by Alexander Blom on March 13, 2009http://alexblom.com/blog/I was a little unsure what to write about today, so I did a little online shopping. I frequently check online stores for a blog – I like to get a feel for the personality and see who the people in charge are. Turns out one of the shops I visited did not blog so I thought this article (originally a 14 page article I wrote for University) might be useful.I have split this entry into three, condensed, sections:Should my business blog?What can blogging do for my business (with examples)What can I blog about?SHOULD MY BUSINESS BE BLOGGING?Most business’s can get a benefit from blogging. If you already have a website a blog takes less than 10 minutes to setup and 15 minutes a week to post content (though I’d certainly suggest a little more than that!). While the benefits do have a sliding scale (i.e. an online store will gain much more benefit than a kitchen design company) each business can subtract a substantial benefit out of blogging. It is a great way to promote your brand and educate your consumers. Not sold yet? Check out the information below!Studies have shown that around 60% of Western Consumers find advertising to be irrelevant to their needs / wants.Interacting with customers and fostering their participation has been proven to increase satisfaction far more than company centric mass marketing models.Unlike several other interactive mediums, i.e. SecondLife and Twitter, which are not yet considered mainstream, blogging has a strong reach. The Blogosphere (no. of blogs published) has surpassed 60 million. At least 40% of the US adult population read blogs on a regular basis.The life span of your blog posts moves to the point of ad infinitum. Do people re-read print ads? Nope! But an old blog may very well show up on a Google search.WHAT CAN BLOGGING DO FOR MY BUSINESS?Below I will provide brief examples of how blogs can:Involve your brand in trendsPersonalize the customer experienceTarget multiple audiencesInteract and involve your consumersGive your company a ‘face’There are plenty of other benefits to blogging but for me these are key.Blogs can help you tap into cultural movements relevant to your target audience and provide targeted, relevant information to them. Let’s take a look at General Motors, who have claimed that blogs have helped to ‘keep the 97 year old company culturally relevant by being at the forefront of new trends.General Motors actually run multiple blogs with each one built around a different target demographic. For example, they run a Cadillac Drivers Blog, which focuses on regular updates on Cadillac’s and the FYI Blog, which has interesting facts about General Motors and their cars. Each blog continues to provide relevant, fresh content to different audiences with different needs; all the while promoting the GM brand and their products! A great example of implementing promotion into a blog is the GM Turner Blog, which discusses racing and other events where GM products may be featured, such as racing events. Users check the blog for updates and news on racing events and are in turn exposed to the success of the GM brand.Don’t be overly commercial with your blog but be sure to promote your brand. Provide relevant content to each audience. Having multiple blogs is a great way to satisfy multiple consumers. For example, a flooring company may run a blog on the inside workings of their company (creating a bond) and another blog on flooring tips to promote their products.Other companies have furthered their interaction with Bloggers. For example, car manufacturer Vespa noticed how passionate Italian consumers were about their brand. Resulting from this they launched a platform allowing new Vespa owners to blog about their car and upload pictures – further involving their consumers with the Vespa brand.Blogs also assist in humanizing your ‘faceless’ business. How many times have you looked at a company and wanted to know a little more about the inner workings? By posting regular, personal updates consumers can get to feel that they know ‘you’. Take a look at RaboPlus Australia, who regularly blog on the financial climate within Australia and provide investment advice for their consumers. It not only provides closeness and a face but allows RaboPlus to promote their brand. Numerous studies have shown that successful humanizing of a business leads to increased trust and brand loyalty.Think…Do you prefer Virgin Airways or QANTAS. Southwest Airlines or American Airlines? Virgin and Southwest have personalities and a face we can identify with.New generations of consumers have a ‘make it mine’ attitude. People within my generation don’t like a one size fits all, we expect tailored and personalized service. Blogs are a simple, cost effective way to begin creating this experience – personalization is possible through blogs.Remember, the value of blogs lies in the encounter process and not the end result (the actual post users make / read). Always try to involve readers as much as possible, be it encouraging comments (and returning comments), providing guest blogs or running competitions – make the user feel that they are involved in co-creation with your brand. Resulting from this will be a solidified bond and a feeling of closeness.Be sure not to hide your commercial intentions. If you are blogging on behalf of your business, mention it and run it from a corporate domain! Mazda was caught out by this, who for some time were running a blog without honestly promoting their corporate intentions. Needless to say they were caught out and the blog was scrapped.WHAT CAN I BLOG ABOUT?Glad to hear that you are sold! It is a simple process and can REALLY help your business. Here are a few tips on topics to get you started:What niche is your business in? Can you talk about the wider climate (i.e. an Internet company talking about Internet developments in general).Have you launched a new product / service? Tell your readers about it.Discuss the inner workings of your company. How do you structure things? What’s new.Talk about the people involved in your company.Just won an award, got a mention or achieved a milestone? Proudly tell your customers.I hope this is helpful to new bloggers. It is really really simple! While I’ve used big business examples small business can certainly get benefit by giving themselves a place on the Blogosphere!
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