Paula G. Web Design

With the popularity and promises of fame and fortune some people make with respect to business blogging, so many people ask me - “Do I need to have a blog?” It is a great question to ask but one that doesn’t have a hard and fast answer.

There’s no denying blogs are a great tool to use as part of an overall Internet marketing strategy. Why are they so great? For starters they offer you benefits like:

• Easy to use and update content yourself.
• A great tool to have prospects get to know you better as you write in your own unique voice and offer them value.
• Great way to build your network by linking to other bloggers and commenting on related blogs.
• Search engines LOVE them and you can get big SEO points.
• Build you credibility as an expert.
• Low cost and low barrier to creating and maintaining one.
• Can be easily integrated with your existing website (or be your web presence entirely).

Sounds like a total WIN doesn’t it? And it can be, but there is a catch. You need to be clear on why you are choosing to start a blog and have a plan in place to engage with this marketing tactic regularly. This is not a case where you want to have one just to have one. In my opinion having a woefully stale and out of date blog does more to harm your image than help it. So if you just want to feel sexy at the local networking meeting and be able to say “I have a blog”, that is not reason enough to start one; at least not for your business (go wild and create a personal blog if you feel the need but remember that people will find you there also and you don’t want it to conflict with your business image).

If you’re on the fence about starting a blog, ask yourself these questions before you take the plunge:

Do I like to use the Internet and am I comfortable using the computer?

If you don’t love surfing the net and are not at least a little computer savvy, you don’t want to start blogging. Be honest with yourself. I’ve heard more than one person say they are good with the computer and technology things only to find out they are clueless. Denial is not bliss. Blogging works for someone who feels at home on the Internet. You don’t have to be an expert, just comfortable with it.

Are my ideal clients’ heavy users of the Internet?

While your prospects don’t need to be geeks, you do want them to at least use the web regularly to seek, sort, and select as they make purchasing decisions on products and services. If the people you trying to reach are not online a lot, a blog isn’t going to reach them.

Am I ready to commit to regular content updates?

There is nothing sadder than a blog with virtual cobwebs. When you start a blog you are making a commitment to updating it regularly. There is no hard and fast rule to “how often”. It can be multiple times a day or several times a month. The key is regularity and consistency.

Do I have something of value to share?

Everyone has something of value to offer, but are you willing to share your expertise via regular posts? While you do occasionally want to have a call to action in your posts, a blog is not the place to simply “sell” something in every post. It is a way to build relationships and community. Sure you’re in business, so sell…. but don’t make that the focus of your posts. Build it into the overall design of the site.

If you answered yes to all these questions, a blog may be for you. If you’re still not sure or want to learn more, feel free to contact me and I’m happy to speak with you and coach you through the decision making process.

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