Most companies throw up a website to validate their existence. It’s the virtual equivalent of renting office space to show your clients that you’re serious and committed to the business. While it’s great to have a website (especially if you own “yourcompanyname.com”), real Web presence doesn’t begin until you have implemented some semblance of a search engine marketing campaign. We’ll cover the basics of an SEO / SEM campaign in another post. For now, let’s talk blogs.
Five years ago, it was okay to have a static site that never changed. After all, you figured out beforehand what you wanted to say about your company, products, and services, and you wrote the copy well (let’s hope). You pretty much leave the website alone, allowing it to only function as a contact page through which users can email, call, or submit a contact form if they’re interested in what you have to offer. The more advanced websites opened forums, which began the revolution known as “user-generated content” or social media.
For the most part, forums have fallen by the wayside and given way to the blog. It never hurts to have a forum available, which we’ll cover at another time, but the blog is a way to have focused, regularly updated content available to your customers. Weblogs are used for a variety of purposes, including:
- customer relationship management
- reputation management
- industry news
- company news
- commentary
1. Customer Relationship Management - One of the most popular CRM blogs is operated by Matt Cutts at Google. He functions as an easy to get along with mediator/spokesperson between SEO professionals and Google. He addresses questions and concerns about the way Google handles search, and he puts a human face and personality on the company. He’s been extremely effective at this over the years.
2. Reputation Management - Blogs are a perfect way to allow someone from your company to allay the fears, angers, or complaints of your customers as well. It’s a guarantee that if someone is disappointed with your company or products, they will eventually write about it in a blog or forum on the Internet. It’s going to get out, and you’re going to have damage control on your hands. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a silly blog,” you might say. Companies lose millions in revenue to these silly blogs every day. Let’s put it in perspective: imagine that silly little blog post appearing on page one of Google any time someone searches for the name of your company, product, or the names of your executives. Anyone wanting to read about you will see this negative post and their judgment of your company will be affected. A company blog provides a place for your customers to come and voice their opinions in a structure you can control. It also provides a place for you to respond to complaints and to produce additional positive content in hopes of outranking and displacing the negative comments on search results.
3. Industry News - The remaining uses of company blogs can bleed into each other or remain separate as you choose. A blog is the perfect avenue for your company to discuss what’s new in the industry. Write your opinions on new technologies or discuss how current events could affect your business, investors, and customers. It will build investor and consumer confidence in your company as they see your company regularly staying abreast of current events.
4. Company News - You can post press releases internally. You might also want to present company news in a less formal manner that addresses the anticipated concerns and questions of your readers.
5. Commentary - As is the case with many SEO, SEM, and PR blogs, business professionals can really develop a solid readership with commentary. It’s the human side, possibly including non-company related copy that simply says, “Hey, we’re people too.” It’s easy for the consumer to view a company as an inhuman machine. This puts the humanity back into the company image, and can even assist in branding.
If you think of a primary use for company blogs that I’ve overlooked, feel free to let me know.
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