"Everyone is too scared to use the Internet to buy things."
Remember when they said that? Not that long ago either.
Look at us now. People can and do buy anything and everything from the web. The fear, really a fear of change has gone.
They said TV would destroy the cinema. That did not happen. The movies are a completely different form to TV but we did not realise at the time. TV and cinema both survived and now both feed off each other.
In hindsight we all see what was perfectly obvious.
Now they say Blogs, or weblogs, podcasts and video blogs are taking over the Internet.
A blog is effectively an online journal where you, or a group, can record your innermost thoughts and make comments about a topic. Anyone has access to read your journal entry (known as a post) and can comment on it.
For much more detailed information about blogging look at the entry in wikipedia for "Blogging."
You get over 474 million search results if you enter blog as the search term into Google.
Part of the reason for the blogs attraction is its ease of use. After all it takes only a few minutes to begin blogging.
First you sign up with a blog server, like Blogger (Google), TypePadblog (SixApart) or Wordpress (Wordpress).
You choose a page template you like. There are a number of very good ones available completely free. Then post your first entry.
The final step is to let a blog directory know each time you create a new post (this is called pinging). Services such as Pingoat and Pingomatic are sites that can ping a number of other directories on your behalf.
People search these directories using blog search engines and browse the blogs in a similar way to web sites.
... Do Companies Really Use Blogs? ...
Company executives use blogs. For example Bob Lutz, Vice President of General Motors has his own blog. Other people from GM contribute to it as well. IBM Vice President Bob Sutor and Vice President of Marketing for Boeing Randy Baseler write their own blogs too.
Employees from corporates like Microsoft, Google and Hewlett Packard blog.
Using blogging in a positive way shows your customers and prospects your corporate personality and helps build rapport.
... What Are The Blog Downsides? ...
The company CEO should not blog. Because there may be pressure to flag future events. Or worse, if they drop a clanger it can be spread world-wide very quickly.
A further potential blogging downside is that you have no influence over what others put in their own blogs about what you write.
Look at some of the comments that General Motors got on the Bob Lutz blog when they started a discussion on seatbelts to see how heated things can get.
Companies may be concerned that employees will spend too much time blogging or reading blogs. That means a blogging policy should be in place to prevent such abuse.
... What Is The Advantage Of A Blog? ...
A blog can position someone, or a company, as an expert. But people can easily pass work from other people as their own. So it really is a case of buyer beware when reading blogs.
So are blogs going to be a "slam dunk" for attracting and retaining customers?
The short answer is it depends, and the reasons are:
1) As another marketing communication channel it can be used or abused. Rather like PR is used.
2) For some companies it is just too public 3) It is completely without editoral control 4) It requires commitment to update regularly and to check and respond to comments It has been said that consultancies and other organisations that deal in knowledge and intellectual property benefit most from blogging. Because they can demonstrate their ability and expertise to their market in a different way from other marketing tactics.
But really why should it stop there? The General Motors blog is useful for communicating new model launches and answering customer feedback.
In fact there really is no practical limit to who can use blogging to communicate with customers and prospects.
But in the end is blogging a dead-end?
Dell certainly don't think so as they plunged into blogging in July 2006 with a massive effect on the blogosphere (made up of all the current blogs).
The business blog is definitely an important communication tool that every company should seriously consider as part of their marketing arsenal. But it must be looked at as another business tool whose ultimate measurement is: does it get more sales or reduce company costs?
If it is unable to deliver at least one of those measures business blogging deserves to fail.
I have been blogging for well over a year now and have had thousands of hits. I am writing mini articles that eventually will be used as a basis for my next book.
So in the final analysis blogs are another communication channel.
Companies have the ability to take theirs and make it do the PR,word of mouth, viral and Internet marketing for them.
Internet advertising has grown into big business. Expect blogging in all its forms to do the same.
Does Blogging Get You More Sales? - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Symcox's Website.
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