Inside Marketing

Don't Jump on the Blog Train: Why Not to Blog Part 2

Here are three more reasons why not to blog.  In a world where everyone wants you to jump on board the "Social Media Express Train, there are a few good reasons to stay at the station.    

1. Before you get on a train you should know where you're going. 
2. When people get off the train at your station, it should be a welcoming environment where they want to stay awhile.
3. Before you get on the train, you should know if you have time to take the trip.

Putting it back in business speak:

Mission. Before you jump into anything, you should know why you're doing it and what you hope to accomplish. Does a blog fit in with your marketing plan?  Who are you trying to reach and what do you want to communicate?  Finally, why are you using this medium through which to communicate?  If you don't know, then you're not ready to blog.

Priorities. Your first priority in the Internet Age should still be your web site.  This may change over time, but for now, it's your home base -- or for this analogy -- the train station.  The purpose of blogs and other social media are to drive people to your web site.  Therefore, before you go taking off for  parts unknown, make sure your destination (web site) is a place that visitors feel welcomed and want to visit when their own "Search Train Express" pulls into your station.

Time. There's only so much of it in a day. Do you, or the person blogging for you, have the time? Most companies I see have never figured out how to do a print or e-newsletter much less a blog. I could (and would) argue that a blog is easier than a newsletter, but the underlying issues are the same. Do you have the time to consistently post to a blog on a very, very regular schedule similar to a reliable train schedule?

Pro-bloggers post a minimum of once a day, with many using their blogs like Twitter and posting several times a day. In my opinion, this is not necessary in the business environment, but at least once a week is crucial. And, here's where a blog is very different from a newsletter. Newsletters are acceptable in monthly and quarterly cycles. Blogs are not.

If you want to get started in blogging, don't let me dissaude you. In fact, contact me. I'd love to help. You could be up and blogging with just a one-hour phone consultation. But, if you're not blogging, don't beat yourself up. You just may not be ready to jump on board.

~ Rhona Bronson

Why Not to Blog - Part 1

I'm a big fan of blogging but I don't recommend it for most people or printers.  In a speech last October  I provided 9 do's and 1 don't for marketing in the digital age. Blogging was my recommended Don't. Here's three reasons why.

1. Most blogs fail.  It's that simple. The reasons they fail are also simple. The writers lose interest, commitment, don't think anyone is reading them, don't market the blogs, don't engage readers.... this list is endless.

2. Blogs are not websites.  They need to have a person, or defined persons, updating them regularly with a unique voice. A website represents a company. A blog represents a person.  That's why a company gets a website and a CEO may have blog.

3. Blogs require talent. Writing talent to be specific.  Most printers are not writers. To be read, the blog first needs to be written and, again, in a personal voice. So, if you are going to delegate the blog to a talented employee, know he or she has to also have the authority to write in his or her voice, not yours. Blogs should never be ghost written. 

In my GraphExpo October speech, I gave other reasons blogging may not be for you.  I'll save that for next week. Meanwhile, it should come as no surprise that a huge percentage of blogs are abandoned or fail. In today's New York Times, an article on blogging noted that 2008 research showed only 7.4 million out of 133 million blogs had been updated in the last 120 days of the study as tracked by Technorati.  

Keep in mind that that doesn't mean that 83% of blogs have failed. Many blogs are designed to be short term. For instance, one created by Julie Powell ran for just over a year, the time during which she was testing Julia Childs recipes.  It was designed to be a diary of her one year experience. That blog resulted in the book Julie & Julia and an upcoming summer movie in which Amy Adams plays Julie and Meryl Streep is Julia. I highly recommend the book for any potential bloggers. It was instrumental in helping me launch my first blog in 2006, and it is still active today.

If you want to learn more about social media trends other than blogging, sign up for the NAPL's June series at www.napl.org/summerwebinars.  This week we'll be discussing Search and things printers can do to be found online for free.  On June 23, I'll be teaming up with Susan Wittner to discuss social media trends including Twitter. Hope to see you there. 

~ Rhona Bronson