Our clients often ask us if they should add a blog to their company website. Often times, they’ve heard from a friend that blogs can improve search engine rankings or that somehow a blog will increase revenue from the site. In short, they are right - A blog can help with visibility in the search engines and it can boost sales on the site. However, maintaining a quality blog does require continuous effort. So, the question isn’t “should I have a company blog?” but rather, “do I have the time/resources to continually write and maintain a company blog and is it worth my time?” To answer to this question, we encourage you to consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of a company blog: Advantages of a Company Blog
- Communicate news and promotions
- Announce product/service updates
- Discuss customer satisfaction and receive feedback
- Share your knowledge to demonstrate your authority
- Give your brand a public voice and identity
Disadvantages of a Company Blog
- Damage your company image by allowing your blog to become outdated. We’ve all run across a company blog that was last updated 6 months ago
- Hurt your credibility with typos, poor grammar, or just plain wrong information
- Spoil customer relations by not maintaining diplomacy and/or responding promptly to customer communications
- Allow dissatisfied customers to publicly display their grievances. Often times, the unhappy customers are the ones make the most noise
Perhaps the biggest thing to remember about starting a company blog is that it is an on-going commitment. You, or one of your staff, will need to regularly write and publish to the blog with quality, thoughtful content – this is often the biggest hurdle for businesses to overcome. If you would like to learn more about setting up a blog for your company website, please feel free to contact us - we're happy to answer your questions. Bill Cook Marketing Manager Blue Water Media
