My world evolves around the internet. As such, I always assume that the basic definitions and elements of the internet sphere are known to everyone.
Alas, I was surprised when during the last few weeks I told a few businessmen about our new Retail Blogs website, and they had no clue what a blog is.
After a short explanation of what blogs are, they all showed interest in having one. Why wouldn’t they? It is a free tool that allows you to communicate with your potential clients, employees, friends and other people from your industry in an informal and personalised way. If you work in a company, you can use the blog as another means to boost your personal profile. (btw, recruitment professionals should start reading applicants blogs as another screeninng tool).
Blogs are basically an online journal where one writes about what ever he likes. If you are writing it as a marketing tool you can write articles, case studies, stories from your day to day experiences and more. Blogging is a great way to communicate as it is not your “corporate identity” that you are communicating but your personal identity.
Face to face meetings are only a result of some research that a client made before actually picking up the phone and making an appointment. Part of that research includes looking at your website. But your website is usually not you. And sometimes what the client is actually looking for is you. The person behind the screen and the formal messages. That is where your blog can kick in. It is not part of your website which puts some constraints on you. It is an external and private journal which you link to from your website. This gives your client a quick look into the person that you are and will usually make him more comfortable in approaching you.
As a marketing tool, blogs also have an affair with search engines which tend to look at them as a useful resource and therefore rate them highly under organic searches. You can also join network of blogs which will drive more traffic to your website.
For some people, blogs are a cost effective alternative to a website. You can put links on it, pictures, documents and use it's address as your website.
There is a lot more to say about blogs, their features, technological solutions etc, but I will let you explore it yourselves by joining our new RetailBlogs website which is a new service for people around the retail industry in Australia. Whether you are a consultant, a retailer or a consumer, you can join our retail blogs website. Registered service providers on Inside Retailing Directory can join for free. Others have to pay a once set up fee of $99 to have their blog up and running.
Go on, do it.