Listen Up and Say Ahhh…
Okay, before any of you go into a web frenzy and begin to thrash my title and protest, let me explain…
First: Yes! We all know that a blog is a website. No argument here.
Second: The invisible yet operative word is - OFTEN. But in my personal case it’s - ALWAYS!
Third: I’m not saying that people or companies don’t need a static website.
On the contrary - a company should definitely have one. And although it would be great if every company with a site had a blog - they don’t. Some just don’t see the purpose of having one or don’t believe that it can help generate customers (cough). Whereas others are ill-equipped and lack the resources (time or money) to keep a blog running with regular updates.
Whatever the reasons, they’re obviously there.
However, in my effort to persuade the “no blogs” otherwise, I’d like to share a few interesting things.
The Facts of Stats: Read ‘Em & Weep
Several studies have shown that companies that blog have far better marketing results.
HubSpot conducted a little experiment of their own in 2009 and results showed that the average company that blogs has:
- 55% more visitors
- 97% more inbound links
- 434% more indexed pages
Not only that, but these companies also have more consistent sales.
I won’t go into the seemingly obvious reasons and details here ,but if you’re interested, I strongly recommend that you download HubSpot’s 2010 State of Inbound Marketing Report. The findings alone should help put an end to a “non-believer’s” take.
But in case those numbers weren’t enough to persuade you, here’s another little finding:
Adweek recently published an article called “Social Net Growth: No End in Sight” based on an eMarketer report. There was obviously tons of blah blah in the report, but here’s the highlight I actually care to share.
The number of people visiting social networks on a monthly basis in the U.S. will reach 127 million, or about 57 percent of all domestic Internet users, by the end of 2010, a 16 percent increase over 2009.
By 2014, two-thirds (65.8 percent) of U.S. Internet users will be regular visitors to social networks…
Now that these exciting stats are out of the way, let me continue…
Blog Marketing: Extend Your Reach with Your Niche
Blogs are an extremely powerful marketing tool that tap into the ever-growing reach and influence of Social Media. They allow you to target a specific niche and are slowly becoming a more trusted media source of information. Before you say anything, I said ‘more’ not ‘most’!
According to BlogPulse, there are about 151,570,276 (and counting) blogs on the internet today and over 49,000 of them were created in the last 24 hours. And those numbers increase every minute! Pretty overwhelming, huh?
Blogs are actually the fastest-growing medium of personal publishing and are the preferred method of “individual expression and opinion”. But then again, I’m preaching to the choir here.
“Social Media and blogs are becoming marketing powerhouses. They are the fastest growing category in lead generation budgets and they continue to be ranked as the lowest cost lead-generation channel…”
The State of Inbound Marketing 2010
There are still many people who wonder whether they should set up a blog or website for their online hobby or business. And although the two serve different purposes and produce different short-term results, I think they’re both necessary in some way or another and they can often complement or reinforce each other. But in many cases, a dynamic blog is better than a static website. And here’s why (from a simple, non-techie point of view)…
Blogs Kick Ass
1. Blogs are Much Easier to Setup and Manage
Unless you’re part of the geek squad or a tech-savvy brainiac, this is a hands down, no contest, indisputable fact!
If you decide to be a self-hosted blog as I am with nittyGriddy (and I highly recommend that you be), then you can download and install WordPress, the best blogging platform available today. And yes, that’s my opinion and that of about 25 million others.
Actually, more and more people are using this powerful Content Management System to build their sites even if they don’t plan to blog.
As if there’s still someone out there that’s breathing who doesn’t blog - Hah!
Much like Facebook accounts, I think we’ll be seeing 2 year-olds and chihuahuas with their own blogging sites soon - “WheeBlog” and “BarkaBlog” 
. Hmm…I may be on to something here.
Okay, let’s get back on track…
The entire setup process should take you no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Plus, there’s no coding required - pheww! You see, I’m what you call ATTAC - “All Things Techie with Abbreviations Challenged”.
All the essential files come ready-made so all you have to do is upload them and create a database. Don’t let that last word scare you, cause it literally takes 30 seconds to do.
WordPress has an endless array of free and amazing looking themes that you can download. Heck, I think I downloaded over a hundred before choosing mine. And if you know a little CSS, PHP and HTML - 3 things we already established I royally suck at - then you can customize and tweak the crap out of them to get your own personal look and style.
If you plan on going pro and are up to spending a few bucks, then I suggest you check out the 3 premium theme biggies: Thesis, Genesis and Headway. These are by far the preferred choice of A-list bloggers and many - including me. Here at Traffic Generation Cafe, Thesis is king.
