Why Online Businesses Should Be Blogging

By Kalena Jordan

Last weekend my husband and I were having a conversation with some friends over a bottle of wine. The wine was a delectable New Zealand chardonnay and the friends were a husband and wife team who run a small but highly successful web/graphic design firm.

The conversation veered towards blogging and whether or not it was a viable marketing activity for online businesses. My friend Wendy was lamenting that most of her clients couldn’t see the value in blogging. An avid blog reader herself, she could see it had value but she wasn’t sure whether it would work for her clients or how to implement it in a way that would be worthwhile for her own online business.

I suggested that she start a blog about environmentally-sustainable business, as this is her company’s unique selling proposition and something she is particularly passionate about. I think a lot of small businesses would like to take steps to be more environmentally responsible but aren’t sure where to start. A blog about the subject could gain readership quickly and also gain attention for her own company.

This led to a discussion about what types of businesses would benefit from a blog and what THEY could blog about. The potential number of blog niches and opportunities we thought of was incredible. Here are just some of the ideas we came up with:

1) Web Design Firms could blog about:
Unique business practices
Customer success stories
Web site tips
Staff success stories
Web site usability issues

2) Travel Related Businesses could blog about:
Last minute travel deals
Customer travel stories
Staff travel stories
Travel tips
Flight details
Breaking news in the travel industry


3) Government agencies could blog about:
Changes to Government regulations
Communication between Government agencies and the public
Government issues and news
Legislation affecting various industries

4) Marketing agencies could blog about:
Marketing trends
Successful client case studies
How to reach different target audiences
Tips for marketing offline and online
How to create effective marketing campaigns

5) Retail businesses could blog about:
Products and services
Customer service issues
Special offers and discounts
Industry news
Product recalls

6) Sport-related sites could blog about:
Latest game results and scores
Team news and updates
Individual team member diaries
Nutrition and weight loss/gain

7) Public relations and advertising firms could blog about:
Advertising trends
Successful client case studies
Press release writing
Successful advertising campaigns
How to deal with the media
How to create effective advertisements

8) Telecommunications firms could blog about:
Industry trends
Products and services
Communication legislation
Tips for getting the most out of phones and related equipment


9) Law firms could blog about:
Understanding contracts
Case histories
Tips for court appearances
Understanding legal jargon
Court and case schedules

10) Insurance firms could blog about:
Changes/updates to premiums
News of insurable events (e.g. flood, fire)
Tips for protecting your house from burglary
Tips for getting the most from your premiums
Fire prevention tips

The entire discussion made me realize that blogging is not the answer for every business and in fact, some companies should steer clear of it. But for the majority of online businesses, particularly small businesses, there ARE terrific incentives to blog.

Blogging can provide unprecedented opportunities for new business, media exposure, networking, traffic, customer feedback and interaction. Plus business blogs don’t have to be boring. Just glance at the topic range of some of the most successful business blogs, based on Technorati rankings:

Kotaku – a blog for gamers and persons working in the video gaming industry.
The Unofficial Apple Weblog – news and views relating to Apple Macintosh business and products.
The Pharma Marketing Blog – a blog for persons in the pharmaceutical marketing industry.
TechCrunch – a blog that profiles and reviews new Internet products and companies.
Advertising for Peanuts – a consumer’s guide to advertising and media.
The Consumerist – consumer rights blog where people can lodge complaints about products and businesses.
TreeHugger – a blog trying to bring environmental sustainability to mainstream business and media.
Construction Marketing Ideas – Information and ideas for marketing and promoting construction-related businesses.

Business blogging does take time and commitment, but the rewards are well worth the investment.


About the Author:

Article by Kalena Jordan, one of the first search engine optimization experts in Australia, who is well known and respected in the industry, particularly in the U.S. As well as running a daily Search Engine Advice Column, Kalena manages Search Engine College - an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and other Search Engine Marketing subjects.