Who’s Missing the BlogTrain?
I hereby declare this is the year of the Business Blog. If an existing business doesn’t start blogging in 2005 as part of their marketing strategy, they are way behind the curve in my opinion. Sure, they can start a blog next year and reap benefits but the sooner they establish their online voice, the better.
Who will miss the blogtrain? I think it’s going to be mid-sized businesses that don’t have the time or the vision to update their marketing plans. I know of several prime businesses that can totally dominate their target audience within six months if they added blogging to their existing strategy.
The first is a manufacturer of quality replacement products in a niche industry. They have great people, great products but they spend about $14 on marketing every year. They are making money but not as much as they should. If they had someone on staff, or retainer, that could relay the voice of the company or prod the management to post regularly, then I am convinced they could engage their audience quickly and take the role as the market leader. But, they have neither the time nor the vision.
Next is a one-year-old local business with customers lining up to buy their services. I say now is the time for them to establish a blog presence. They keep hiring new people and signing new contracts but their identity hasn’t been established yet. They need to take their staff and their customers and their prospects and build a community online, as well as in person. The problem is the management is so focused on sales and service that marketing isn’t even a second thought. What happens in a dry spell? They have nothing to fall back on to keep the sales cycle flowing. Blogging would be a good start in this process.
Anyone involved in marketing should take notice of the business blog trend, whether it’s a home-based business or a Fortune 100 company. But, it’s all those in between that might be left behind.
Filed under: BLOGthenticity, Business Blogging, General, Greg, Why Blog?
Fortunately, some small businesses are getting it. I counseled one small business this morning about blogs and business blogging. They caught on to the concept and decided that they would like to add a blog to their marketing mix. I provided them with a 40-page primer on business blogging.
One of the key things I asked was if someone had the time and ability to write 2-3 times per week. This seems to be the crucial deciiding factor between using a business blog or a traditional website.
I agree with you, Greg. And Timothy, too.
They’ll come along.
This is the opportune time to get the inside track.
The devotion of someone - or a group of people - to the weekly writing is difficult to accept by many. I’ve tried to get some to blog. Some do, most don’t. They still don’t see the value. Results that drive the bottom line - sales - seems to be the only value some can latch on to.
It is changing, though.
We just need to keep nudging and prodding.
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