Blogs. If this word was used ten years ago people would be wondering, “What the heck is a blog?” Well social citizens, you’ve stumbled onto the right page. Welcome to the blog on blogging.
The word blog is derived from ‘weblog’, and basically was (and is) an online journal that is updated on a regular basis. It can be informative, personal, opinionated, or even describing your daily events.
If you’re still having trouble envisioning what a weblog is, watch (or re-watch) the great Avatar movie. Note that Jake Sully had to record his days and observations; but bloggers do it out of choice!
Benefits of Blogging
You may ask, ‘how can blogs benefit me, if it is merely a person’s opinion?’ According to Nielsen Wire (for full article click here) studies have shown that consumers are trusting peer recommendations more and more. 90% of consumers value recommendations from people they know, and 70% trust consumer opinions posted online. Now, an opinion posted online can be anything from reviews, to tweets, and even blogs. However, that study was done in 2009, and online advertising has only increased since then, and increased through the use of blogs.
Blogs can be stand alone, meaning the blog is the main focus, or they can be complimentary to your website. There are many advantages to both; however it can be time consuming building a following from scratch. As a business owner, try adding a blog component to your website, as it adds value to your website, and allows for more interactions.
Monologue to Dialogue
Speaking of interactions, take a look at typical corporate press releases, or even the weblogs in Avatar. These weblogs were a monologue. They were a one-way, take it or leave it piece of information for whoever was to view it. Today, you can comment on blogs, follow it, share it, tweet it; you name it. It has no longer become a one-way conversation; it has become the conversation starter for a trusting dialogue.
Start your own dialogue with your customers. Blogs are a great way to show the people behind the company, the small voices behind the corporate fortress. Even try following fellow bloggers and see what they are writing about, and engage them in conversation.
Many bloggers talk about brands they love or hate, according to eMarketer.com (for full article click here). 38% of ALL bloggers posts blogs on brands they like or dislike, whether the bloggers writes blogs for a hobby, professional, corporate or as an entrepreneur. eMarketer continues to acknowledge the value in cultivating a relationship with bloggers in order to have favorable reviews in a blog.
Blogging on Facebook
If you already have a blog with your website, and want to share it on Facebook so that more people can comment or view it, we have apps for your Facebook page that allows you to do such a thing. If you are just starting to write blogs definitely, without question make your blogs accessible on Facebook. You’ll have a larger viewing audience, a higher listing in Google when people type in search words related to your company, and it builds consistency in your company.
Check out our apps for some of our several blog apps that that would work best for you. In addition we have several more apps that would be beneficial to you and your company, so take a look- the best way to stay on top of online marketing and advertising is utilizing and knowing all the tools available to you.
Stay social.
