Archive for December, 2009

First of all, what is a blog?

A blog is a type of specialized website that displays a series of articles that contain text or images.  Blogs are generally specialized by topic, for example fashion, politics or graphic design.  Blogs can be maintained by companies, organizations or individuals and can contain news or commentary on a particular subject.  Users are often able to comment on the blog topics generating an on-going conversation.  Users can also set up “blog readers” that allow them to automatically track blog articles from multiple blogs in a single location.

 
Why do I need a blog?

The following are some good reasons why you, your company, or your clients might need a blog: 

Build credibility
One thing that a blog does is help build credibility.  In a recent study* it was shown that 36% of online users think more positively about companies that have blogs.  Your credibility grows if the entries you are posting are relevant and accurate.  With a blog, you have the opportunity to become an authority in your field. 

Engage and Understand Your Customer Better
A blog can help you get to know your customers better by interacting with them directly.  You can post an article on a specific topic about your product and gain instant feedback from your audience.  Also, you can reply directly to comments to create a personal relationship with them.  You can build an interactive community around a specific topic or brand. 

Keep Your Audience Informed
Most companies use their blogs to keep their customers informed about topics relating to their business or their products.  You can use a blog to generate buzz about your new product, provide resources and FAQ’s or to educate people on certain topics or concerns. 

 Build Up Your Company for Prospective Customers
When prospective customers visit your blog, they will be able to learn more about your company.  If your blog posts are relevant and are saying the right things, these prospects will have an easier time trusting you with their business.  If your articles are useful and of interest, there is a better chance that your readers will forward the articles on to their friends and business contacts.

Increase your Visibility in Search Engine Results
A large component of effective search engine optimization (SEO) is having your site updated regularly with new content.  By having a blog that is producing new content on a regular basis, your search engine rankings will increase and you will be more visible in search results. 

How do I get a blog setup?

There are several free hosted blog services available such as Blogger that are fairly easy to set up and get going. Ideally you want a blog that can reside on your own site (for SEO purposes) and you will want to customize the appearance to your liking.  So if you’re looking to customize your blog, one great solution is to the open source platform blogging platform, WordPress.   

WordPress allows you to take their blog code and customize the look and feel of it using HTML and CSS.  You just need a hosting account that supports PHP and MySQL.  This software allows you take a custom design and incorporate it into a fully functional blog. 

Getting started?
Interested in getting a blog set up for your company or one of your clients?  Flip Studios can help you get started!  We make it easy.  Give us a call at 949-748-6940. 

Already blogging?
We would love to hear about your blog adventures.  What have you learned that could be useful to others?  What are some of the benefits you have found with blogging?  Feel free to comment below!

 * “Power to the People – Wave3” from Universal McCann