportunity in and of itself).
They are a central hub of content that represents the core message about your company (if written genuinely and properly, big companies listen up!).
Blogs are like HTML websites were… in the beginning, business owners didn’t think they needed one, then they resisted having one, now if you don’t have one… your business could be obsolete IMO.
Good points Joseph, if anything, I see evidence that blogs are picking up in popularity, not declining.
LOL! Love your sense of humor added in this article!
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Good for you, persevering with corporate blogging! I agree with the purposes of having a company blog. Customers really appreciate open communication and the fact that you have them as priority in mind.
Alicia recently posted..Top 10 Free Magazine WordPress Themes
Thanks Alicia, I hope Dave comes back and reads these great comments. I appreciate yours.
As a customer, I’d really love if my company would keep a blog to tell me about recent products, new offers and even problems with some products, I’d feel that I count to them.
I like this about Bluehost, they have a great blog and I love it about them.
That’s a fantastic outlook Noah, we need to think like the customers, don’t we? Very nice.
Well, I think that though the importance of Business blogs nowadays is waning due to the emergence and popularity of social media as a outlet to connect with the readers but still there are many advantages that having a business blog can give to a business. In social media most of the times, one can share stuffs and ideas which need to be contained in a limited amount of words and characters but with our own blog, a business can expand the limit of information sharing. On top of that, in our own blog, whatever content we share it remains our own while on the other hand whatever we share comes under the purview of the social media site.
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Shiva recently posted..Google Star Ratings – How To Get It Using WordPress Plugins
Good point Shiva but I think blogs and social media go hand-in-hand, not as competing formats. It’s very true that blogs allow a lot more flexibility for sharing our message.
I think having a blog is essential for all businesses and it is a great way to interact with your customers. A business blog has moved from a nice to have to a must have over the past couple of years. Those businesses that ignore blogging and social media will do so at their own peril.
Thanks Dan, best quote of the day, “Those businesses that ignore blogging and social media will do so at their own peril.” I couldn’t put it any better.
Maybe because they are not familiar what blog popularity can do to their company. Once they have proper knowledge about it they will put effort, time and money for it.
Well send them over here Becca, we’ll straighten them out. lol
Blogs were designed originally to allow people to upload content quickly and often. Now with so many other social media outlets, the need is not as great. Of course the format well always be around but SO many businesses have stale blogs that date their site rather than add to it. If the blog doesn’t help with SEO, I suggest to many companies that it isn’t something they need, especially if they can’t keep it updated.
That’s a tough one Chris. I want to agree but I run across outdated and all but abandoned blogs all of the time on Google search. It’s frustrating to see a blog that hasn’t been updated in two years showing up in the serps and still holding pagerank but they do.
For that reason, I’m going to say what seems like common sense isn’t always the case and things are rarely exactly how they appear. In other words… Blog on and even an underused blog is better than no blog at all.
At this point if you don’t even make a cursory attempt at a blog, you don’t seem to be a real business. You’ve got to have some sort of web presence.
Thanks Clara, a web presence is important, I don’t think it has to be a blog but it’s always something to consider.
Hi Dave,
This is a very interesting story. And, I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot lately. I’m starting up my first blog for my first client, and so far I’m in 100% control. I’m going to get paid for everything I do, but in the end, I’m afraid that once the project is over, the blog will be set on pause. And everything I’ve done would be wasted (well, almost).
In this case, I believe that we need to think like professionals. This was a project, we got paid for it, now it’s time to move on. It’s probably hard to do this, but it’s probably the right thing to do.
My goal is to get them to understand that they should hire me to do all their blogging
Jens P. Berget recently posted..Work Where You Belong
Hi Jens, this is Brian but I can relate to what you’re saying and I think I can help. When I first started consulting and helping local business with their online presence, I felt the same way when the job was over and they let the site, blog, campaign, etc… fall apart.
That’s from getting personally attached to our work. I had to come to the realization that’s it’s just a job and we can’t control what the business does with our work. It can even be to our benefit when they come running back to “fix” it. That fix-it fee is pretty significant in my rate quotes. I make sure they don’t take my expertise lightly the second time around because they’re going to pay a premium and retain my services long term.
A little off topic but I hope that helps.
Yes, business blogs still matter. Business blog is essential for every company because of social media they can advertise their products. And business blog is a great way to interact with customers and to get feedback about products.
saha recently posted..Top Ten best WordPress Social Media Plugins
Absolutely Saha , thanks.