As for me, I chose to be powered by Headway. My site is actually being switched over as we speak - and by we, I mean I. But again, all three themes kick-ass and it’s just a matter of seeing what works best for you.
Regardless of the theme you install, the user-friendly WordPress dashboard allows you to easily access and update all your information. From your content and comments to your plugins, widgets and options. It’s super simple and very straightforward. Plus the blog platform does all the actual technical work for you. So, it’s pretty much idiot-proof.
Now if you’re still confused or undecided about whether to go with a self-hosted blog or not, here’s a helpful infographic by WPBeginner that’ll simplify things for you.
2. Blogs Retain More Interest
Because blogs are easy to browse through and regularly updated - at least they better be if they want to survive and prosper - readers will be more likely to return if they’re interested by the content. Hence, the horrifically overused and annoying cliché that makes you want to pierce your own eardrums - “content is king”.
I’m actually on a mission to find and coin a better catch phrase.
Depending on the way they’re written, blogs have a lot more personality in the text (Duh!). They tend to have an informal and conversational tone instead of the professional one you often see on websites. Obviously, this style of writing is more likely to capture a reader’s attention - nod if you’re still here but thought you’d be long gone by now!
In my case, I write like I talk - which let’s face it - is way more entertaining to read than a monotonous monologue by a corporation.
Moreover, posts are generally featured and easily accessible to readers. Websites, on the other hand, can have you crawling page after page of utter blandness (blah!). Needless to say, that the easier and more interesting you make it for your viewers, the longer they’ll stay (hello bounce rate) and the more they’ll return.
3. Blogs Encourage Author and Visitor Engagement
With a blog, anyone visiting that likes (or dislikes for that matter) your post can leave a comment or click on that fabulous little ‘like’ button. After all, commenting is one of the things that matters most, and it’s what bloggers look forward to - at least I do (hint hint)!
Not only that, but visitors can also subscribe via RSS or email to receive your updates, join your Facebook fan page, follow you on Twitter, download an eBook you’ve written, participate in a poll or contest and more. But we’ll get to a couple of those in a bit.
You see, websites are like using a microphone. It’s a one-way or one-to-many communication method.
Blogs however, are like using a phone - and not just any phone - I’m talking Blackberry or iPhone lol.
You’re also speaking to many (at least I hope), but it’s a two-way conversation where your readers are not only listeners or consumers, but contributors as well. They can reply to you or to others that have left comments on your page. It’s a great way of building a healthy and engaging community as well as striking up a threaded conversation. There’s just as much to learn from other people’s views.
Through good, consistent and regular updates, you’ll start to generate trackbacks, pingbacks and comments. And believe me when I tell you - they matter. Just ask Ana, the “Tzar(ina) of SEO”, here at Traffic Generation Cafe. She’ll tell you all about the ‘pings’ and ‘backs‘ and the important SEO stuff that I’m getting to next.
Note from Ana: I am getting very fond of this new nickname Ingrid came up with. I am taking votes down in the comment section! Ana, Tzarina of SEO - thumbs up or thumbs down. Readers choice!
4. Blogs are More Search Engine Friendly
Okay, here’s the thing. Regardless of your personal reasons for blogging, one of them should be to generate interest and viewers. That’s if you have any intention of growing.
Because blogs are updated regularly and contain a big number of interlinks, they’re more likely to be discovered by those cute little search engine bots that come crawling your site to identify and index your new content. Obviously, the more you update, the more pings you send out and the more the bots will come visit. Think of it as a “Domino Effect” - where syndication is almost instantaneous and automatic.
But besides the bubbly bots and updates, blogs can easily be optimized with super plugins such as All in One SEO Pack and Scribe.
Now repeat after me…“All Hail Queen Alexa!”
5. Blogs Generate More Traffic
Just as I mentioned that blogs retain more interest and encourage engagement, they also generate an audience - and in turn, more traffic.
The richer and more interesting your content, the easier it will get noticed. You can’t please everyone, but you can target the ones you’re looking to get attention from. Hence, your niche market.
Once you begin to build your readership, they’ll help in promoting your blog for you. People will start to talk about you, write about you, interview you, link to you and grow your blog for you.
Once I started getting a loyal following who enjoyed my content, they started referring to me in their own blogs. And a few even wrote awesome stuff about me . Evidently, this allowed their readers to discover me and cling to my many rambles of wisdom.
I can honestly say that most of the blogs I like and read today, I discovered through other people’s blogs. The more people mention you, the more people will be intrigued to know you.
