Well, that time in the blogging rotation has fallen upon me once again. As I sat and thought about what topic I should cover this week it dawns on me that I should write about blogging. As a company we have weekly been sending out a blog for almost three years now. It has become a “necessary evil” amongst those of us who have to do them. So, instead of sitting here sulking on the fact that on top of an already very busy and full workload I have to write a blog, I will instead focus on why all companies should be writing a regular blog. Let my lemons be your lemonade!
Web Traffic
Welcome to the world of the Internet! If you are reading this you probably have not stumbled across the internet recently but rather have been spending much of your recent life on this super highway of information. Companies that want to actively engage in being noticed have got to have a web presence. However, it is not enough just to put together a web site, you have to get people to find their way to your web site. Blogs become words that people search and those searches ultimately lead customers down the Internet road and to your virtual front door. By tying your blogs to other social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn you can also increase the traffic to your website. The more you put out on the Internet, the more likely people will stumble across you.
Inexpensive Marketing
There are companies that spend millions to get noticed. Blogging takes a little time and some creativity but it is free. You can pay search engines to increase your noticeability through key word searches and by tying the blog to the key words you can increase marketing for a few dollars. Simply a hand full of bloggers can increase your market exposure without adding a whole lot of money into already very tight budgets. Small organizations and non-profit companies are always strapped for extra cash to put into marketing but by blogging you can increase your exposure without draining the resources.
Proactive Customer Service
By blogging about the frequently asked questions that your company gets from customers, you are able to proactively deal with issues on a group basis. This type of blogging can also have the side benefit of freeing up the time for the people who answer these types of customer support questions one on one. Your customers also get to see that you are dealing with their questions up front and before the issue directly impacts them.
Establishes Authority And Shows Off Talents
You want people who are potential customers to see you in a positive light. By having key people show off their talents and knowledge in your blogs it establishes your company as an authority in your field and on various subjects. The blogs also allow you to show off the talents that are a part of your organization. You hire good people. Show off that they are a part of your knowledge bank and talent pool. Potential customers want to see that the people who they are going to depend upon have the skills to meet their needs.
Freshens Content
A new blog on a regular basis shows your customers that you are continually moving and growing. I am a fan of Apple products. I admire them as a company because they are constantly freshening their products. I even bought a phone nine months after I had bought a new phone because of some new features. We admire organizations that can stay up with current times and thought. Organizations that can show they are staying up with current regulations and best practices attract customers who are looking for the best and newest knowledge and products. Your companies blogs can help show your constant evaluation of new ideas.
By spending just 30 minutes to an hour every week on a fresh new blog, organizations can reap long-term benefits. If I told you I could get you in front of over 50 customers or potential customers for one hours work every week, most of you would jump at that chance! What a great opportunity for so little time and money. A blog can do just that if you work at establishing a regular blog. You can show off your company’s talents and establish yourself as a leading authority by putting in the time to simply write about what your company is already doing!
For us in the Mandt System however, blogging is an important communication strand. Keeping communication open and flowing is, in our experience, one of the key factors in building and maintaining healthy relationships.
Tim Geels – Senior Vice President of Instruction
