Blogging Shmogging – Who Needs a Company Blog Anyway?
admin, April 17, 2012
I'm not going to tell you to start a company blog because there are other ways to communicate brand messages and gain online traction. However, if you do have a company blog, you should concentrate on making it better and providing more value to readers.
It's easy to say, "Start a blog." I know because I've suggested such things before; but, there are as many reasons not to blog as there are to blog. You don't have to be like anyone else is an immediate suggestion if you do blog. Don't chase the style of influencers or popular brands; chances are you won't find the same 'magic' during your trials. However, you could make the blogging process your own.
Consider the following 'normal blogging' alternatives:
Text is boring
I love reading; but, not everyone agrees. Actually, I bet a lot of people rather view a slide show or watch a video than read lines of text. Think of your days as a student. Not many people retain information from a textual once over anyway. Your blog doesn't have to be textual at all. Some people enjoy speaking, opting to share information in that format. Are you more of a talker than writer? Begin podcasting your ideas.
Outsource
I've ghost written before for other individuals. I love writing. Like reading above, there are those who would disagree with my choice of passion. It's understood. If in-house workers are not natural writers, then don't try to mold them into it; they're likely to resent the need. I'd love to see someone attempt to make me into a 'number cruncher.' Alternatively, think about outsourcing your writing needs to…a writer, someone who enjoys doing it. I would suggest limiting the number of them. I think the more people involved, the less likely all parties can accurately channel the personality of your brand. Perhaps your owner can closely work with one ghostwriter, who can accurately capture the owner's insight.
Don't Do It
I know. I'm an online marketer telling you to dismiss an online marketing objective. You don't have to blog at all, especially if your brand is going to do a poor job of doing it. This is something I wish more brands would realize: doing something poorly can grossly counteract online initiatives, creating poor impressions. For instance, I can't count how many handles do an awful job of social media participation. Some brands would benefit from retiring their Twitter and Facebook accounts because the accounts are so poorly managed and curated. I hope your blog isn't poorly managed; but, it's not an out-of-this-world notion.
Optimization Doesn't Equal Conversions
If you rank well on major engines for words associated to your services and products, you're business is in a good place. But how many people 'fit' on the first page? Not many. I think an excellent ongoing branding campaign (for some brands) is just as good as great rankings. Good rankings ensure more people notice your brand. Branding does the same, yet 'optimizes' your brand toward its target market. Isn't that who you want to sell to? I'm not saying dismiss all notions of SEO; I'm saying notice the widespread tools of online marketing. You don't have to be number-one on Google to be successful online; you have to be number-one with your customers to be successful.