I have a little weekly series on my blog called SuperPost Sunday where I roundup and link to 20 or so great articles that I’ve come across during the week. By sharing these with my readers, it not only allows them to discover new blogs and writers, but maybe new fields of interests as well.
6. Blogs Rock More at Link Building
Once again, Ana here is your best resource and can teach you all the in’s and out’s of SEO link building through many of her articles - one of which, “Link Building Mixology: Your “How To Do It The Right Way” Guide“.
You see what I did here? If this post was on my site, then she would have gotten’ pinged (sounds kinky I know, but it’s not) and been notified that my site had linked to hers. Either way, she knows.
Linking to other blogs helps you build exposure as well as get their attention - as long as you don’t do it too much or in a random or spammy way! That’s a big No-No and King Google tends to frown upon that. So know your limit!
This is where I can use my SuperPost Sunday as an example again, but I’d hate to be repetitive.
If you want to link to someone’s post, make sure it will add value to your readers. It doesn’t do much for you if you simply link to their home page. Try to link to a specific article that relates to your own.
By linking to other blogs and by them linking to you (as long as your content is worthy), can in turn increase your traffic. But again, and like your mother would say, choose wisely the friends you want to be associated with. Meaning…stay the hell away from porn and gambling sites!
One thing to remember is, the more you have links, the more opportunities you are giving readers to leave your site and go find joy somewhere else.
For a more detailed, accurate and simply all round better explanation of link building, I highly suggest you read Ana’s article, “Trackbacks vs Pingbacks Explained: Why You Should Definitely Read This Post“.
7. Blogs Allow Readers to Subscribe via RSS
As I mentioned in #3, your visitors can subscribe to your blog through a couple methods, but more notably via RSS.
I don’t think there’s a blog out there that doesn’t include this option. And if there is - shame, shame!
Your religious followers want to be able to have your content delivered to their email inbox or feed aggregator as soon as it’s published. Not because they’re stalking you, but because they’re genuinely interested in what you have to share. This is the part where I remind you about having kick-ass content again.
RSS literally allows you to take the content from another website and feed it to yours. You’re actually simplifying your readers life by providing them with a ‘door-to-door’ delivery service. Think of yourself as Fed-Ex!
Besides being convenient, RSS also saves time, increases blog traffic and improves your site ranking.
It’s only obvious to conclude that the more subscribers you have, the more popular and valuable your blog is.
8. Blogs are Far More Popular with Social Media Sites
You know how in high school you had the cool and popular crew and the geeky or ‘not so popular’ crowd? Well, in blogging it’s kinda like that - where the blogs and bloggers are the cool kids on the block; even though the static gang is still strong and kickin’, they’re a bit passé.
The roles have been reversed. The time has come for “Revenge of the Nerds”. I’m gonna’ presume that all of you reading this are old enough to have heard of that classic. And if you’re not, I curse you out of jealousy!
Let’s face it folks…us bloggers do have that little nerdy/geeky side going for us, but in a very cool way of course 
.
So why are blogs cooler and more popular with Social Media?
It’s simple. They talk and interact more! After all, that’s what the ‘Social’ in ‘Media’ is all about. There’s a continuous flow of sharing and engagement through the consistent and regular updates of interesting words (content).
In a nutshell, this is my witty version of what happens:
“After people have Stumble’dUpon your del.icio.us new content and Reddit, they Digg you, Tweet you and ‘Like’ you on Facebook. They even snag you from Flickr and try to tape you or watch you on YouTube. But the fact is, although blogs and websites are closely LinkedIn and can easily Mixx, it’s only the bloggers that get drafted to the Technorati! And that my friends, is what I call a Slam Dunk
!”
Blogs are better than static websites for a hundred other reasons and I’ve obviously left many of them out - one of which includes Multi-User blogs. Once again though, it all depends on what you’re looking to achieve through your site.
If someone were to ask me, I’d recommend a blog 90% of the time. But what do I know?
I’d much rather you hear it from a Pro who really knows her stuff. And yes, I’m talking about Ana Hoffman again - not because she’s my host and I’m trying to earn brownie points so she’ll let me post here again - but because she truly knows what the heck she’s talking about! And better yet, she abides by the Cardinal Rule of Everything; “practice what you preach”.
See for yourself how blogging kick-started Ana’s business and “How Blogging Can Increase Your Lead Generation by 67%”.
For what other reasons are blogs better than websites? Do you think differently? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
[image credit: (Top) How to Make Your Own Web Page]
I am a wife to a great husband of 13 years (here ya go, now I have to make changes to this sentence once a year), a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
@Ingrid @CJ @Jym - This whole conversation intrigues me. Direct sales has been my life, and my new coaching/consulting model is exactly this….every static site, specifically e-commerce, must have a blog companion these days, especially for promotion.
