Several of my clients don’t like the word ‘blog’. They don’t think it sounds very professional, and as a result they’re resistant to the idea of having a blog. Their word-prejudice is costing them business.
The word ‘blog’ is a truncated version of ‘weblog’, and harks back to the early days of the internet, when early adopters revelled in becoming online journalists. Soon blogs of all shapes and sizes were springing up, and smart businesses started to take notice. As more and more of their customers started to spend time online, they observed the benefits of blogging, and started their own blogs. Those businesses are actively helping their customers to choose them, while helping their sites climb the rankings in Google.
So what, exactly, is a blog, and why should you have one. A blog is simply a page on your website where you share short articles and stories. That’s it. You could call it something else, like ‘news’, or ‘resources’, but to be honest, most people now understand the term ‘blog’. And they’re more likely to want to read your blog, than your news. News suggests broadcast information about your company: blog suggests something more interesting, informative, and entertaining for them. And your customers are infinitely more interested in themselves and how you can help them, than they are in your Company. Sorry.
Still not convinced that you’re the kind of business who needs a blog? Perhaps you deliver professional services? Well I’ve spoken to the partner and social media team of a prominent Edinburgh law firm, who tell me that they can attribute an increase in business, during one of our worst recessions, to their lively and well populated blog. All departments contribute posts, including the partners, and they say it gives prospective customers an opportunity to see the firm’s ethos in practice before they even engage with them. People can see what kind of advice they’re likely to get, who they’re likely to be dealing with, and the partners are seen as more approachable.
Perhaps you have a bricks and mortar business, that doesn’t target business online? Well what about the waste management company who post in their blog every week to help their sales team win business? The sales team send prospective customers a link to relevant posts, which gives them a reason to keep themselves prominent in those prospects’ minds, without seeming like a stalker. The prospect gets relevant information; the sales team gets another way to disseminate relevant information. And the bonus is that they’re climbing the Google rankings without even trying.
The word ‘blog’ is just a word. A label. And it’s meaning is widely known. Consumers are becoming used to getting information from blogs, and they want to read yours. So what are you waiting for?!