During my time blogging I have learnt alot, not just about the subjects I have written about but about using blogging as a communication tool. I have come across businesses that use blogs to talk about their products, individuals talking about their profession, their lives or just about their thoughts and feelings.According to a new study released by PR Week and PR Newswire, 52% percent of bloggers surveyed consider themselves journalists. This is an increase from 2009’s study, when just one in three had the same opinion. However, despite this, only 20% of bloggers obtain the majority of their income from their blogs; which is an 4% increase from 2009.
Read more: http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/01/study-52-percent-of-bloggers-consider-themselves-journalists/#ixzz0mV2aQoux
Blogs took off in 1999 when several companies and developers made easy blogging software and tools. Since then, the number of blogs on the Internet has now reached over 100 million. (About.com, 2010). Business blogs are a corporate tool for communicating with consumers or employees to share knowledge of their brand or products. Business blogs are a great way to connect with potential customers but just like everything they have their advantages and disadvantages.
Politicians have even joined the blogging world by working alongside bloggers to increase interest and communicate their policies. This is very important in the world of politics especially in the lead up to the 2010 election. Blogging early in the debate, Gary Gibbon wrote about Gordon Brown's opening statement: "Wow! What an opening address... Everything he hasn't done before: clear, forceful, he looked passionate and warned of peril." (Channel 4 News, 2010).
Public relations has typically been seen as a subordinate, support function to activities such as advertising, but it’s importance now appears to be becoming more recognised with the developments in electronic marketing. The web is now used extensively for public relations purposes. (Brassington, 2006). Blogging plays a bit part in the progress that has been seen over the past few years.
There are countless marketing blogs on the web. Successful marketing through blogs creates a community of interest where readers are involved in the use and lifestyle of a product or service. Blogging creates interactive communications using low cost self-publishing and syndication of content. It is not a way to make money or sell products. Companies that have used blogs to sell overtly have so-far failed and generated protest. (Horton, 2003).
Advantages of Blogging
Freedom of speech - Blogs enable people to write about what they want, when they want to. There are millions of blogs out there so the chances of someone reading your personal blog if they do not know you are very slim.
Share knowledge with other people - There are many professions out there who share their wisdom with the world through blogging. This can help smaller businesses get more knowledge and even help students with their studies. The knowledge that other people can share can be extremely valuable.
Make friends online - When writing blogs, a lot of bloggers gain regular readership or followers. These people can easily turn into friends as you are essentially letting someone into your world to read your thoughts and/or feelings.
Can be used as a diary - Blogs or online journals are very easily turned into a diary of your day to day life. This is a great way of keeping a permanent record of your life which can be reflected at a later date.
Disadvantages of Blogging
Need to keep it constantly updated otherwise you lose potential readers - When up keeping a business or marketing blog it is essential to regularly add posts to keep your readers going back for more. If a business slacks in the about of updates they give, reader will be lost and therefore potential customers too.
Easy to start, hard to maintain - Blogs are very easy to get going as most people will start a blog as they have something to say or a product to talk about. The key however to a successful blog is to maintain the site, this can be difficult as your business has to come first and time is often short.
Blogs seem to overall be a good support and communication tool for businesses. The research has showed that whether communicating a brand, a product or yourself blogs are a valuable tool to enhance your image. Readers like to feel involved with the blogger and receive a clear message. This fact is good for businesses as they have another tool to turn consumers into customers.
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