Title: Internet Marketing: A Blog can boost your business, if you're committed to it
By: Jonny Buroker
Should your company blog? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions on the topic.
What is a blog?
A blog (a contraction of the term “weblog”) is a two-way conversation between the owner of the blog (the “author”) and the blog’s readers. A blog is essentially a Web site with some special features built into it. One basic difference between a regular Web site and a blog is there is generally much more information available on a blog. A second difference is that visitors to the blog are generally allowed to offer their comments and opinions and those get posted to the blog. Another special aspect is that you can “subscribe” to a blog such that you’ll be notified when the author writes something new.
Blogs literally cover the spectrum as to types and purpose. A typical blog will consist of one or more items of text, images, audio and videos, as well as links to other blogs, Web pages and other media related to its topic. Blogs even have their own search engines, such as BlogScope, Bloglines, and Technorati.
According to eMarketer, 27.9 million U.S. Internet users have a blog they update at lease once a month, representing 14 percent of the Internet population. By 2013, that number is expected to grow to 17 percent, or 37.6 million. More important than the number of bloggers is the number of blog readers. eMarketer estimates that 96.6 million U.S. Internet users will read a blog at least once per month in 2009 and by 2013 that number will reach 128.2 million.
Should I start a blog for my business?
“This blogging activity presents new opportunities for marketers to influence – and monitor – conversations that may be relevant to their businesses,” says Paul Verna, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, The Blogosphere: A-Twitter with Activity. “These conversations will continue to happen with or without participation from marketers, but those who join in – whether through their own sites or through a brand presence on independent ones – will have a place at the table.”
With all that activity and expected growth in blogging, the question every business owner should be asking is “should my business have a blog?” If you have something to say and a point of view, enjoy writing, and are committed to keeping it up to date, then a blog may be right for you and your business.
How do I start a blog?
There are literally dozens of sites out there dedicated to helping you start and maintain a blog as well as instructional videos. Look up “how to start a blog” on YouTube.com and you’ll find several 4 and 5 star-rated videos that will provide some guidance, like the one from Todd Amazeen where he shows step-by-step how to set up and publish a blog on WordPress.com.
Once started, a keyword-rich blog that’s updated frequently can provide a tremendous boost to your search engine rankings via additional inbound links and traffic to your site. If you can develop a following for your blog you’ll attract new prospects to your business and be able to find new opportunities to connect with and market to them.