Marketing + Web

Does My Business Need a Blog? (Part 1)

In our series on effective social media strategies, we have learned about blogs, RSS feeds, and Twitter. Before we launch into the depths of Facebook, we think its necessary to stop and ask a very important question: Does My Business Need a Blog?

 

One of the pitfalls of launching a social media strategy is trying to do too much. Because the majority of social media tools are free, it’s tempting to make a blanket decision to use all of the tools available. While this may seem like a decision that would generate a good return on investment, in reality, you risk spreading your message, and your strategy, too thin and seeing little to no results from your investment.

 

Some businesses see a great benefit from blogging; others see a better return using only Facebook or Twitter. Others use all of these mediums and more. So how do you decide which one is best for you? Start by answering the following questions:

 

Who is my audience? Who are you trying to reach by using a blog to communicate? Are you trying to develop touch-points with new clients or are you attempting to do better at communicating better with (read: up-selling) your current client base?

 

What is my goal? Do you want more hits on your website or do you want more online engagement with customers? Do you want to brand your business as the “go-to” information source within a certain market niche or are you planning to leverage your blogging platform to garner more earned media?

 

Who will do the work? As we pointed out in our series on blogging, the first ingredient to a successful blog is fresh content. Who at your company do you trust to develop and maintain the content of your blog? Will you need to hire someone new or hire a ghostwriter? Perhaps you will need to rearrange or delegate some of the tasks on your own plate to make time to blog. Also, don’t forget that you will also need to ensure that someone is responding to any comments or may receive on your blog.

 

How will I measure success? Before you start blogging, define how you will measure success and commit to those metrics. Blogging can go in many different directions and even take on a life of its own. In order to stay focused, try not to step outside the parameters of your metrics — however do be flexible and consider adjusting your metrics if new opportunities come your way.

 

If you work though these questions and decide that establishing a company blog is your best next step, then tune in on Thursday for tips and best practices to help you get started. Until then, if you are ready to start blogging, connect with us here at Cross and Crown so we can get started building a custom blog for your business or organization.