Should You Blog?Should You Blog?By Debbie Laskey, MBAMarketing, Website & Communications Consultantmarketingczar@att.net

By Debbie Laskey, MBAMarketing, Website & Communications Consultantmarketingczar@att.net

Blogs have been around since the early 1990’s, but do you know what they are?

According to Wikipedia, a blog is a type of website that is usually maintained by an individual or individuals with regular entries of commentary, event descriptions, graphics, or video. Entries are often displayed in reverse-chronological order, and unlike corporate websites, visitors can post their comments in an interactive format. The community of blogs is referred to as the “blogosphere,” and as of December 2007, the blog search engine Technorati tracked more than 112 million blogs.

What is a Blog?What is a Blog?

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Blog Search EngineBlog Search Engine

• Corporate blogs – created by companies for marketing or brand-building purposes

• Personal blogs – created by individuals as a forum for expression

• Genre blogs – created for any topic – examples include travel blogs, education blogs, music blogs, book club blogs, animal blogs, etc.

Types of BlogsTypes of Blogs

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Example of a corporate BlogExample of a corporate Blog

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Example of a cartoonist’s BlogExample of a cartoonist’s Blog

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Example of a personal BlogExample of a personal Blog

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Example of a political BlogExample of a political Blog

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Example of a medical BlogExample of a medical Blog

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Impact of BlogsImpact of Blogs

Over the years, Blogs have become more mainstream:

• By 2004, politicians, news outlets, and political consultants used blogs to express opinions and increase outreach (for example, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark)

• In 2004, blog posts were instrumental in the Dan Rather “Rathergate” scandal that led to his resignation as anchor of the CBS Evening News

• In 2008, Israel established an official government blog, and questions and answers from a world-wide press conference were posted on the blog

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What could a Blog do for your business?What could a Blog do for your business?

• Build a two-way relationship with customers• Build brand awareness• Promote your company’s products or services• Provide a forum for customers to provide feedback about

products or services and/or make recommendations for improvement

• Keep a pulse on your industry in real-time – if your company needs to act, it can do so quickly

• Increase traffic to corporate website – improve search engine marketing (PPC) campaigns

• Showcase your company’s expertise to a large audience

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Once you make the decision to create a blog, the easiest way to get started is by using the website that is associated with Google: www.blogger.com. The instructions are easy-to-follow, and set-up takes only minutes.

Then, the fun begins: start blogging!

How To Get StartedHow To Get Started

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With a Blog set up, now what?With a Blog set up, now what?

1. Find your voice– If an individual: this will be easy, just write as you speak– If a company: find your company’s voice and make sure

that the senior management team approves2. Develop a timeline for updating Blog

– Daily may be too much work– Weekly or monthly may be better options

3. Create a strategy for content– Decide on key themes or topics– Future topics will be derived from visitor feedback– Research industry-specific venues for additional ideas

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What are the results once you have a Blog?What are the results once you have a Blog?

AUDIENCE

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AUDIENCE

AUDIENCE

AUDIENCE

BLOG

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