Importance of Blogging
Do you want to communicate with potential customers? Do you want to be
recognized as an expert in your field? Are you looking for an inexpensive way
to promote your business? If so, blogging is for you.
The word “blog” is a short term for a “weblog.” The latter was coined in
1997 by Jorn Barger, an American blogger known for his influential blog Robot
Wisdom which talked about James Joyce and artificial intelligence among others.
Barger coined the term to describe the process of “logging the web.” Web
designer Peter Merholz later shortened it to “blog” when he broke “weblog” into
“wee blog” in 1999.
Photo grab from Google |
A blog is a web site that is usually maintained by a single person who
regularly comments on various things. It often contains text, images and links
to other blogs. There are several types of blogs. The most common type is the
personal blog which is an online diary that contains an individual’s thoughts
or reflections on life. Corporate blogs are used for internal communication
among people in a corporation, marketing or public relations. Other blogs talk
about travel, fashion or politics. As of 2007, there were over 112 million
blogs.
“A blog is essentially an online diary that allows you to make regular
entries to your web site to keep your community up to speed about your project.
The key difference between a blog and a normal web site is that most
traditional web sites were static. The information was loaded once and then
left or updated only intermittently. They tended to get old and stale very
quickly. A blog provides the opportunity for a much more fluid, open and
real-time interaction with the community,” according to Crispin Butteriss in
“Nine Benefits of Blogging.”
No matter what your business is, a blog can help you succeed in many
ways. It has many advantages over traditional forms of advertising like print,
radio or TV. In the first place, most blogs are free. In many cases, all you
have to do is to sign up or become a member of a blogging site to start writing
your own blog. You can easily create one in minutes even if have little or no
technical knowledge.
Secondly, good blogs are easily picked up search engines like Google and
Yahoo. This helps you attract potential buyers and customers. If they are
regularly updated and have the right keywords, blogs increase product awareness
and eventually boost sales.
Blogging allows you to write about something you love. By sharing your
expertise with others, you help people and develop a loyal following that adds
credibility to your site. This enhances your online reputation.
Finally, blogs give a human face to your
business and allow you to communicate directly with your customers. By allowing
people to comment on your blog, you give them the opportunity to ask questions
or voice concerns about your products. Answering these questions candidly and
honestly helps promote your products and builds a long-lasting relationship
with customers.
I agree with these points. :)) More power to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marc!
DeleteA wonderful, thoughtful write-up about the true substance of blogging!
ReplyDeleteAlon Dy
www.aloncalinaody.blogspot.com
I agree with you Cheryl that blogging plays an important role in business these days. I have here four additional reasons to start blogging.
ReplyDelete*Drive traffic to your website
*Increase your SEO/ SERP
*Position your brand as an industry leader
*Develop better customer relationships
I agree on all your points! Someone once commented on one of our company blogs that she advises some of their clients not to put up a blog and I'm like...seriously? I'm bugging my boss day and night, reminding him and urging him to get more active online! :) Great blog you got here.
ReplyDelete