Blogs were first introduced as weblogs that refer to a “server’s log file.” It was created when web logging hit the virtual market. Since its inception in the mid-1990s, web logging gradually saturated the virtual community making the Internet a viable source of greater information. However, with web logging, you still need a web site and domain names, but with blogging, you do not need anything just an account with blog providers. In most cases, these kinds of blogs are free of charge.
With the onset of blogging in the industry, personal journal had been a common ground for people who wish to be known all over the world. However, not literally famous as this is not a case on being popular or well-known personality.
Blogs are created for personal use. Like a journal, people can write their daily adventures, sentiments, and whatever ideas they want to express online. Nevertheless, with the advent of the online businesses, blogs had gradually taken the limelight in providing businesses a chance to boost their productivity online. This is where the business blogs have taken the limelight.
Business blogs are created to advertise the services or products of a certain web site or online business in order to increase online sales. Moreover, business blogs are also one way of promoting the company so that the other readers will know that a certain company exists online. With blogs, entrepreneurs can establish a name in the virtual market through articles that can be very useful in the reader’s life.
Business blog is an incredible online marketing tool that saves you thousands of dollars but provides great business opportunities in just one click. Blogs are user-friendly, customized, and flexible medium for disseminating useful information for effective positioning of your products in the market.
Companies engaging in business blogging have a definite edge over its competitors. Here are some advantages:
The first is Word-of-Mouth. In a survey, there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added each day and about 30 percent of the 50 million users are blog readers. Imagine how much gain your company will have if your products are advertised through blogs. With Internet, information spreads so quickly especially if an impressive write-up goes with your product. Soon your blogs will be passed on to hundreds of customers.
The second is Awareness and Loyalty. Open communication with your customers creates trust and loyalty among them. Being there to respond to their questions and comments make them all the more willing to try your products and services.
The third is Feedback. Blogs is good for product research and reviews. It would be easier to improve on your products if you observe your customers’ thinking and behavioral patterns. You can also take immediate action to your customers’ concerns.
The fourth is Community halo-effect. Bloggers are reasonable, friendly, and helpful. They are more than willing to create blog sphere of comments regarding your product. The only thing you must do is embrace and take active part in the culture and your product will surely be considered in their next stop to the supermarket.
For better marketing results, actively promote your business blogs by submitting your blogs to blog search sites and directories. Do not forget to paste in with your blogs, your URL. Be sure that your blogs contain exclusive information with value and are always updated to keep readers popping in, read up your blog, move on to the next and click on again for updates.
Blog is like a setup booth in the biggest trade show on earth every day. Marketing possibilities are just around the corner waiting to strike your sale scales up.
The Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds are important too in conjunction with your blogs to get the best benefits. Use effective keyword phrases to generate high ranking status in the search engine traffic. In this way you have better chances of people finding your website leading to your blogs. More traffic means more potential sales.
For this to be successful, you can use RSS for news update feeds which can be read through RSS reader application. This is a very useful tool for business and internet marketers as well.
If you are already convinced with the potentials of business blogs for marketing and targeting sales increase, your company is now ready to start blogging. But first, you must be in tune with your company’s business objectives and determine if blogging will really help you achieve your goal.
- Several blogs are dedicated to teaching people the do’s and don’ts of blogging, READ them! Include in your reading materials blogs that are consumer-based too to give you an idea.
- Setup several test blogs right away.
If your initial tries out with blogs worked well, you can now start setting up your blogs.
- Study blog design. Blog hosting services provide pre-designed templates. But if you opt for paid blog service, you can ask your artist to design and layout your blog site to match the company’s identity and needs.
- Choose a topic. It’s good to have a line-up of topics you want for your blogs but be sure they are in consonance with your business objectives. This would be a test of your flexibility and open-mindedness since results may be going against the set objectives.
- Remember the following safety measures in blogging:
- legal issues are sometimes involved in blogging; it is safer to include disclaimers and limitations of liabilities.
- corporate communication and legal department are responsible in educating the senior management on how blogs might affect business.
- create blogging policies; set limits on who gets to blog and what information are allowed to be made public.
- avoid outright marketing blog or you will shy away your readers.
- make content updated, relevant, and fresh.
- reinforce the company’s core values; and,
- encourage employees to use it.
- Start blogging and complete 20 posts before going to marketing.
- Begin marketing.
- Regularly monitor the coming ins and outs of readers and get updates. Then, measure your results.
- Adjust if needed. You can always play with your designs in the blog site if it remains to match the company’s identity.
- Strive to be consistent with your topic all the time.
- Try to have unrelated topics with general and broad appeal.
- Schedule updates regularly. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday would be best to update blogs.
Once you have done all these things, you can now ultimately enjoy the benefits of business blogging.