Thanks for sharing your experience with Business blog, well I see business blog a great way to increase businesses traffic as they get more traffic from search engine or from social media website, and with inbound marketing businesses could convert this traffic to sales. On the other hand it’s a great way to show customers that you do care about them by keep providing them updates about your services and products and also it’s a great way for interaction with customer to seek their feedback about business latest offering.
It looks like you get it Qasim
In social media most of the times, one can share stuffs and ideas which need to be contained in a limited amount of words and characters but with our own blog, a business can expand the limit of information sharing.
Oh, I’m SO disappointed in you Rohit! After using the CommentLuv perfectly and even subscribing to comments you go and steal your comment, word for word, from Shiva above. Just pathetic
You know better and techotalk.com deserves better. I’m seriosly considering featuring your site on LowLifeSpammer.com which is what your link was changed to.
hey hi Brian Hawkins for letting me know actually i have given this service to one person and i dont even know he is doing this kind of stuff really sorry from that site seems like have to see all this thing in my presence
Well I appreciate your response Rohit. I thought it might of been something like that because I like your blog and don’t know you to be a spammer. Otherwise I would have just deleted it without it bothering me. Those services will certainly get us into trouble. I’ll fix the name and link on that comment so it doesn’t reflect poorly on you.
Thanks Brain, yep learned one lesson never go for cheap services it will not only light your pocket also your reputation on market from now on going to see all thing by myself, anyways i ll feel good if you shoot but drawback of my blog on ma mail id
want to improve it more
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rohit kothari recently posted..How to Get Great SEO Results For Your Blog
It’s always a good idea for businesses to have a blog, especially if they offer some good quality free information so that they can attract more potential customers on their website.
Everyone loves Free Daniel, nice point.
I liked your story. It’s really too bad that company could see the value in their own blog. I can totally see how a blog can build up rapport with the company as well as provide free advertising for the company while bringing in more potential customers from search engines.
I think more and more businesses understand the significance in blogging today Richard, and it will get better.
In order to earn good we must follow all business blogs. We spread our business on large scale and earn good.
your story is really very inspiring Dave Thomas , nice share
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sai krishna recently posted..Inspiring Blogger Of The Week #1 : Madhav Tripathi From TechShali
Dave is missing in action Sai, I hope he’s alright. Thanks for the comment.
Sai,
Thanks for the feedback…. The more effort companies put into their business blogs the better chance they have of reaching their customers.
Many small business owners start blogs these days but the thing is that many got discontinued because they don’t feel money coming in form this or they just don’t have enough time. These blogs just stay there and make the company look like it’s already out of business as you can see that last post is few years ago.
If someone thinks about starting their own small blog just think about how you will keep this blog rolling for as long as possible.
Thanks for ideas!
It’s true Steven, many business owners can’t see past the bottom line and it’s very hard to narrow down the exact benefit from blogs and social media. The lack of direct revenue can be pretty misleading to old school business owners. Nice point, thanks.
Hi Dave,
Blogging is a great way for businesses to get their name out there and to easily interact with potential customers.Even though it has been around for some time, too many people are unaware of a blogs true potential.
Even in the argument that social media is the way to go… a blog in combination with social media is a truly powerful combination. Your blog is a central place that all social media outlets center on.
Great post!
Thanks for sharing.
See you again soon,
~Jeremy
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Jeremy Ruggles recently posted..Daily Routine For Great Traffic Flow
Thanks Jeremy, that’s the second great quote I’ve picked up from these comments,
“A blog in combination with social media is a truly powerful combination.”
Very nice!
Jeremy,
Thanks for the feedback. I look at dozens and dozens of business blogs daily and they range from the really well done to abysmal. Fresh content, a nice design and serving the reader/customer a purpose are so important.
Blogs can be quite profitable for companies who sell something online. Even if they get some traffic from the blog ,they can quite easily convert them as their customers.
I agree, and even if there are no direct sales from the blog it can be used to reassure potential customers, generate traffic via SEO, improve their brand, interact with their community and a bunch of other things we haven’t thought of yet.
I still can’t figure out with the flexibility offered by a blog to stay on top of fresh content why some people are so vehemently against it. Even after you showed them the rewards, they wouldn’t stick with it. Vexing.
Your sign off line was great, btw. Kudos!
