The delightful, incomparable…blog!

There is an old saying that’s familiar to all of us.  It goes something like, “Just when you thought you had all the answers, they changed the questions.”  It’s an adage that rings truer than ever in today’s social media world.  Social media sites continue evolving at a frenetic pace with new tools and applications that promise a fuller, richer experience.  And those tools spark new ideas among social media users – ideas for engaging with family, friends, colleagues and customers in more meaningful ways.  For the company or individual trying to build a productive social media marketing program, it’s a whopping challenge to keep up with the rapid change.  So where do you begin?

The appropriate social media mix is slightly different for every company depending on objective, content and purpose of engagement.  But rather than trying to summarize the entire social media landscape in a short article, let’s focus on one central element – that stalwart social media workhorse called the blog.

If you already have a blog, you’ve most likely discovered several ways to make it work for your company, business, avocation or cause.  And you’re most likely enjoying the process.  Blogs are a proven way to “get the word out” whatever the “word” may be.  But if you’re new to blogging or perhaps aren’t sure if it’s for you, here is some info that should stoke your interest.

First, blogs are geared for a steady flow of fresh and relevant content.  It’s much quicker and easier to add a blog post than to add a new web page.  You can post daily, weekly, or whenever you like.  And those frequent content changes are the key – search engines love ‘em.  Adding a blog to your website is an important part of Search Engine Optimization that will improve your organic search rankings considerably.

Second, a blog is the perfect venue for introducing a new product or service, writing about company events, or bringing news to your customers.  You can even challenge yourself a bit by commenting on issues important to your industry and the public.  Like these examples from our clients Team Fishel and the Ohio Construction Information Association.  This might take a bit of homework but the resulting posts can put you in the realm of thought leadership.  That’s lots of potential from a single social media tool.

Third, a blog site can become a hub for the rest of your social media activity.  You can promote your blog by uploading posts to your Facebook page or by Tweeting every time you post.  It’s an effective symbiotic relationship because, while promoting your blog, you are also providing content for Facebook and Twitter.  If videos to are part of your marketing strategy, you can feature them on the blog to direct traffic to your YouTube or Vimeo channel.  TriAd did this to introduce our 40^th Anniversary year and our client Team Fishel frequently uses video to highlight major projects throughout the country.

Finally, if your blog truly provides fresh, useful information, your readers may become subscribers.  They will keep coming back because your content is relevant and enjoyable.  This is meaningful social media engagement – pure gold!

So there you have it.  Call it mainstream social media.  Call it the social media workhorse.  Call it the delightful, incomparable blog!