Get Posting..Blogging as a Business Tool

Blogging as a Strategic Communication Tool

Blogging in Business 

We, the consumers like information and we like it fast. There is no time for time wasting, or long winded jargon; we are a fickle lot who are capable of losing interest swiftly. While personal blogs can range from pleasantly enthusiastic to the downright ridiculous, business blogs are on a different level. The business blog has a strategy; in fact there is a lot of planning involved. 

To start with, blogs won't break the business budget especially for small businesses, great if it’s already included in an existing employee’s job speck. However there is an alternative, not so long ago I was introduced to a person who described themselves as a ‘Professional Blogger’. This title fuelled my curiosity; not surprisingly there is a market for this skill, be it corporate or small business. Needless to say the author must have excellent product knowledge, be an expert in their field .A successful blog needs care and attention to detail. The rewards will be great for any business that knows how to please its target audience.

Check the Nominations List for Inspiration
 http://www.blogawardsireland.com/

Why Use Blogs in Business?

• Search Engine Optimisation SEO,use your blog to boost your search ranking.This link explains it simply enough.http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-seo-modern-marketer-optimize-your-posts-ht 
• The creation of communication, business to customer and vice versa. The Blog is part of your online marketing toolkit, use it to advance how your business is promoted.
• A blog is a quick way to share company information, keeping employees  and customers aware of what's happening within the business.
• Answering questions,using a friendly, personal approach to connect with customers will encourage their valuable feedback.
• Low costs , especially for small business (just had to be mentioned again, so important!)

Keeping it Real

A business blog is definitely not a forum for the latest office gossip or personal opinions.Even if the strategy is about increasing your communication , using shock tactics would not be the most professional way to achieve this.We the consumer do want honesty, we are reading a business blog because we have an interest in the product.When the blog can provide us with testimonials,industry trends and product updates, we feel included in any changes that are being made .Blogs are not just about sales, the marketer would be foolish to presume so.Business blogs are about  consumer information. 

Success Means Creating More Business

A business can blog to its hearts content, but if nobody's bothered enough to read or comment what's the point? For instance, a corporate company blog that really works is BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ . There are blogs about everything in the media industry connected to BBC, all alphabetised,with authors ranging from behind the scenes crew to the news editors. Looking closer to home , a great blog to look at is Blackknight Solutions http://blog.blacknight.com/ .Blacknight are a domain register and hosting company, they post regularly with industry updates and company news. 

To truly understand how blogging has influenced business communication, we'll have to let a blog guru have the last word. Seth Godin and Tom Peters talk blogging way back in 2009.