I switched my computer on this morning and was amazed with what I saw!
Last night, while I was sleeping, there were interesting conversations going on here; across 4 different posts and with dozens of comments. That kind of feedback or interaction, is one of the things I value most about blogging and yet another reason why I believe blogs have a bright future, as a marketing tool.
Marketing and blogs
There are many reasons why blogs are extremely powerful as marketing tools. One of these reasons, is that it is easier to build a targeted community around a blog. For example, each of those 4 active conversations last night were directly relevant to the theme of this blog; which is marketing and business development for small businesses.
Now, some of the people involved in these debates, shared the debate on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, which saw a massive increase in new readers and blog subscribers. In simple terms, if I had written those posts as traditional articles on a website, with no comments section and no way for readers to contribute, there would have been far less interest and far fewer people would have seen it or shared it.
My posts acted as a catalyst, but it was the interest caused by the reader comments, which created the real surge in interest. In addition, the people who commented on those posts increased the value of those posts enormously, with their insights and ideas. I will be writing a lot more about the marketing benefits of blogging in the future. For now, I simply ask business owners that are not already blogging, to consider the opportunities.
Do you have a business blog? What are the main benefits YOU see from it?
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Hi Jim, I completely agree with you, however I don’t quite have a business blog but it is related to marketing. My blog is a job hunt social experiment, it has only been live for 4-5 days, but lets see what the ultimate result is.
I also wanted to ask you, I like the social bookmark buttons, is that a wp-plugin?
.-= Hussain´s last blog ..Batelco Ad – We are here to serve You =-.
Hi Hussain.
The plugin you see for social bookmarks is called “Sexy Bookmarks”. If you blog on WordPress, you can get a copy here:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sexybookmarks/
Hope that helps and good luck with the project!
Once again, the nail on the head, Jim! I blog most days. Blogging is great professionally because:
a) you get to show people what you can do, establish your credentials as it were, as well as actually help some people you’ll never ever meet ( an amazing privilege).
b) you really can interact with other people in a much more meaningful way when they respond to something you’ve written.
c) I have made good connections through blogging and new friends. And it keeps me in the forefront of my customers/clients’ minds many of whom send my words round the world!
You taught me well, Jim! Thank you.
Hi Jane – Good to hear from you my friend.
I agree with all your observations. Thanks for the comment.
Good morning Jim C.
Yesterday was a really good day sharing posts and comments on your Blog..
As You might of noticed I DO not do to much blogging myself I do have a website set up for it but I think I am one of those who takes it personal or have a slight issue with people’s answers.. (unconsciously)
So I have developed a strange method of communicating through my friends Blogs in the comments.
I have found comments to not only be a great tool as part of a blog but the main engine. Many people have not come to see that the comments section are like a mini-twitter.
And if used with Ping.fm & co-tweet it spreads like wild firs does. anyways I love Your blog and hope I could keep up debating, Learning Marketing is what I am about lately..
Thanks Jim Connlly
Norman Flecha
Sraight Talk
.-= STRAIGHTALK´s last blog ..Your Designer Will Fire You, for these 5 things! =-.
S’up Norm!
Good to see you and your unique viewpoints here – keep them coming
I think comments is one of the most important parts of blogging. You really get a chance, as a blogger, to enrich a point of view that you may have already shared in your post, or as a commentor, to add your own perspective to the conversation. I wasn’t involved in the discussions happening around your blog yesterday, but I do love it when comments and posts build from blog to blog around a particular theme. It does build such a sense of community around something a group of people are passionate about!
.-= Christine Livingston´s last blog ..Four Lessons on Game-Changing From The Scottish Rugby Team =-.
I couldn’t agree more, Christine. The community development aspect of blogging is usually totally overlooked. It’s NOT about the blogger, it’s about the blog – and that means the community.
Thanks for the comment my friend!
Thanks for sharing this story Jim. It’s great to see when a blog can spur on comments and engagement across many mediums.
For small business owners, having a blog, keeping it updated, and showcasing your talents is essential to help differentiate yourself, and grow your business. It compliments your other marketing efforts, and helps you compete with the “big boys and girls” in your industry.
We’ve found that our blog has helped establish our position as a leader in our niche, has helped clients get more out of their websites, and has been a launching point for new sales leads we otherwise may not have captured.
And our business hosting clients that have launched blogs have told us how those blogs have helped them as well.
If you put work into your blog, keep it fresh and engaging for your target audience, and keep at it, you’ll be amazed at how much it can help the bottom line over time.
.-= Rob Mangiafico´s last blog ..How Often Should An Ecommerce / Business Blog Be Updated? =-.
Hi Rob.
I seriously think many bloggers under-estimate the value of comments and the people, who leave those comments.
Hello Jim,
I like your your blogs. I’m a B.B.A (marketing) student and I have learn alot from you. Thanks for The sharing.
Good luck with the BBA!
I absolutely agree with you. But the challenge there is to get these people to comment on your blog, and to reach these people with your blog in the first place.
What was your inspiration in writing that blog?
Amy Cameron
BuildMySiteforFree.com
.-= Amy Cameron´s last blog ..5 Reasons Your Blog Could be Losing Traffic and What To Do About it! =-.