It's 2008. Blogging is a fundamental part of our online lives - right? Right? Actually, not right. Although for so many people blogging is the cornerstone of their online activity, there are still many companies or individuals who don't fully understand why they should get started with blogging.
So I am going to provide a very simple, back to basic list of reasons why you should blog, and an equally simple, back to basics reason why you shouldn't. You see - not everyone should blog. If you blog for the right reasons then it will work for you. If you blog for the wrong reasons, you are going to spend a lot of time which could perhaps be better spent elsewhere.
The right reasons for starting a blog
- You have an identifiable audience who you want to not just give valuable information, but you also want to garner and encourage their feedback.
- You are eager to get involved in discussions with your audience.
- You have a wealth of knowledge which you are eager to give to your audience.
- You are willing to give the time to the blog in order to provide that knowledge.
- You are keen to ensure your online presence is dynamic.
- You understand what your niche subject area is and you have plenty to write about it.
- You respect the opinions of your customers and other stakeholders.
- You are willing and keen to answer questions, even if they can sometimes seem like they are putting you in the firing line.
- You want your personality to be attached to your niche material
- You know that the audience you want to reach are spending time online reading blogs.
The wrong reasons for starting a blog
- Your main competitor is blogging, so you thought you should to.
- Your SEO consultant says that its sole purpose is to get you up in the search results (it does have that effect, but if this is the only reason you want to start a blog, then don't).
- You want feedback, but if any of it is critical or negative you plan to delete the comments so they don't make you look bad.
- You are relying on someone else to think of what to write.
- You haven't got a clear idea of your niche or subject area but you thought you would wing it.
- You know you don't have the time.
- You aren't willing to back it up with any other marketing, assuming that just writing the blog will bring you a busload of visitors.
- No-one else in your company supports you.
- You think it is just a digital form of broadcast marketing which you control.
Honestly, writing a blog is hard work. It takes time, commitment, creativity and more time. This fact is evidenced by the growing cemetery of dead blogs which litter the internet - sites which started off with such promise but which fell by the wayside because of time constraints, or simply because it was started for one of the wrong reasons rather than the right reasons. I advocate blogging, but it may not be the be all and end all.
Thank you to brungrrl for the image