As we help clients enter the new world of emerging media practice, there are often significant questions about the specific benefits and potential liabilities of the various platforms we use to spread a client’s content. Blogging is the cornerstone for building an engaged audience for our clients, making it a great place to start the discussion about the positive aspects and potential drawbacks of social media outreach.
Blogging gives our clients a platform to share their expertise and knowledge of their industry. Blog posts can address a wide range of issues and questions that arise in our client’s field, demonstrating competence to customers who are considering products or services our client offers.
Blog posts also allow customers to ask for clarification or make comments directly, which often leads to productive conversations where our client is put in direct contact with a potential customer. Though this feature of blogging is a net positive, it also causes the biggest reservation our clients have about blogging.
The fear of negative backlash or comments often causes significant hesitation to accept the value proposition blogging offers. While occasional negative remarks from competitors, disgruntled ex-employees, or simple pranksters do occur, it’s my experience that they happen much less frequently than legitimate questions and comments from current customers or people considering a purchase.
Once a client has a base of customers and friends who know to turn to the blog for information about the client’s business, the platform develops even more uses. The client can promote events or special offers, for instance, or ask for feedback on new product designs. People generally enjoy having their opinion considered, and we’ve found that helping clients open a dialogue with their customers leads to stronger brand and more customer loyalty.
More than anything, blogging gives a business the ability to make personal connections with customers for little time and expense, leading to stronger customer relationships that lead to more referrals. A blog gives our customers a way to be found and contacted online, which is fast becoming the main way people research the goods and services they purchase. As internet access increases rapidly on mobile devices, this trend will only increase. Blogging is an essential emerging media outlet for generating business in the Internet era.
