Should I add a blog to my company website? Three things to consider.

Blogs seem to be the hottest trend on the internet.  Many companies are adding them to their websites in the hopes of increasing their customer base.  But is this always a good idea?  It depends on the company, and it depends on who is in charge.  Here are some things to consider.

1. Can you write?

If you are going to run and/or write a blog, first and foremost you have to be able to write.  And to write well.

Blogs are used to drive traffic to your site and to demonstrate knowledge and expertise.  They are also used to engage your market in relevant trends and keep them updated on things that are going on in your organization or field of work.  But if you can’t write with skill…then don’t write a blog.

Let’s imagine a scenario where a potential customer sees an interesting blog title and clicks on it.  They have arrived at your website, which was goal number one.  Great!  Now they start reading the blog entry and find that the wording is jumbled, there are spelling errors, it doesn’t flow, and overall they just can’t understand the message very well.

What just happened?  You just lost a customer.

Why?  Because you lost credibility.

So before you add a blog to your site, consider whether or not you have the writing skills to successfully run one.  And if you don’t, employ outside help to write or edit your content to make sure it stays professional. 

2. Can you consistently add content?

If you maintain a blog, you have to be able to consistently add content to it.  It doesn’t have to be every day, although this is ideal.  But it should be on a regular basis so readers stay tuned into it, view you as credible and invested in your company, and even start following you on RSS feeds and the like.

A stagnant blog loses its effectiveness.  It’s almost like that can of expired soup that ends up at a discount store – at one time it looked really appetizing and was worth some money, but it’s now sat there unattended so long that it’s no longer in the forefront of most shoppers’ grocery experience.  And its worth has devalued to a discount price. 

Blogs need to stay relevant, they need to be active, and they need to keep moving.  A living, breathing blog is an effective blog.  And one that can convert prospects into paying customers.

3. Will a blog really benefit your particular offering(s)?

Before undertaking the time and monetary cost of running a blog, consider its value to your company.  What are you selling?  Is it a product or a service?  What topics around that product or service can you discuss in a blog?  Is there enough there to make it worth the time and effort?

Make sure you know the answers to those questions before you add a blog to your website.  You don’t want to embark on the journey, only to find out that after 10 posts you no longer have anything to say.

Good writers know how to continuously find topics to write about.  It’s a skill that you can learn, or that you can hire someone to do for you. 

But regardless, blogs are not relevant for every company.  Other marketing efforts may be worth more for your particular company depending on what you are trying to sell, and how much information about that particular item or service is really out there.  Think hard about the return you are trying to get on a blog investment, before investing in one.

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