Sorry CJ, I must respectfully disagree wholeheartedly with your first comment and the 2nd, where you try to clean it up a bit, just confuses me.
However, if you are that knowledgeable at marketing static sites, we can almost assuredly work together; I’d love to chat some off this blog.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..“Best Laid Plans” – A Brief Personal Post You Must See
Before they said that content is a king but now even if you have wonderful content but your site or blog sites have no traffic and not following the SEO rules then its nothing. Good quality content is one thing but you have to do something to drive traffic to your site and from that you will have a better possibility of earning.
Hi Kirsty,
!
That’s a very good point you bring up. Thank you
Yes, although quality content matters greatly, it has to be seen. It’s up to you to use the SEO and Social Media tools wisely in order to attract viewers to your site and in turn help it grow and maybe earn some profit along the way.
But the better or more interesting your posts are, the more frequently people will return to read what’s new and in turn share your blog with others.
Thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
This is it. This is the article that tells me we may have a JV in our future. At the very least, I will be pointing to this article a LOT.
My entire being online now is coaching those with static sites (specifically direct sales e-commerce) that nowadays a blog companion is a MUST.
My pitch as I see it…
You promote Your blog. Your Blog Promotes Your business.
(or vice verse, it works either way. lol)
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Decembers Agenda – Will You be Involved
Hey Dennis,
Well I’m thrilled you intend to point back to this article
. Thank you!
We were actually having a small discussion a bit lower with CJ and Jym about e-commerce sites. You might have something to share regarding that maybe.
I like your pitch. It’s quite true but in promoting it, there are a few things to consider so that it’s done properly.
I appreciate you stopping by and leaving your opinion. Thanks again for your supportive words.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
“but in promoting it, there are a few things to consider so that it’s done properly”
Such as?
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..“Best Laid Plans” – A Brief Personal Post You Must See
Hi Ingrid,
I agree that blogs should definitely be part of most company’s online strategy. As you said, periodically adding new material is great for search and keeping your readers coming back.
Funniest part - the idea that getting “pinged” sounds “kinky”. Hilarious.
Also, “Ana, Tzarina of SEO” is funny, so I vote yes.
Thanks for the excellent resource.
Have a good day!
mark´s last blog ..Choosing My Niche-Market
Hi Mark,
Thanks a lot for your comment. I’m glad we see things the same way. Blogs, if maintained and promoted properly can be an integral part of a company’s success.
As for “pinged” lol - but it does sound like that somehow
.
.
As for Ana being the “Tzarina of SEO” - Hell Yes! She certainly is and then some! And thanks for the vote - I’m sure she’ll appreciate it
I’m looking forward to reading your latest article on choosing your niche. A very interesting and useful topic to know about.
Thanks again for sharing your voice here. Appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Harvard’s Guide to Social Media
Hi Ingrid,
Wow, wow, wow! What a powerful, entertaining and enlightening post! I thoroughly enjoyed it. You made such a long post very interesting. I’m not fond of long posts, but I just kept reading this till the end. Awesome job!
After reading this, it should be clear to everyone that blogging is the way to go.
Thank you so much for this incredible post!
All the best,
Mavis Nong
Mavis Nong~Attraction Marketing Online´s last blog ..Attraction Marketing Online In The Top 50 MLM Blogs For 2010!
Hey Mavis,
Wow what a fantastic comment and YaY for that big smile you just put on my face with all those encouraging words of yours. Thank you very much
!
I’m glad you took the time to stop by and comment here today. I often come across your name in the blogosphere and it’s nice to finally engage with you. Also, a very big congratulations for making the list as one of the Top 50 MLM Blogs - that’s awesome and good for you! Keep up the great work over at Attraction Marketing Online.
I know this post was long - I have a tendency to write those lol - but I do try my best to keep them as entertaining as they are useful. Wouldn’t be much of a fun read without any personality and witty remarks along the way, would it hehe?
I’m psyched that you liked it. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you around more often.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..17 Things About Me- If You’re Curious to Know – My Special Bday Post!
Hey Ingrid,
Great to connect. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement.
Yep, you have a new follower now!
Have a great weekend!
Mavis
Mavis Nong~Attraction Marketing Online´s last blog ..5 Top Tips That Will Transform Your Blog and Business
Hi Ingrid
Wow, this week has been the week for long posts. People whose blogs I regulary visit such as Rick, Stev,Tristan and now you. What’s great about all the bloggers I’ve named is they weren’t just quantity; but awesome content too. So quality and quantity makes for an excellent read
Also proves the naysayers wrong. That we only want short posts cos most people don’t have the concentration power to cope with long posts! Not me. I’m loving it and so are plenty of other bloggers by the comments you’re getting here.
