Xeal Online Publicity

When you hear the word "blog," you might think of a teenager with dyed hair and raccoon eye makeup, hunched over the keyboard typing about how her parents are so unfair for griping about her $500 cell phone bill.

Today, blogs have evolved into an established mode of publication on the Internet, and a large network of respected professionals have made their mark through blogs. Bloggers work in just about every niche you could think of. TV show crew members blog to give fans a glimpse behind the scenes. Many companies have blogs where employees can give thoughts, opinion, tips and advice on industry news.

Like anything else in business, blogs require a clear strategy. They need to be updated on a regular basis, daily at best, a few times a week at the least. You'll need to make sure you have timely information that is interesting to your target audience. That means that you'll need somebody at your company, or a few different somebodies, who have time to research, write and post blogs, as well as respond to any comments.

However, don't let that put you off. Blogs can be an extremely useful tool, and they should be a part of every business model. If you're on the fence about it, here's a few reasons why they're worth the trouble.

Generate traffic to your website

Once search engines figure out what your blog is about, you'd be surprised at how fast your ranking shoots up. With fresh content, keywords and links in every post, blogs are a magnet for search engines. You should not blog for the sole purpose of SEO, but higher rankings are a great side benefit.

Instant communication and instant feedback

People who are passionate about your company will let you know it. Blogs are not for the faint of heart. Giving feedback to an article is as simple as clicking a "comment" button. So people are more likely to post with their most immediate, uncensored thoughts, be they positive or negative.

However, with your blog, you also have a forum to respond to those comments. If several people are making similar complaints and negative comments, you can address those issues in a blog post or comment. If people are making positive comments, you can thank them, carry on a dialogue, and cultivate relationships.

Make more sales

Even better, a blog helps establish your name as a brand. If readers rely on you for trustworthy information, then if you've got a new product or service coming out, chances are they'll turn to you for that, too. This is especially true if your business involves service or consulting, where credibility relates directly to your bottom line.

Easy marketing

Got a new product coming out? Announce it in your blog. Want to give people a behind-the-scenes tour in the making of a new product? Put it in your blog. Writing a book on issues in your industry? Give the people a blog post about it. Since blogs are updated so often, they're usually the best place to put timely company announcements and industry news. If you've got an established readership, then blogs can be the best marketing tool you have.

It takes time to get a good blog going and time to earn an established readership. However, if you put the effort into it, you can reap rewards in site visits, networking, marketing and sales, just to name a few areas. Don't let the blogosphere remain a scary unknown any longer. Go on and jump in!

What about your business:

Do you have a blog? Have any interesting results to share?