Ampers & Dot

So it turns out the internet wasn’t just a fad and might be sticking around for a bit. And in a related twist of events, social media sort of took over the web in the last year or so. Basically what I’m saying is that now’s as good a time as any to dive in and make a piece of it for yourself.

Here’s the inspiration for today’s post: the number of times I’ve heard people, in every industry and every sized company, say that “oh, well a blog’s not for me”. Well you’re wrong. It is. No matter who you are, what your company does, how big or small it is, consumer product or not: just do it.

Individuals
Personal branding. Heard of it? Go ask Dan Schawbel the personal branding expert- he’ll teach you. Another way to put it, so that everyone can be interested, not just the web junkies: when you first meet someone and get their card, or just a name, what’s the first thing you do when you get near a computer? Google them. Wait, you don’t? That’s just me? Yikes, I sound creepy now.

But if you are like me, and a large majority of people, then chances are you have Googled someone. And you’ve probably Googled yourself too. So what comes up?

Before I started this blog and other many other web creations of lesser-value, there was information about a few races I had run in years back and my (get ready for the embarrassment) Vermont state high school chess ranking (2nd, btw - but it’s a really small state…). This isn’t anything I’m ashamed of (sort of), but it’s not the full explanation of me. When someone looks for me now- they find what I want them to find.

I control the message. The results for Zach Hofer-Shall are what I’ve made them to be.

By writing your own content and branding it with your name, you can control the message too. By blogging regularly with content you know- you can align yourself with the text you want and take advantage of Google and make it work for you. Then in the future when employers, colleagues, friends, that girl you met that one time at a bar, will find the information about you that they should.

Small Company/Startup
This is the one I work with the most and is the easiest argument to win. If you are a new or small company there is one fundamental marketing truth: people don’t know you yet. And more importantly, they aren’t going on Google searching for your company name. If you’re Kleenex, or Amazon, then good- you’re probably going to do fine online.

But if you are “Roger’s Online Flowerporium” and you want people to find you online- you’d better face the fact that no one is searching for “Roger” or “Flowerporium” when looking for flowers online. They’re looking for flowers. So blog up the market and align your brand with your products

By blogging regularly with content about your industry you align your company with your market and products and even though you aren’t going to see massive returns from Google organically, the odds are better if you actually write that content.

Plus, small companies have the benefit of the reputation of being… well, small companies. You’ll be able to connect to customers better and build a small, but real community of consumers. And it’s better to have a small group of consumers who love the brand, than hundreds that don’t really care (that’s another debate for another time).

Medium/Larger Company
You’ve got a presence, probably an online marketing strategy (you have a company website, right? Ok, now keep going with that idea…), but now what? How do you standout from your competition? And how do you connect with your consumers? Blog! (I bet you saw that one coming.)

Setting up a blog for an established business gains the benefits of the social web as well as can be. Consumers are beginning to expect companies to have voices and human connections- they have questions- they want answers. You can give this to them and set your company apart from the market by blogging to give your company a personality. And by listening to them you can gain more market research than any surveys or blind studies ever could. You customers are there talking- why not communicate with them.

You already have a community in the real world, but unless you have a blog you are missing the opportunity to engage the community where they spend their time: online. And what I touched on earlier, the human element, is arguably the most important. It’s strange how quickly it’s happened, but I now completely expect every corporate website to have a blog, and if I don’t see one I assume the company “doesn’t get it”. How strange is that?

I mean, I realize I’m fairly jaded, being a social media consultant. But not having a company blog today is like not having a website in the 90s (I’m pretty sure I stole that line from one of the dozen books I’ve read on this exact subject).

Basically, blogging has become a completely acceptable means of corporate and personal communication. It’s no longer just that weird kid in his mom’s basement blogging about World of Warcraft and his feelings, it’s now normal for everyone at every level to be blogging.

That’s it. Stop reading this now and go blog. If you need help, email me.

I’m off for a few days for the hot-dog-eating, beer-drinking, fire-works-watching holiday, not blogging. Helping me fill the little hole left without my posts- go blog.

Today’s word count: eight bazillion. Number of times “blog” is mentioned: six hundred and thirty four.