Good to see you over on Ana’s site and also back on Twitter gal. Go Ingrid.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia@lavenderuses´s last blog ..Are You a Tweetheart-Commenter…or both!
Hiya Patricia,
Boy, I just love it when you stop by to leave your awesome 4 cents. Thank you!
I know I’ve been slacking a bit with Twitter the last couple days, but as you know, I’m actually travelling. But, still very much active in the blogosphere of course lol. At least trying!
I couldn’t agree more with you first about the people you mentioned - all great writers with excellent content to share and second about long posts always being a drag to read due to our attention span. Well, I too have no problem reading or writing long posts for that matter - as long as they are valuable and are able to keep my or my readers attention, then I’m game. And as you very well know, I do my best to try to keep folks entertained while reading some of my novels
.
The feedback here has been great so far and I’m thankful to my host Ana for inviting me to guest post on her uber cool and popular blog.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and comment. Will get around to both of yours very soon. I’m looking forward to them ma dear
. And another thank you in advance for being patient with me these last few days - a vacation was in order and thus am not living, breathing blogging 24 hours a day - maybe 16 hours though lol 
. I couldn’t possible take a full break - I would miss these kinds of comments and engagements way too much!
Cheers Mrs. Lavender
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Harvard’s Guide to Social Media
Hey Ingrid,
I totally agree with you that blogs is an extremely powerful marketing tool, hands down! I’m not surprised with the stats you’ve put up there from Hubspot. Blogs are definitely the best way to reach out to customers and build a loyal fanbase + social media. No company should live without it. I think blogs have been here for a long time and will be here to stay for a while…
bryan´s last blog ..RSS and Email Subscription – Why Both
Hi Bryan,
Well I’m glad you agree for it’s obvious that I feel the same way as you on this one. As much as I knew how blogs were popular - the stats still managed to surprise me - in a good way
.
It’s without a doubt that blogs are the ideal way of building a loyal reader base as well as spreading a message and much like social media in general - they are not a fad and are here to stay (in my opinion).
As I said - static websites are great for companies to have - and they should - but adding a blog to them would be them all the much better to read. Customers want to be able to ask their questions and get a reply as well as read what other people are saying.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your 2 cents. Appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
Holy cow - this is an awesome (and huge) post.. and I agree that blogs kick ass.
I don’t know what I’d be doing today if I hadn’t started my blog back in April; probably the best decision I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing the stats, I hope it opens some people’s eyes.
great stuff
talk soon
Hector
Hector Cuevas´s last blog ..7 Day MaxBlogPress Plugins & Courses Early Christmas Sale 70 Off
Hola Hector,
Holy Cow is right haha! It’s indeed somewhat of a novel but a rather entertaining one at that.
I’ve become quite the avid reader of your awesome blog and therefore I too am glad that you started it. You always have very interesting and useful things to share and I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you.
Needless to say, that I feel the exact same way about my blog. Best decision I ever made! And what’s even more incredible is that I get to engage and learn from wonderful peeps such as yourself.
I hope this post will be the extra nudge for people to start one of their own. The rewards are not only inspiring but endless.
Thanks again for coming by to share your super supportive words. I appreciate it.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..17 Things About Me- If You’re Curious to Know – My Special Bday Post!
I am surely agree with the entire point in the list but I mostly agree with the WordPress factor. I believe that the WordPress which make a blog as today — easy to use and SEO Friendly.
Dana @ Cell Phone Reviews´s last blog ..Motorola XT520 Quench Cell Phone
Hi Dana,
I’m glad you agree with the points I made
. And yes, WordPress does indeed make your blogging life much easier. The myriad of options you can add and use with WP, can only strengthen both your appearance and your SEO - along with many other things.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..nittyGriddy is 1 Year New! Happy Blogoversary!
Blogging is just a great way to express yourself and engage with the community. When you have a platform that allows a two way interaction, you start to build a relationship with your visitors that will lead to positive growth overall.
Richard´s last blog ..Personal Blogging- Documentary- And History
Hi Richard,
Nice to see you here. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I completely agree with what you said. Blogging is indeed a great way to express yourself - and it has been absolutely fantastic for me. Slowly but surely, I have been able to build a relationship with my readers and other brilliant bloggers. Needless to say the advantages and pleasure that it’s been.
As I mentioned in the post - your visitors - as long as they like what they read - will help you grow your blog and in turn generate more traffic. But as we both said - it’s a two-way interaction - so it’s essential that you take the time to reply to those that contribute.
