Blogs…some folks describe
them as ‘thin Web sites.’ Other people continue to call them ‘journals.’
Still others say blogs are just a passing fad, a trend in technology
that will gradually disappear. What’s the reality? And who’s to
say whether blogs are the next big thing, or just folks chatting
online?
The reality is that blogs are
‘thin’ Web sites. They don’t have dozens of pages, nor do they
give extensive details about their purpose. They’re messages posted
in reverse chronological format, to a niche audience. And while
they embody many of the same elements Web sites embody: content
in the form of text, graphic images, an About page, links
to related resources, and much more, they don’t exist to be an
online brochure. A blog is a conversation (one friend calls it
a ‘bloggersation’) with clients and customers, in your personal
voice.
Blogs as Leading Edge
Those of us who use our blogs as a business
tool, to inform and educate our readers, know that blogging is
merely an effective way to help form networks, communities of
like-minded people, groups that support a collective cause. It’s
THE next thing in technology, but is it the next BIG thing, or
the latest and greatest? That is a matter of opinion. My opinion
is that it is leading us to the next big thing.
For you e-mail marketers – blogging isn’t
putting you out of business. If you’re clever, you’ll learn to
use a blog to supplement your e-mail marketing efforts. Engage
readers on your blog to read your newsletter, and sell advertising
on one or the other, or both. Always authorize ads that are relevant
to your audience, and you’ll find that your readership will grow
because people trust your judgment – and trust builds referrals.
Writing in a Personal Voice
Let’s address the issue of blogging as online
journaling. Many folks still say most blogs are just folks chatting
away, sort of like an online café, sipping coffee and munching
cake while talking about what their sister did on her last date.
The truth is: blogging isn’t “just journaling.”
In the sense that blogs are the personal voice of each author’s
writing, and that for the most part, they are offered in reverse
chronological order (last post to first post), you may look upon
them as journaling. However, Technorati,
the online blog directory, says it’s following over 8 million
blogs today. It updates its database every 7 minutes with news
from bloggers all over the world.
These bloggers are not chatting about their
sister, June, or their Dad’s prostrate surgery, or their dog’s
fleas-although some may be. Most bloggers today are in it for
the business value. Blogs give business owners a personal face
to clients, customers, vendors, competitors, and prospects. Unlike
Web sites, which offer pretty much static content, even when updated
regularly, blogs offer insight into the person…into the heart
of the company…into the thought process behind the products and
services.
Personal … Trusting … Communicative
When used as a business tool, blogging is a
powerful connector that builds trust. Check out these blogs for
reference on how to work a business blog and also make money:
http://windsormedia.blogs.com/lipsticking
http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing
http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog
Rewards
I hear too many people say blogging is a lot
of work. They lament, who has time? The answer is: YOU have time.
Yes, blogging requires consistent (think three or more times per
week) updating. But you do have the time, and the content. It’s
right in front of you on a daily basis. If you can’t quote newspaper
articles relevant to your business, or find something in an industry
publication (complete with a link to it online), look at other
blog posts from other bloggers. Surely, out of the over 8 million
blogs linked to at Technorati, you can find a dozen or so to write
about.
Fresh Content
Of course, if you’re writing a newsletter…
use content from that! It’s your work. Posting the same material
in more than one place isn’t a bad thing. It’s a GREAT thing.
Put a paragraph in your blog and link to your Web site for further
reading. Offer holiday sales on your blog and direct the linked
landing page to your Web site. Explain a new word, or quote from
an uplifting, inspirational book. Really, copping out of a blog
because you don’t “have time,” or, “don’t know what to write,”
is just putting you further and further behind. And, lest you
think you can’t conduct business by blogging, visit David Garfinkel’s
blog and see how it’s done:
http://world-copywriting-institute.typepad.com/world_copywriting_blog
No Whining
Another excuse folks give for not blogging
is that “no one will come to my blog and I’ll have wasted time
and money.” (only $14.95 if you use Typepad. Less, if you use
Google’s free
tool, Blogger). No, no one will come to your blog if you don’t
do two things: announce it to them, and link it to them. Find
out who’s blogging in your area of expertise, make friends with
them, exchange links, and watch how quickly you gain readers.
Blogging is about networking, not whining.
The blogosphere is waiting for your voice. Join us and find out
what we’re already saying about you. Good or bad, don’t you want
to know?
Yvonne DiVita is the President of Windsor
Media Enterprises LLC, an author services company offering
print-on-demand publishing for the author in you. As part of their
marketing efforts, WME also offers Business Blogging Boot Camp training
on a monthly basis. The boot camp is a hands-on, one day seminar,
designed to help small business owners take advantage of the power
of blogging to build networks and communities. Find out more information
on the boot camp at http://windsormedia.blogs.com/businessbloggingbootcamp
Email:
divita@windsormediaenterprises.com
Company Profile:
Windsor Media Enterprises LLC
Company URL:
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