Blogging as a marketing tool
It almost seems ironic to blog about blogging, but in today’s internet-crazed, social media driven marketing society, it’s also necessary. What began as a Livejournal.com craze evolved into the money-making, marketing ploy of the decade. Blogging is not only a way to vent your feelings and make yourself feel increasingly important, but it is now a marketing tool that can win the hearts of potential advertisers (thus increasing the dough in your pocket) and increase your customer base. If you are considering beginning a blog website for your company, here are some things to keep in mind.
Blogging is an important tool, but it should not replace good old-fashioned marketing. Just because you have a blog up on the internet where you impart all of your knowledge does not mean that you should neglect your company’s main page. Keeping BOTH up to date will prove to your customers that you know how to keep your personal and professional life separate. Sure blogging in the name of your company can be considered “professional” but at the same time, it does not carry with it the weight of professionalism that a good sturdy informative website does. It’s kind of like this: if your .com shows your customer what great work you do and represents you as a business, your blog could be considered to show your customer that you do have some experience (and thus knowledge) in your field, and also show them that you are a human, not a machine. Blogging can almost be considered a small peek into your personal life, therefore earning the trust of your customer and “friending” them.
As for the content of your blogs, it does matter what you’re babbling about. Of course, relevancy is key in blogging, but so is originality. With the ENDLESS amounts of blogs out there, people want to read something new (obviously). Be sure to put your voice into your piece too- your website is for the professional, no-nonsense and (oftentimes) boring information. Have a little fun, go a little wild, throw in some passion! This is probably one of your only forums where you can just be yourself-but also keep it real. Don’t try and make yourself seem like a genius on topics you aren’t really knowledgeable about. Say what you know, give people links to what you don’t know, and just have a good time.
One last thing to keep in mind before setting off into the sunset holding your blog’s hand- while blogging is increasingly important in marketing today, it’s also not that serious. If you have a bad day and write a bad blog, make up for it the next day. Life will go on.