Thanks again for your comment. I’ll be looking forward to your next post awesome money making post
.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
I agree with most points. Blogging is better but sending the blog info to facebook as secondary helps too
Jen Lau´s last blog ..What Does “Fair-Trade Certified” Mean…and Who Cares
Hi Jen,
Thanks for stopping by and glad you agree. Yes, sending your blog posts to Facebook certainly is beneficial. That is only one of the great perks of using social media, networking and bookmarking sites.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Social Media – How to Use it Like a 6th Grader!
Wow Ingrid, that was so awesome.
Not only was it packed so full of valuable information and facts, you managed to deliver it in a very entertaining fashion.
You’ve left me just about speechless.
Really, what more is there to say?
Loved it!
Susanna
Hey Susanna,
. Thanks for your encouraging words.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this post
I also saw that you added it on my FB page
. Very cool of you!
I know it was rather long and am definitely grateful to Ana for still wanting to publish it here - but it’s the delivery that makes all the difference. Adding humor to anything, obviously makes it all the more interesting and entertaining to read. And I’m glad people found both facts, good advice and humor here
.
Thanks again for your awesome support. Much appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..17 Things About Me- If You’re Curious to Know – My Special Bday Post!
Ingrid:
Exceptional post! Humorous and fact based…couldn’t ask for anything more. It took me awhile to get on the blog band wagon, but once I did, there is no turning back..or sideways..or whatever way the world turns!
Hey Lisa,
.
Awesome of you to say so, thanks a lot
I had to do something to get all of you to read till the end haha. Adding a bit of humor to anything you can (as long as it’s appropriate/well-placed) is always an added value. I find that a little entertainment in the text goes a long way and makes the learning more fun.
I’m glad you found this post equally useful.
Thanks for your enthusiastic comment.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Social Media – How to Use it Like a 6th Grader!
Very entertaining and persuading article, Ingrid
One point I would like to make comment companies lack of resources to set up a blog, and although their web masters know about the advantages of blog, it’s hard to set up one as well.
One of the reason is corporates don’t have voice. Unlike a blog, where you can personally voice your own opinions and although it may be a weird one, that’s ok. However, with a corporate blog, you’re really representing a whole company. That’s hard! Google and Starbucks are the few which maintain a good blog on all of its products today. Google has a development team to blog while Starbucks allow its employees to share their thoughts on the blog.
Several small companies also find its hard to know about online marketing and SEO. Most start-up companies have to hire SEO firm in order to consult them about online advertising.
But, if I opens a company, I will surely add a blog to it.
Mike @ eBlogCamp´s last blog ..Do You Have Guts To Make Change To Your Blog Or Your Business
Hey Mike,
I’m glad you liked this article and found it persuasive. It was indeed one of my intentions
.
It’s true that many companies out there lack the resources to set up a blog. As for representing a whole company, I’m sure that someone in one of the departments such as Marketing/Communications or PR can manage being the voice of the company. One example I think is great is Scott Monty for Ford. He’s done a brilliant job using Social Media to enhance and empower the vision of Ford.
Your examples of Starbucks and Google are right on. Thanks for sharing them here. They’re good to follow.
I believe it’s a bit tricky to be the one to represent your entire company with a blog - as you pointed out. The person responsible for that should be well aware of all kinds of disclosure policies as well as other regulations pertaining to what can be shared and how. The tone and style are quite important. But, I’ll say it again - if a company can afford (in every sense of the way) to have a blog, then it would be an added value and would encourage both readers and customers to engage.
As for learning the online Marketing part and SEO - well, it’s simply a matter of time plus a heck of a lot of reading and practice. After all, that’s how many of us did it and continue to do so.
I believe that having a blog - whether corporate or personal - is time consuming and one has to be ready to put in the heart and hours that are expected. If a company simply plans to put one on their site with regular updates but no interaction and commenting with readers/customers than what’s the point? They may as well just a have a news banner and that’s it. But if they want a blog that they can benefit and learn from, than they should find the time and allocate the proper resources to set one up (if they can, of course).
I think I’ve rambled enough here haha but I hope I’ve made my point somewhere. Thanks again for taking the time to leave your insightful wrods. I really appreciate it.
I’ll be over to my blog shortly to reply to you there as well
.
Wishing you continued success over at eBlogCamp!
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..nittyGriddy is 1 Year New! Happy Blogoversary!
Wow Ingrid what a meaty (with apologies to the ‘veggies’… think flabby cabbage!) post.
For anybody confused about blogs vs static sites, everything should be totally clear after reading all your great research and pointers.
