To Blog… Or not to Blog. That is the question

Without a doubt blogging has become very popular and an effective marketing tool in the midst of the social media movement.  Just because blogging is popular doesn’t mean its the golden key for your business.  Almost every organization now is wanting to incorporate blogging into their online marketing mix, but many do not understand the effort or resources required to create a successful blog.

So how do you determine whether or not blogging is a right resource and investment for your organization?

First you must (without bias) determine whether or not a blog would even be effective in your market space.   Just because you have a blog does not mean anyone will read it or even care about it for that matter.   If your in an industry with repeat customers where the buying decision requires a lot of  research, or if your industry is a hobby /sport most likely blogging will be effective.  However, you must determine whether or not the information you provide will be interesting to your target audience and whether or not they will interact with the given information. For example, a blog about office chairs would not be effective.  Sorry, your office chairs just don’t deserve twenty minutes of my day. So as an office supply company your resources are better off spent promoting your website and local brand awareness than wasting time trying to get people interested in office chairs.  But, “I could write something interesting about saving money on office chairs or office chair comfort, right?” Yes, you could, but still how effective would that be compared to spending that same time in other marketing avenues.  At the end of the day its about ROI.  So, if your questioning whether or not blogging is for you I have an absolute solution. Ask your customers if they looked at a blog in their decision making process or a blog related to your industry. On the flip side, if you are a software company that provides CRM and Accounting solutions. Many of your customers do a lot of research before rolling out a large scale purchase and want to find out best practices.  A blog to help them better understand your product, industry standards, and best practices would be very useful and effective.

Secondly, you have decided that a blog would be effective for your company, but is it the best choice.  A blog requires a set amount of resources, time and money.  Try to see if you can find a better way to spend those resources that would produce a higher ROI.   I know it sounds backwards, but don’t just blog because everyone is doing it when you may be unwisely spending resources.  I challenge all of the marketing decisions with alternatives to ensure we are making the right choice not the best sounding choice.

Finally, quantify how much effort will be required to make your blog successful.
1) How much money will be required to design the blog?
2) How much time will be required to set up the blog?
3) How much time on a weekly / monthly basis will be required to maintain and build the blog?
4) How much money / marketing resources will be required to drive traffic to the blog?

I have seen many organizations start off with good intentions, build a great looking blogs with practical information and resources but fall short in maintaining the blog and its marketing. For some reason people tend to think blogs are magic and when you start writing people start coming (Not Really True). Quantify the four basic steps listed above and put together a plan of action and budget for creating, maintaining and marketing your new blog. If the numbers are not overwhelming then by all means move forward with blogging, but ensure you’re dedicated to the process.

Author: Brandon Morgan