Business blogging and content strategies

Many business people and especially SME‘s are very surprised when consultants suggest the setting up of a blog. Retailers seem to be more shocked by this new-found craze, as they call it. They cannot understand why people would read them and are completely lost as to what to write. Which is understandable as we are not all born writers.

The main problem however is the lack of understanding of the core dynamics of the web. Information sharing on all levels is a reality. Reviews, additional information and evaluations are read before any purchase is made. A retailer can no longer expect to lure a visitor into their site and straight to the shopping cart. No Sir. Customers will often go to extreme lengths to source information from peer groups, evaluate ratings and reviews, compare specifications, functionality and extras and then make a price competitive purchase. Scariest of all is perhaps that they will do this for even relatively low cost items or services.

Blogs are spaces where conversations take place in an informal and informational manner and as such help to boost confidence in the company and the product. Blogs also reach beyond search engines into social media and the ever expanding blogsphere. Don’t be afraid to make the move. Inspiration and writing skills can be found amongst employees, partners and suppliers. You just need a good content strategy and some free software.