~Marcus
Marcus Baker@network marketing Internet business´s last blog ..10 Ways to Provide More Value by Giving Less- More Frequently
Hey Marcus,
In my case, “meaty” sounds just fine! Was never much of salad girl lol.
I’m glad you think this post is useful for like you said, a lot went into it. I tried to keep it simple and straight forward.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your encouraging words. Much appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
Great collection of stats to convince the hesitant. I passed this along to a friend who was trying to set up a site for his business, I had suggested a blog for pretty much all the reasons stated above. Seeing it backed with numbers is better
Jacob Varghese´s last blog ..Reality Television – Using Social Media to Advance the Plot
HI Jacob,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to come by and comment and for passing this along.
I hope your friend will find this post helpful in deciding what to go with. Like I said, I think static websites are quite important for businesses and it would be great to have both.
But indeed, the blog stats do speak for themselves!
Good luck
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
I have to disagree at least a little. A blog has severe limitations when it comes to helping promote and support certain types of sites like ecommerce etc. Modern day ecommerce needs specific incentivized social tools to really make it operate and a blog no matter how flashy is still a blog. For some consumers that can be a serious detraction.
Hi CJ,
I totally respect your opinion and you make a valid point. And like I said in the very beginning of my post and again at the end, a static website is essential for a company to have. Depending on what kind of company you are and what your goals are - having both would also be a great option.
However, in regards to promoting using social tools, I would say that a blog rates quite high. A blog may still be a blog - but it’s also a website that has tons of advantages that a regular/static one doesn’t possess.
I certainly don’t claim to be an expert with e-commerce sites so I will have to take your word on it for this particular case.
I would also love to hear from other people regarding this. It would make for a nice discussion. Maybe Ana can share her thoughts on this as well.
I appreciate you stopping by here and leaving your insightful comment. Thank you.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Harvard’s Guide to Social Media
I may have overstepped. I was mainly remarking on how you would recommend a blog to 90% of people, which is the best way for the 90% of the populace to break into sharing without having to be a programmer. I deal a lot with ecommerce sites and marketing strategies so MY 90% NEEDS the static site and the blog and the social sharing tools etc etc. Sharing tools for every product. Shopping cart functionality and all that.
The information you have provided is certainly a helpful tool in selling blogs for marketers trying to help their clients get into SMO.
CJ Roberts´s last blog ..How do toys predict the future
Hey guys, just have to chime in here…
I think you’re both right. For certain consumers of certain products, a blog just won’t cut it. But overall, a blog has so many advantages it’s daft to ignore it in almost every instance.
If I were one of those companies I simply use both a blog as well as my other sites. Best of both worlds. A blog makes a great stepping stone from social media to corporate pages!
Great post Ingrid, it certainly says something for your copy that I made it all the way to the bottom! You’re fully flying the flag blogs… Well done!
Thanks and thanks to Ana for hosting.
Jym
Jym´s last blog ..How To Generate Internet Marketing Leads For Any MLM Home Business
Hi Jym,
Thanks for participating in this conversation. Your input is certainly valuable and appreciated.
I think CJ makes a great point in regards to e-commerce sites. But like you said, in such cases, I too would suggest using both a static website plus a blog that’s incorporated in it.
Adding a bit of personality through the use of a blog to a site is definitely a plus. As we have witnessed, people like to hear/learn from others as well as share their own experiences.
I could understand how not having a corporate website for such a business could be a disadvantage - but as we both touched upon - adding a blog to the site and in turn having the best of both worlds - would surely be a great option as well as beneficial in numerous ways.
I really appreciate you stopping by here and sharing your 2 cents. And thank you for your very kind and supportive comment regarding my writing
. I’m glad I was able to get you to read till the bottom haha. It’s nice to know I managed to capture people’s attention with a long yet useful and humorous post.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Harvard’s Guide to Social Media
Great Info! Wordpress Blogs are the easiest way to go by far.
Takara´s last blog ..3 steps to Basic WordPress Setup
Hi Takara,
. I find WordPress to be simple and loaded with extra little perks.
Glad we agree
Thanks for your comment.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Web Designers vs Web Developers- The Face-Off
Great post - great information. I am just getting back to my long list of “blogs I like to read” and am happy to have shown up today!
I design/build/develop websites & blogs and have landed firmly in the Headway camp!
Jaime´s last blog ..Community – REVERB10
Hey Jaime,
.
Thanks for stopping by
I’m thrilled you liked this post and that you found it useful.