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Charles recently posted..The first 3 local SEO steps for your Michigan business after publishing your new website
I think the same, blogs matter. I think, people feel more personally connected to a source of information about a company.
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Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?
Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?
Brian,
No worries, we won’t be forwarding you any more copy…. We want to work with sites that are professional and serve the reading public. Taking pot shots at writers on here doesn’t serve that purpose. Hope you print this one too. Have a nice day.
Dave
Pot shots? Seriously Dave? You show up five days after the post goes live and talk about professional? Just amazing. My concern is for our readers, which are of great value here and deserve better than that. Thank you for the post and good luck.
Brian Hawkins recently posted..Social Networking Is Like Politics
Very well said Brian! A business blog is a very important aspect of web presence. Its a shame how some executives don’t get it. For any kind of business no matter how small or large it is Content is and will be the King and it needs to be refreshed to keep the search engines interested in your website. It compliments the website, your social media and all marketing efforts, and as you’ve demonstrated its a great way to engage with your customers.
Edd recently posted..Designing A Brand Logo
Absolutely Edd, well said.
I would say that it’s amazing how many small businesses don’t understand the value of blogging but I’d have to include myself from a long time ago. When I was initially blogging it was a “whenever I’m in the mood” thing, which means sometimes I’d go a couple of months between posts. It wasn’t until I learned more about traffic and the like that I got serious with it, and now I couldn’t live without it and all my other blogs.
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Mitch Mitchell recently posted..When Blogging Advice Is A Waste Of Your Time
Good for you, persevering with corporate blogging! I agree with the purposes of having a company blog. Customers really appreciate open communication and the fact that you have them as priority in mind.
I think blogging has a huge place in the business world, day in day out I’m finding businesses that have a blog and are using it to great success.
There are a lot of companies too that seem to only have their foot in the door, these are the ones that seem to see loads of people raving about blogging but haven’t quite gotten the idea yet.
On top of the great benefits you’ve mentioned as reasons for businesses to carry on blogging (or start) I think they’re a great way to provide more access points coming into their site especially from search engines by writing relevant and generally helpful articles which will mean drawing a lot more attention to their business in general
Adam James recently posted..WPSubscribers Plugin Review
Letting other people understand the nature of online business is one of the hardest parts in online marketing. It is quite hard to explain to some people how things work virtually because this seems to be a whole new world that they have yet to adapt. Anyway, yeah we have to insist on giving importance to company blogs because this is not only for Google’s sake but also to reach out to the target audience.
Businesses should use either blogs or websites to promote themselves. You can build a high traffic build and generate lots of traffic. It can definitely allow the company’s brand to be broadcasted globally.
I just bookmarked your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog.
I’m finding that many small businesses and community organizations are missing out on opportunities by not blogging. And the more I try to introduce people, the more they look at me like I have two heads.
Marcie recently posted..I’m Going to the 2012 Blogging While Brown Conference
Some excellent points. I think that the blogosphere is starting to gain traction and relevance again after the social media hit its taken over the past decade. Social networking has very much been the hot button in recent years, but I don’t think it can match blogging when it comes to quality and informative content.
Blogging can be the easiest way to gain money; tips can be taken from it when the readers of your blogs enjoy the blog that you have written. To be the top blogging site, you need to give your reader a reason to frequently visit your site. Make a quality blog by including the following in your blogging business. These are very useful tools in making your blogging site the top and the producer of more traffic.
azqia recently posted..What You Need to Know About Affiliate Marketing
I think many business are still not embracing the power of Internet marketing. Blogging can really bring customers together to help build a brand online that grows a business.
Thank you so much for all of the benefits you’ve listed in your post. I have been thinking of expanding my marketing to businesses by showing them how important fresh web content is to a company website.
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Marcelina Hardy recently posted..How to Jump into Social Media Networks
Great insight into company blogs, We currently have a business blog and i think there is a lot of potential that can come from it. Think a few changes could be made and it will be on its way. Thank you for your tips.
Hey, I also thinks the same and it is true that we dont need to buy backlinks because nowadays social network is all what we want to do with and it is also true that backlinking should be going on naturally. Whatever google do if we have original contents then we can get much more traffic from search enginee.
I don’t think business blogs have lost their importance. I would still prefer engaging new customers through interaction upon the company blogs. I would highly advise all companies not to be a self promoter just write something catchy according the the current business trends otherwise all readership will be lost in a matter of few days.