Week Six: Importance of Blogging to Businesses

It is no secret that over the past couple of years the use of social media has grown astronomically. Therefore, it is important for marketers and businesses alike to recognize the importance and value of embracing this new found culture. One of the most effective ways that is a business can do this, is by creating a blog. Business blogs can provide companies with a wealth of information and opportunities such as:

1. Customer Relationship Management

Blogs are the perfect forum for companies to try and get to know their customers. It provides consumers with the ability to engage in dialogue with the company to provide feedback, and gives the company further insight into consumer wants and needs.

2. W.O.M.

Blogging is an excellent way to gain WOM advertising from your customers. The very nature of blogging caters to this, as information and links are quickly spread through the Internet. Bloggers are often linked into communities of individuals with shared interests, so WOM is very powerful in creating additional buzz.

3. Helpful in addressing negative publicity

Businesses facing an attack of negative publicity could be well served by starting a blog. Often bloggers who get ahold of negative press can cause irreparable damage, as they have access to many influential people and can spread the word quickly. A company with a blog has the opportunity to do a bit of damage control, and can help to manage the fallout by communicating their side of the story to consumers. While they may not win them over, it is helpful to be able to explain your actions to minimize speculation in the blogging community.

4. Advertising

Blogs can be a wonderful forum for companies to test out new advertisements; however, it is important to note that in order to be effective, the company needs to be upfront about the fact that they are trying to market the product to the community. There has been the propensity in the past for marketers to try and disguise ad campaigns as posts created by bloggers. Fake blogs or “flogs“, can be incredibly detrimental to companies, as consumers feel tricked by the ad, and will ofter lose trust in the company or brand. However, done properly, advertising on blogs can be extremely effective, as was witnessed with Nike’s Art of Speed campaign.

5. Corporate Communication

Another way in which blogs prove useful to companies, is that they provide an outlet for employees and stakeholders to discuss the company in an uninhibited manner. This is a useful tool to promote company culture, and it also provides management with  a better understanding of employees and company dynamics throughout different levels of the company. From a consumer standpoint, it helps to foster a level of transparency, key in building customer relationships.

As you can see, blogs are an excellent pulpit for businesses, as they allow the opportuntiy to engage in unfiltered conversation with influential people. Ignoring this social medium would be a huge mistake for a company these days, as it is increasingly important to provide real-time information to well informed consumers and interest groups. Failure to enter the blogging community can not only lead to misinformation about your company, but can also put you at a serious competitive disadvantage if others in the industry have already jumped on board. If done right, blogs allow companies to disseminate information in a way that provides them the ability to gain trust and credibility by interacting with people from all walks of life. If trends continue towards increased use of social media, the possibilities for companies using blogs are limitless.