As you already know, I too am a big fan of Headway. Their virtual editor is simply brilliant - not to mention fun! I’ll repeat though - Thesis and Genesis are in a league of their own as well but for someone like me who is “CSS challenged” -going with Headway was only evident.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Web Designers vs Web Developers- The Face-Off
Great post! I love WordPress! I had no idea how simple it was to get a website up and going until I found WordPress. Great statistics you pointed out! Thanks for sharing.
Staci
Staci Gauny´s last blog ..How to Legally Get Free High Quality Photos For Your Blog!
Hiya Staci,
.
Thanks so much - I appreciate that
I’m a big fan of WordPress too and learned everything I know when first setup my blog. So many options and so easy to install. It’s just a matter of time as well as reading up and learning what the extra perks are and which ones can work best for you.
Some great posts over at your blog. I’ll be looking forward to reading some of them
. Nice job.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
Wow Ingrid!
This was an incredible post and I got so much out of it. I think I’ll have to set aside a week to dive in and explore all the great links and resources you shared here. Wow…great job and thanks so much for all the great value!
Heather
Hey Heather,
A big fat WOW right back at ya for that super kind and encouraging comment
. Thank you!
I’m glad you found this post useful. I actually put some work into it as well as linked to some great sources which can certainly teach you a heck of a lot - namely Ana of course!
Hope you make some time to check out the articles mentioned here - they’re well worth it.
Thanks again for sharing your supportive words. Appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..17 Things About Me- If You’re Curious to Know – My Special Bday Post!
Many inventions come and go, especially in the early stages of the internet, but blogs will always stay as the cyber newspaper. Newspapers exist since hundreds of years and so will blogs, because no visual and audio media can compete with the written word.
Hey Andreas,
A great way to look at it! Thank you for sharing those wise words
.
Indeed, blogs are here to stay! As long as people have something to say and share and as long as they are interested to learn from others, then I have no doubt that blogs will continue to prosper and grow at an exponential rate.
The written word is gold. But much like journalists with newspapers - if you (bloggers) intend to share your thoughts, opinions, stories, etc… great. But it’s still important to have valuable resources and enough research or info to back up what you share (unless it’s a personal blog of course).
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Harvard’s Guide to Social Media
Ingrid - I don’t think anybody can still not like blogs after reading this article. You presented this information well using case studies and examples. I particularly agree with your number 1 and your number 3. There aren’t too many other things in this world as easy as setting up a blog when you have done it a couple times, and Blogs definitely encourages author and visitor engage thanks to things like RSS Feed.
John´s last blog ..Beginner Guitar Lesson Secrets
HI John,
Well, it certainly is my intention lol. I simply wanted to share the advantages of having a blog - either as a standalone or as part of a static website. But it wouldn’t be enough to just hear me say it - that’s why I wanted to include other resources that have both numbers and professionals to back me up.
Until I actually sat down and installed WP, I had no idea of how easy it was. I had heard, but I only believed it when I had done it for myself. And I obviously couldn’t agree with you more about the author/visitor engagement part. This here, would be a great example
.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated.
Cheers
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..nittyGriddy is 1 Year New! Happy Blogoversary!
Hi Ingrid,
hi Ana,
powerful, entertaining and enlightening post. People and companies don’t need a blog, but they need a website - and a blog is the best way to realize one. To me, that’s the bottom line.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend´s last blog ..Think And Grow Rich – The Sixth Sense – Lessons From Chapter 14
Hey Oliver,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I usually do try to add a bit of entertainment to everything I write - I find it makes the words much easier to read and obviously - more fun
.
And what you said, is a great way to put it. I should be thanking you for sharing your insight!
I read the awesome blog audit that Ana did for you a couple weeks ago - simply brilliant. I hope you’ve taken all of Ana’s wise advice cause in case I haven’t tooted her enough - she simply rocks and we have a ton to learn from her!
Best of luck with your Personal Development and MLM Network Marketing blog - great stuff!
I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and commenting.
Cheers
Thanks
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Special SuperPost Sunday – Weekly Roundup 7
You brought the heat, agree with you 100%, I always suspected this but have never seen someone take the time to show stats, Rock On!
Ray Higdon´s last blog ..The 1 REAL Reason People Fail at Their Network Marketing Business Opportunity
Hey Ray,
Thank you for that! And I’m glad you agree
.
There are a lot more of these stats but I simply wanted to share the ones that were pertinent to the topic at hand. But feel free to read the sources I mentioned for more numbers.
Some great posts over at your blog! Rock on yourself Mr. Higdon!
I’m glad you stopped by to share your 2 cents.
Cheers
Thanks
Ingrid Abboud´s last blog ..Social Media – How to Use it Like a 6th Grader!