Thursday, September 6, 2007
Businesses are Asking: To Blog or Not to Blog?
That's the question lots of people are asking – and the answers are as varied as all the blogs out there in cyberspace.
Oh, and in case you don't know what blogs are, they're web logs that are updated regularly, sometimes daily, kind of like an online diary. Even if you're aware of blogs, you may have thought they were reserved for your teenage daughter…but think again!
Millions and millions
Blogs are growing like … well … blogs. Literally hundreds of corporations now have their own blogs. If you're thinking names like Microsoft, Cisco, Sun Microsystems and IBM, you're right. But add to that some surprising bloggers, including Boeing, P.R. firms Hill & Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller, Stone Creek Coffee Roasters and even a Savile Row Tailor, Thomas Mahon, and you'll get an idea of just how big the idea of creating on-line logs has become.
In fact, there are more than 9 million blogs out there, with 40,000 new ones popping up each day. Admittedly, some are just plain silly (and not just those teenage girls). But even assuming that 99.9% aren't worth reading, that leaves at least 40 new ones – every single day – that could be talking to your customers or engaging your employees.
So, what does it all mean for business?
Blogs have evolved into the latest approach to web content. Whether blogging is a here-today, gone-tomorrow fad or proves to be a new way to communicate with customers – either existing or potential – remains to be seen, but it deserves at least a closer examination.
Many companies under pressure to keep website content fresh and attractive think blogs are the answer. Innovative content is becoming a must for online businesses, both to be found by search engines and to give visitors a reason to return (and to buy).
Business blogs let companies give customers industry news and tell them how their products can be beneficial. And the fact that copy is updated daily increases the chances that search engines will find your site.
Ready to jump on the bandwagon?
If you decide to use a blog for your business, you must set a schedule and stick to it. Tell your readers what to expect and when to expect it. Blogs can direct attention to areas of your business that you want to showcase. You manage the content, but let your readers and customers guide you.
Blogs may or may not be for you, but you can't afford to ignore them, because they're changing how businesses communicate. Deciding to blog or not to blog is undoubtedly your decision, but keep in mind that ideas circulate at warp speed and customers are always out there, sniffing around for deals. And thousands of companies are looking at ways to collect ideas from blogs, dust ads into them, and even determine what their competitors are up to.
Whatever you do, have fun and good luck!
Allison Nazarian is president and chief copywriter of Get It In Writing, a Florida-based company that helps businesses nationwide harness the power of words to sell, inform and publicize. Allison can be reached at 561.487.3917 or anazarian@getitinwriting.biz.
Copyright© Get It In Writing, Inc. May be reprinted without permission of Get It In Writing, Inc and Allison Nazarian if in full, unchanged format and with complete attribution to author.
Blogging – A Critical Part of Your Web Business Strategy
Copyright 2005 Stephen Wright
The methods by which we use to contact each other, especially in internet marketing activities continue to undergo dramatic transformation. In the not to distant past (only a couple of years ago!) we kept in touch with customers – existing or potential new ones, using the telephone, fax machines, direct mail marketing and even in-person meetings. Today, people expect more frequent updates, new information, and the latest of everything. So much so that it is literally impossible to keep up with this dizzying pace and certainly not on a continuing or ongoing basis with any consistency. Thankfully, blogging has come to the rescue. Setting up a blog on your web site - and having an associated RSS feed - means you can keep in constant touch with your clients and potential customers. Plus you don't have to email them and they can get your latest news without having to visit your web site.
So how does this all work? A blog is really a fancy name for a web page that gets updated regularly. It's nothing special. There are several methods of writing 'blogs', but they are nothing more than computer programs which allow you to easily update a web page. Far and away the easiest way to start a blog is with a popular blog website. One example is called blogger.com.
However, for keeping in touch with your customers, RSS is the key. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. What this means is that your blog can be automatically delivered to people who want to read it - you don't have to send it to them and neither do they have to come and collect it. All they need is the address of your RSS Feed and their RSS Newsreader can do the job for them. There are several RSS readers available and new web browsers incorporate the ability to read RSS feeds and keep them updated.
Whenever you add new content to your blog, the RSS Feed automatically gets updated in everyone's Reader program or web browser. That means you are guaranteed to be able to keep in touch with clients and prospects. You don't have to do anything other than produce the content. Equally, you don't face the problems of email filters and anti-spam programs blocking your email. Furthermore, people tend to read RSS Feeds because they have subscribed to them whereas they tend to ignore non urgent emails.
After a small amount of basic research and reading, you will quickly see, there are numerous advantages to Blogs and RSS Feeds. One of the biggest reasons is that search engines love them. This is because blogs provide fresh and new content - precisely the thing that searchers are looking for. Hence the search engines are actively pushing blogs higher up the search engine ranking. What this means to internet marketers is that if you don't have a blog for your business, you are potentially reducing your chances of a high search engine ranking. You need a blog nowadays to get noticed by the search engines.
For all the reasons mentioned above (and many, many more), blogging is essential. Not only does it improve your web presence, it also means you can keep in touch with clients and prospects more easily. All the marketing research you can find will tell you that regular contact with your customers is a vital component in retaining existing clients, as well as gaining new business. Don't put it off any longer; it is time to get your blog going---today!
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Stephen Wright is President & CEO of InternetMarketing.com
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Thank You Rich Jerk E-Book Review
If you're like me you've probably fallen for some get rich quick scheme on the internet.
After wasting a lot of time and money I've come to realize that there is no such thing as getting rich quick. Trust me I've done it all from paid survey's to buying goods wholesale and trying to sell them.
I was becoming content with just working my normal 8 to 5 job barely making enough money to pay my bills, until I came across The Rich Jerk. After reading the Rich Jerks website I was eager to buy his e-book. So I purchased a copy and to my surprise it was well written and had a lot of useful information. The only problem with the Rich Jerks book was that you had to have money to make money. Now most of us are trying to find a way to make money not give more of it away.
So I did a little research to try and find out what other people were saying/doing with his book. I found out that a lot of people we're just like me. Upset that they just spent their hard earned money only to find out that you had to spend more money just to make money. At this point I was ready to give up.
Until I was lucky enough to come across www.thankyourichjerk . Apparently a young lady by the name of Holly Man also bought the Rich Jerk's book and put it to good use. After reading through her site I noticed she was also selling her own e-book. Now I was very skeptical about buying hers especially after I just bought the Rich Jerks. After reading her web site I felt compelled to purchase her book. The reason I finally decided to buy her book was because she didn't promise to make me a millionaire over night (which is impossible).
What she did promise me was that she would give me the tools to make a comfortable living on the internet. Once I read her book I found some similar information that was in the Rich Jerks book. But there was also a ton of information that he didn't have. She also shows you how to make money by spending money. The thing I liked most about the book is that she teaches you how to make money without spending it. This was right up my alley!
I've had the book for a little over a month now and I've doubled my revenue on one of my sites. I honestly didn't think it was possible to make decent money on the internet but thanks to Holly I know it's possible. The book is useful not only to new comers like you and I but also to the advanced Internet entrepreneurs. This is NOT a get rich quick scheme it does involve some time and effort. There is not a doubt in my mind that within the next 6 months I'll be able to quit my boring job and start working from home full time.
Holly I can't thank you enough for the information. In my opinion its worth triple what I paid for it. I'm finally on my way to the financial freedom I've always wanted. THANK YOU.
Click here:
ThankYouRichJerk
