Blogging has exploded in the past few years. A web presence used to mean a static website with a ridiculously long flash intro page with music, Now, we are able to share our thoughts, ideas, knowledge with the world through our writings. A blog for a small business is pretty much becoming a necessity to gain awareness and showcase the offerings of the company as blogs are outranking static websites in drones. This is a natural progression in technology with the increase in the number of blogs and the searches for core phrases. The search engines have had to meet the demands of searchers who are looking for targeted information. Blogs provide that information and satisfy the search needs. But, with all the bliss surrounding the allure of blogging, it is not something to jump into and just start writing.
As every professional blogger, blog enthusiast or beginning blogger will tell you, a blog is work and should not be taken lightly. For a business it is a component in the overall marketing strategy and not a strategy in and of itself. While I support John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing and do feel every small business should have a blog, I also see where some would be better off without one. How do you know if a blog is right for you? I get asked this by clients or prospective clients very often so I have compiled a series of preliminary questions that I will share here and after answering these questions it is evident if they will join the ranks of blogging.
Questions to Ask Before You Start Blogging
1. Do you know what a blog is?
2. How many blogs or online articles do you read a day?
3. How many targeted searches do you perform a day?
4. How many extra hours a week do you have available?
5. Why would you be blogging?
6. What do you expect to get out of blogging?
7. What are your goals?
8. What are your objectives?
9. How would you provide value?
10. What would you write about?
11. Who would be responsible for writing? Is this internal or external? If internal, how long have they been with the company?
12. How will you promote the blog?
13. Do you know what a bookmark is?
14.What social media sites are your current customers engaging on?
15. What social media sites will you be able to build a community on outside your current customers?
16. What measurement tools will you put into place based upon the goals and objectives?
17. Who will analyze the data to determine success, failure or change?
18. How will you determine success – what metrics are you putting into place as is close enough good enough?
19. Are you willing to convert site to a content managed site?
20. Are you willing to dedicate time and resources to a continuing blogging education?
These are questions that are indicators if someone is dedicated to blogging. These are not the end all but for someone who is trying to jump on the blogging train it is a good start. These are not shout out questions but through conversation they are asked and considered. Once these are answered, an entirely new world is opened up as far as goals, objectives, strategy, measurement, tracking and the big one of all how it will effect the brand. A blog is there to further brand your brand and create desired results by speaking to your audience through developing a buyer persona.
Let’s go further here with expanding upon saying yes to becoming a business blogger and explore the next stages. Let’s break down how to start a blog and see how it can put into the overall marketing strategy.
photo credit: alamodestuff