Blogs (HUH): What Are They Good For?

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 by Jordan McCollum

Blogs (HUH): What Are They Good For?

If someone asked you today what your blog does for your site and your business, what would you say? MarketingSherpa asked almost 4000 people the same question (free access for a limited time). The number one response? The blog “improves our web presence through search/feeds.”

Other important benefits from blogs cited in the survey included access to journalists and customers, establishing thought leadership, and generating leads: marketing sherpa chart: what blogs are good for

MarketingSherpa cited three important factors that contributed to a blog’s success:

Genuine, heartfelt content
Regular updates
Focus

As with personal blogs, corporate blogs need to find a niche, engage readers and keep them reading. Content feels “genuine” when blog posts “stand out in contrast to the massaged language of corporate marketing and PR materials. Like sitting next to an expert on a plane, the best blogs provide highly useful information in a brief and informal setting.”

If you’ve blogged for any length of time, you’ve probably seen the old academic maxim proven: publish or perish. With blogs, the “perish” comes especially quickly. The most successful corporate blogs have a content strategy—usually dedicated time or even employees assigned to blogging.

Finally, MarketingSherpa points out that in many industries where blogging is already popular, you need to focus on a niche, “provid[ing] an innovative lens on their content – usually by being highly focused on an under-reported aspect of their industry.” On the other hand, if not many in your industry are blogging, you can easily establish yourself in a more general topic area.

What do you think—what successes has your blog brought to you and your business?

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14 comments on “Blogs (HUH): What Are They Good For?”

Alexander M Zoltai Says:

September 9th, 2008 at 7:57 pm

“…what successes has your blog brought to you and your business?”

Since my blog is my first concern and my business depends on people appreciating the content on the blog, the business success I experience is in direct proportion to my blog’s readership numbers.

The blog brings me the success of promulgating my beliefs and the blog’s success drives my business success.

Alexander M Zoltai’s last blog post..Peace ?
Utah SEO Pro Says:

September 9th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

“…absolutely nothing.” So far from the truth.

Utah SEO Pro’s last blog post..Building an SEO Friendly Site - SES San Jose 2008 Presentation
Tiffany Says:

September 9th, 2008 at 11:27 pm

absolutely nothing?…How come?
shirley Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 12:04 am

I agree.

shirley’s last blog post..The State of Web Analytics Industry in China
Ami Ohayon Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 2:16 am

Come on guys, she’s referencing a classic song … War, originally recorded by the Temptations then re-recorded with Edwin Starr on lead vocals:

“Ooooh, war [blogs], huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again”

Oy, I’m a comparative youngster and even I know this one!

Ami Ohayon’s last blog post..From Jerusalem to Boston
Goran Web Design Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 6:14 am

I hate to admit it but, not much. I guess the great thing about it is the online network between u and your readers it creates.
Nicole Price Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 7:26 am

I could not have put it better that Alexander M Zoltai, who I am sure reflects many of our views.

Nicole Price’s last blog post..Roller Skating
San Nayak Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 11:22 am

I have list knowledge on the relation of a blog with the business but i guess the reputation of a business blog will affect the business in gain/loss. For personal blog all factors showed are correct.

San Nayak’s last blog post..BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Bartlett, Chicago, IL, 60103
poor jokes Says:

September 10th, 2008 at 3:03 pm

agreed
i think it will help in getting recognised while searching for certain products
SEO forums Says:

September 11th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

I agree that it helps in improving your web presence.

SEO forums’s last blog post..How to increase the speed of search in MySQl database ?
June A. Yasol Says:

September 12th, 2008 at 5:40 am

I always wonder what I benefited out of my blogging, because I have about 10 different blogsites but I don’t see any of their effect on the sale of my products or the results of traffic on my marketing websites. It seems to me people are only reading popular authors or blogsites. Maybe the only good thing about blogging is that you get to express yourself - it doesn’t matter if someone reads you or not, but the fulfillment is there.

ZyberDon

June A. Yasol’s last blog post..MEET A BEAUTIFUL KOREAN IDOL
Miz Bliz Says:

September 18th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

Some of our competitors have beautiful blogs that highlight their technical services, where customers can directly dialog about technical issues. Not sure if it’s bringing people in to the store, but it looks great on their website. We’d love to develop a business blog as well, but can’t figure out whether it would work better with one staff person just doing blogging, or whether to try and work online and on the sales floor simultaneously.
Iago Says:

September 21st, 2008 at 7:44 pm

I find that the few blogs that I am operating (Is that the proper verb? Does one “operate” a blog? Well, whatever, this is an example of part of my answer, I guess.) help me in understanding how to use blogs for the various and sundry purposes of said blogs. I am guessing here that one way to have a blog help in boosting the presence of other websites in the eyes of the search engines that the blogger might have is by posting comments with content of some form on the blogs of others and within forums as well. That may be a lot of work, but it is just part and parcel of setting up a business, that is if the main idea eventually behind an Internet presence is to make money online via an Internet-based business. That’s what I’m thinking. Plus, it helps hone my writing skills for no other reason than, at least for yours truly personally, I enjoy the act, the operation, of writing.
soccer balls Says:

October 21st, 2008 at 1:04 pm

I have couple of blogs and keep wondering how these get famous, it though boost your presence on the SEO, but how you strat a motion where pepole join in large number, where to start?

Marketing Pilgrim