What started off as a hobby for a small number of internet users has blossomed so much that businesses have begun to catch the blogging bug, with chief executives setting up their own online journals to discuss everything from business strategies to political issues. Blogs have been established by everyone from big-name chiefs such as Bob Lutz of General Motors to leading executives from smaller Irish companies such as Iona, Cape Clear Software and Alatto.
Direct communication
For the individual, weblogs are an opportunity to have a voice online, but for businesses blogs can mean much more. Companies are always looking for new ways to get closer to their customers, a task made increasingly difficult as media-savvy consumers wise up to 'PR speak' and become less susceptible to traditional marketing tactics.
Setting up a weblog can help firms to overcome this problem by enabling them to communicate directly with the general public. In addition, blogs can be used to raise a company's profile, keep a corporate website looking fresh and, ultimately, help drive sales of products and services.
Ronan Bradley, CEO with Polarlake, a Dublin-based software firm, started up a weblog earlier this year, and he has found it to be of enormous benefit to the company. "It's a useful, educational and informal marketing tool," says Bradley. "Many people find it easier to engage with a blog as opposed to more conventional marketing materials. It also helps myself and the company crystalise our thoughts on key issues, and - with both original content and links to interesting articles - it serves as a form of internal newsletter."
"Like many technology vendors, Polarlake operates in a rapidly changing and evolving market. In that environment, a weblog is an invaluable way to influence key influencers in the industry and spread the 'Polarlake vision' in an informal yet persuasive way," he adds.
Technical know-how
Blogs have been around in various forms for a number of years, but the introduction of easy-to-use free software is one of the reasons for its recent rise in popularity. In the past, it was common for individuals to have their own homepages, from which they could tell the world who they were and what they thought. However, the problem with homepages was that people needed to have a certain amount of technical know-how in order to be able to publish them.
Blogging software alleviates this problem because no HTML expertise is required. All it takes to get started is a couple of clicks and your thoughts can be out there on the web within minutes. Such software can be downloaded for free (see links below), and blogs can either be hosted on a providers' website without charge or added to the company's own website. In addition, such applications have facilities that allow other internet users to comment on what has been written, generating more content and encouraging feedback from readers.
Still, before rushing to publish a blog, company bosses should exercise some caution with regard to confidentiality. Businesses need to strike a balance between communicating effectively and safeguarding sensitive information that could inadvertently aid competitors. If this can be achieved, then a weblog could be the perfect way to become better acquainted with customers.
Talking space
Companies who actively use blogs as part of their marketing strategy have discovered that they bring more visitors to their website, which can ultimately lead to an increase in sales. However, although it can be an essential ingredient in the marketing mix, it is important to ensure that blogs aren't used just to push product.
Business bloggers often use their weblogs to discuss wider issues that impact on their industry, rather than publishing entries that read like press releases. Blogs are generally used as a 'talking space' in which bloggers can express their thoughts on a variety of issues that they and their customers may find interesting.
Bradley, for example, uses his blog to comment on the direction that the software integration market is taking. He's found that not only does it allow customers to join in the debate, and thereby give the company a good insight into the pressures that they face, it also helps to stir debate within his organisation. "Employees and customers love it. It provides a single location at which my thoughts on any number of topics are available," Bradley says.
Some experts believe that, in the future, blogging is going to have a huge impact on the way that businesses communicate with their customers. So it would seem that now is the right time for businesses to embrace it.
Free blogging software is available from the following websites: