When the Internet first emerged companies would try and establish their websites and home pages in an attempt to have some sort of communication with their customers. However this would have mostly been advertising by the companies. There would only be one-way communication and this will not be useful if you don’t know the customer demands. When blogging blogging came along, companies found a way to really communicate with their consumers, which was two ways. As many consumers also had blogs it opened up a channel of communication. For businesses communication is very important, as it helps build relationships with their customers enable the businesses to retain customers. (Duncan, 1998)
There are many reasons for companies to blog including:
- Humanising the company
- Enhancing visibility
- Building credibility and trust
- Addressing important issues
(Makovsky, 2012)
What makes a great blog?
To find out what makes a good blog we can look at a few good examples of companies using blogs effectively.
Google:
Google is an example of a company with a great blog. This is at no surprise as Google is one of the biggest companies in the world. The Google blog provides insight into Google products, technology and culture in a way that’s informative and educational but at the same time enjoyable to read. The blog is also regularly and consistently updated and features things that are trending. Regularity and consistency is key to increased engagement by consumers (Bonson et al, 2014). Additionally writing about content that is trending has more of a chance of being shared (Sanusi, 2014).
Wholefoods:
Wholefoods is great example of a company that integrates product promotion and consumer interests. Their content includes food recipes, food reviews and healthy meal options. Blogging this way ensures that companies are not blatantly promoting their products but at the same time they can showcase their products. Customers may buy their products and wont feel they are being target by sales promotions. Additionally content is posted fairly regularly.
Endsleigh insurance
The company is an insurance company that specifically focus on students. The content of their blogs consists of content that students can relate to. Ranging from blog posts that aim to help students and give advice, to entertainment posts about recent rends. Again here you can see a company showcasing their services in a way that makes customers feel not obligated to buy anything.
Key takeaways:
There are main similarities between these blogs that make them a huge success. One of the things that are common with these blogs is that the companies are not directly advertising or promoting their products or service to their customers. Customers normally avoid advertisements and promotions. But blogging gives companies a platform to market them selves in a way that is not completely direct. Another thing that is common is that the blogs have some entertainment value to them. No one will deliberately read a blog that is boring and bland. By incorporating some entertainment value customers may feel obliged to engage and continue to read future blog posts. Also blogs posts by these companies are posted consistently leading to increased engagement by customers. For the reasons discussed blogging has been a successful form of marketing for these companies. However still today blogging in the corporate world remains ambiguous and many companies fail to make an impact.
Why do many companies fail with blogging?
- A blog doesn’t magically generate traffic
Many companies seem to believe that that by creating a blog they will automatically receive traffic to their website. They perceive a blog as a marketing channel that will generate leads. But in fact they are they should be used to build relationships with customers which then causes future traffic and lead generation
- Time commitment
It takes time to build solid relationships and this is also the case with companies. Blogs should be used to build relationships but because companies do not see engagement and interaction by customers straight they give up. They need to be patient in order to see the benefits of blogging.
- Too much time advertising and not enough time engaging
Many companies fail to engage with their customers, instead they brag about how great their products and services are. A blog should be used to engage customers to build relationships. The aim of a blog should be to open up dialogue. Asking for feed back or constructive criticism can achieve this.
(Boag, 2013)
Blogs should not be used as a traditional marketing tool. They should be used to communicate with your customers to build relationships. Many companies are failing to use blogs effectively, but by taking time and learning how to use them companies can fully reap the benefits of blogging.
References
Boag, P. (2013). 10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Blogging. [online] Boagworld – Web & Digital Advice. Available at: https://boagworld.com/marketing/corporate-blogging/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2015].
Bonsón, E.Bednarova, M & Escobar-Rodríguez, T, (2014). Corporate YouTube practices of Eurozone companies. Online Information Review, Vol. 38(4) pp. 484 – 501
Duncan, T. and Moriarty, S, (1998). A communication-based marketing model for managing relationships. Journal of Marketing, 62(2), pp. 1-13.
Makovsky, K. (2012). Why Should Companies Blog?. [online] Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenmakovsky/2012/05/14/why-should-companies-blog/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2015].
Sanusi, A. (2014). How to write a successful blog that also promotes your business. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2013/apr/30/how-to-write-a-business-blog [Accessed 30 Apr. 2015].