Using Blogs for Marketing

Supervisors have started using blogs to help increase communication with employees.

However, many are also realizing the importance and power of using this method of

communication with customers and suppliers as well. Blogs can be effective marketing

tools that can help business owners increase profit. Consider the following seven reasons

why every marketing program should now include blogs.

First of all, as mentioned before, blogs help to increase communication and cut down on

time between messages. Whenever communication is increased, it can be assumed that

sales, and therefore profit, will be increased as well. Blogs can actually be money

makers!

Secondly, blogs are still somewhat cutting edge in marketing. Although they have

actually been around for quite a while, they still seem new to many people. Therefore, if

you use a blog for marketing purposes, you make yourself seem up-to-date and actually a

leader in new marketing methods.

Next, having your own blog is like having your own personal media forum. It is like

owning your own newspaper, radion station, or television station. This means you have a

place to say whatever you want, whenever you want, and you do not have to worry about

anyone censoring you or twisting your words for personal gain.

In addition, blogs can serve as a springboard to promote your other marketing aids, and

vice versa. You can use your blog to help promote your website, and you should also

include a link to your blog on business cards, emails, and other forms of communication.

A blog's success depends on cross promotion to gain readership.

Another advantage to using blogs for marketing is that writing a blog will help to make

you more educated in your field. You will have to spend some time doing a little

research to be able to write interesting blogs. Showing what you know will help you to

promote yourself as an expert and will increase reader/customer trust in you and your

product.

You should also use a blog to help establish an angle for your product. You need to

decide if you are going to promote yourself as a conservative family company or an edgy,

less traditional operation. You can choose to be serious, funny, or strictly educational.

You can hide your advertisement in the form of self-help blog postings. It is simply up to

you to determine what is your preferred method of promotion.

Finally, realize that blogs can often be picked up by other media forms. This means

additional press and free advertisement! Blogs are quoted by other blogs, on websites,

and even in print communication such as newspapers and magazines. You can also move

into the world of speaking if your blog lends itself to setting you up as an expert.

There are easy sites that can help you set up a blog in minutes or you can spend a little

more time creating a unique site for yourself. You have to be willing to invest a little

time up front to create an attractive site that will grab people's attention, and then you

must be willing to take about 20 minutes a day, four or five times a week, to keeping the

blog updated.

Direct sales can come from your blog. Embrace technology, and do not be afraid to

market your product using whatever tools are at your disposal.