In answer to the question "Should a blog be part of your marketing plan?" the answer is
yes.
There are millions of blogs on the internet today; most are of the personal variety, with the blogger writing about what they did that day or their favorite television show. But blogs are increasingly becoming a part of the online marketing world as well.
With a blog, your business can achieve several things:
- Connect with your customers, both current and potential.
- Reach new customers that might not otherwise hear of you.
- Open a new line of communication with your customers.
- Help you focus your business plan on what your customers want.
- Give you the opportunity to educate your customers about the ways you can serve their needs.
If done well, your business blog has the potential to be seen by more people than you might reach with just your website. Just as there are millions of blogs, there are many hundreds of millions blog readers searching the internet for information that interests them.
Your blog will also increase the connection your customer has with you...it increases the flow of information, which increases the customer's emotional and intellectual "buy-in" for your business. This is also helped by the newfound communication between your customers and you in the "comments" section under each blog post, so don't forget to ask for their comments and questions!
With this new line of communication, you will get a better feel for what your customers are looking for, which will allow you to better meet their needs and educate consumers about ways that your business can meet those needs (or solve the customer's problems).
Keep in mind, however, that a blog will do little to help your business if it's not
well done. The content must be well-written and it must be promoted. Even in the best-case scenario, a blog is
not a quick-fix; it takes time for a blog to gather enough readership to become truly useful to your business.
Now, following my own advice, I'd love to hear what you have to think...how useful would a blog be for your business? Questions and comments are
always welcome.
