Blogging – what a waste of time…

Unless of course you follow the three ‘blogging musts’.  Read on…see if you are wasting your time or nurturing a fabulous marketing tool.

Have you been following all the hoopla, the SEO and web marketing take on SMM? If so you may have read how fresh, well written original content in the form of blogs will help propel your website to the top of the search engines. How it will extend your reach and range. How adding a blog to your site or your new web design can boost your visitor numbers, win more customers and increase the effectiveness of your web presence.

You may already be considering bolting a blog onto an existing site or even redesigning your website around a company blog. You may already peak in envy at your competition, coveting all those lovely posts and guest comments. All that juicy, engaging information that they share with their ever growing readership.

Well guess what? They’re wrong.

Absolutely, totally, bonafide, 100% completely incorrect. Blogging and especially orientating your web presence around your company blog is a total waste of time, unless of course you follow the three ‘blogging musts’.

• It’s not about me. It’s about you. If you plan to spend your time talking about your company, your products, your services, you, you, you then just forget the whole thing. People’s time is short, and the last thing any prospective advocate needs is to sit watching you flexing your muscles in the corporate gym mirror. Duller than dull. Add value, help people, solve problems, share insight and opinion, and don’t forget to entertain. Make people’s lives better. Stick the product release stuff in a press release. Don’t insult people’s intelligence by going all covert on them either. People know when they’re being sold to and more often than not they hate it, especially if your pitch is pretending to be something else. There’s a time and a place for the sale. A company blog is neither

• This relationship needs commitment – Unless you can commit the time and resources to keeping your blog updated regularly you will look amateurish. Blog fail. The same goes for the quality. If you don’t have the time or the confidence in your ability to write it yourself then get someone in to do it. You don’t need major articles or long in-depth pieces, but you do need to keep it coming and reading well. Once a week, twice a week, three times a week it’s up to you. Just make sure that you keep the show on the road. Plan a schedule and stick with it.

• Blogging is part of your social media strategy – Make your blog your destination. Drive traffic there through your social media outposts – Your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube activity for example.

Get it right and your blog can become a fabulous marketing tool. Fail to follow these simple guidelines and your blog may end up a waste of time.