Blogging for business and brands

“Blogging” or a “Blog” is an internet log, a phrase that originated from “Weblog” and is basically an online diary.

Blogs about you

In internet chatrooms, forums and communities; products, services and brands can be reviewed, revelled or rubbished – so it makes business sense to keep an eye on your inter-rep-utation in these growing electronic realms.

A recent report at the BBC details the rise of “Blogging” and what it means for business.

“...businesses, whose products can be disastrously damaged by web-based attacks. If the criticism is fair it must be answered, directly to those making it. “

(Source: Paul Reynolds, World Affairs correspondent, BBC News website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4696668.stm)

From a marketing perspective, it is vital that you should devote some time to what “Bloggers” might be saying about your brand, service or products and respond effectively - just as you would have traditionally to a printed article, TV article or Radio article.

Blogs for you, by you

There are many new ways of releasing information electronically, receiving, interacting and distributing it.

The internet’s grown up and moved on and now you can get information by Podcast,  Blog, RSS and download a whole host of software, sounds, pictures and files making the internet appear more three dimensional than ever before.

Think carefully before investing any of your valuable marketing budget if you don’t think your audience will interact!

Although it’s good to have a Blog, it's only useful if it’s relevant to your audience!

Some Blogs can backfire if they are not deployed with a clear strategy and honest voice. For instance Vichy, part of L’Oreal started out with a blog that had a fictional character with an insincere voice.

Readers saw through this and rejected the blog, instead of pulling the plug, Vichy responded by apologising and working with the blogging community and turned what might have been a disaster into a success.

Here are some blogging benefits: 

• Up-to-the minute information can be published for your customers.
• Easy to update via the web or email.
• Higher search engine positioning can be achieved (search engines love fresh and regularly updated content).
• Other bloggers may link to your blog for free.
• Your customers can be automatically emailed when you create new content.

If you're interested in blogging for your business and would like assistance with strategy, copywriting or maintenance, Contact Us today.

We also support blogs such as: Banksy's Blog, a commentary on the Media world from the perspective of *David Banks, currently National Affairs correspondent and weekly columnist for the
UK journalist's 'bible', Press Gazette.

*David Banks is a former broadcaster and editor whose press experience spans editing the Daily Mirror, The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Sydney, The Australian. In The United States he was managing editor of the New York Post and the Daily News.

For a full biography see: http://banksysblog.co.uk/about-david-banks/