WebMaster Solutions
Blogging
and
Marketing
What Is
Blogging?
by Kenneth Catto
Blogging is a
method of sharing information over the internet
for work, pleasure or both. 'Blogs' are often
described as an online diary, with dated posts
displayed chronologically. 'Blogging' is the
action of posting a message on a blog. A 'blogger'
is the person posting the message. Many blogs
also allow you to post pictures and receive
comments from readers.
Blogs can be about
anything. They are usually based on a particular
topic or an individual's personal thoughts and
opinions. They often contain links to other
related sites and are commonly free to operate.
They require little knowledge to set up and are
simple to update.
WHO USES A BLOG?
Who DOESN'T use a
blog? Teenagers have blogs, celebrity clubs have
blogs, news agencies have blogs, businesses have
blogs - even your aunt Sophie could have a blog.
The wonderful
thing about blogs is that there are virtually no
restraints on what it could be used for. This
means that while it's an easy way to share news
among family members and post the latest baby
pictures, it's equally well suited for a
business to post updates and data to inform the
public, employees or other interested parties.
IS A BLOG GOOD FOR
MY BUSINESS?
If you want to
develop a rapport with your customers, make
regular postings about your business and gain
interest from other media outlets or potential
customers you would certainly benefit from
starting a blog.
Because blogs by
nature are considered a source of information
rather than a commercial advertisement it makes
perfect sense for a business to use blogs as a
means of establishing a reputation in their
market.
Posting
information about their industry or field will
create a sense of community involvement that
potential customers will appreciate. Using links
to your business page will create traffic from
search engines and blog readers. You can even
add a subscription form to your blog so that
interested readers can immediately be emailed
when you make a post.
HOW DO I START A
BLOG?
You can create a
blog for free. There are many free blog hosting
sites you can locate by searching for 'blog' in
the search engine. Blogger.com is a popular one.
Blogs are the
simplest form of creating an online presence.
You do not need any experience in website design
as most blog hosts will provide you with
pre-made templates. They also provide easy to
understand instructions for creating your posts
along with options such as allowing comments
from readers or uploading photos.
Whether you want
to post your personal thoughts on a world
crisis, share your poems with appreciative
readers or start an online business, your blog
could be set up and people could be hearing what
you have to say - today.
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