To Blog or Not to Blog? Social Media Strategy Philadelphia Area

Article: To Blog or Not to Blog?
By Julie Friedman Bacchini

“What do you mean you don’t have a blog?”
“If you want your website to succeed, you have to have a blog!”
“YOU MUST BLOG!”

Have you been confused or intimidated by so-called “experts” telling you blogging is a necessity, not an option? Have you perhaps started a blog and watched it fizzle out after just a few weeks? Are you struggling to keep up a blog, but aren’t sure it’s worth the effort?

You’re not alone! The question is not “Do you have a blog?” but “Is blogging right for you, your organization, and your web presence?”

Like pay-per-click campaigns, article marketing, and email blasts, blogging is simply another web tool. One that may or may not fit into your business strategy, and one that may or may not help you reach your business goals.

So what’s the big deal about blogs? Why are they the latest rage?

Well-implemented, blogs are a highly effective means of establishing your reputation and credibility, generating search engine optimized content, building a targeted community, and marketing your products and services. The problem is, blogs can be an unmitigated disaster if implemented incorrectly or haphazardly.

In order to tell if a blog would be a good strategic tool for your business, take the time to answer these five questions:

Do you have something to say that people will truly be interested in reading? Remember, your success on the web depends on appealing to your target market. To blog effectively, you have to communicate information and/or opinions that people will want to read, want to comment on, and want to come back to time and again.
Will you be able to generate interesting blogs on a weekly basis (at minimum) every week of the year? It’s one thing to have something interesting to say occasionally – it’s another matter entirely to have something interesting say on a continual basis. The essence of blogs is their regularity. If you only have something interesting to communicate once every three months, don’t launch a blog. Put up an article perhaps, or send out a newsletter. But if you want to blog, you have to be consistent.
Do you have skills as a writer? The Internet is no excuse for poor writing, lack of style, and bad grammar. It’s not enough to have good information to communicate on a regular basis: you have to communicate it well. If you are a fountain of ideas but you can’t craft a meaningful sentence, then hire a professional to write your blog entries for you.
Do you have the time to manage a blog? The comment section is an integral part of every successful blog. Therefore, you must allocate time not only to generating ideas and writing blog entries, but also to managing the comment section: reading through comments that are posted, making sure any blog rules are being followed, screening out inappropriate comments, etc.
Have you weighed the risks associated with blogging? Don’t kid yourself: blogging is not a risk-free venture. Before putting up a blog, ask yourself: what would happen to my business if I make a mistake and post a blog entry that is foolish, incorrect, or slanderous? What negative ramifications could there be to opening up a blog to comments? What if several bloggers get into a fight online on my website? What if someone is unhappy with my product or service? What if someone severely disagrees with an opinion I expressed? All that conversation is wide open to the public – and will have an impact on the reputation of your website and of your business.

Blogging can bring your business tremendous benefits. It can also become a black hole for time and effort, and stab you in the back when you least expect it. For that reason, blogging must not be a quick or casual decision. Think through the requirements and the ramifications very carefully. What specific value would a blog bring your business? Is that value great enough to off-set the required time, effort, and risk?

Ultimately, the question “to blog or not to blog” must be answered with a strategic business decision that promotes your business goals and is supported by your business resources. Nothing less will do.

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

About the Author:

Julie Friedman Bacchini is President of Neptune Moon Design (www.NeptuneMoon.com), a full-service agency providing businesses and non-profit organizations with custom web designs, web site marketing plans, and strategic search engine optimization (SEO), all designed to build brand recognition, increase site traffic, and generate leads, clients, and revenue. Be sure to visit NeptuneMoon.com to read additional articles that will help you reach your business goals!