Church of the Customer Blog
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August 03, 2004
Small businesses and blogging
Update: For our August newsletter, we wrote a new and improved version of this original post. The improved version is below.
Blog enthusiasts are excellent evangelist candidates. They’re early adopters. Often, they’re serial buzz spreaders, and they can funnel waves of others just like them toward your blog and your organization, especially if it’s a small business.
B-to-C or B-to-B?
Doesn’t matter. Blogs may provide companies that primarily sell to other companies better benefits because they easily bridge the feedback loop between end customers and channels. That bridge is often missing or difficult to create using existing tools. Like focus groups. Or the telephone.
For any organization, a blog is part of a long-term customer evangelism strategy. Since blogs are easy to set up and pay for (some are free), launching a blog should be at the top of your to-do list.
Why?
Among dozens of reasons, here are seven:
1. They fan the flames of customer evangelism. Their personal nature helps humanize you and your organization.
2. They function as an instant-feedback mechanism. Most blogs allow readers to respond to your posts or link to them on their own blogs. These features provide almost real-time feedback on ideas and issues that strike a chord, or highlight new or existing problems. A blog can help reveal a little problem before it becomes a big one.
3. They compel you to Napsterize more of your knowledge more often. A blog is about sharing what you know, think and believe; search engines index your ongoing knowledge-sharing, making it easier for customers and prospects to find you. Attraction is always easier than hunting.
4. They facilitate the spread of buzz. Honest, informative or thought-provoking posts about issues important to customers and prospects tend to be spread more often.
5. They allow you to have more simultaneous conversations. It's more than you could ever do in person.
6. Most blog service providers offer good-looking templates to use if your existing website design is embarrassing or non-existent.
7. They help position you as a knowledgeable expert in your industry.
Once you start blogging, here are five blogging don'ts:
1. Do not have someone else write your blog. Write it yourself.
2. Blogs should not be managed by the PR department or ad agency. Blogs are best when they’re authentic, which may include run-on sentences, detailed analysis or critical opinions. Typically, those qualities run counter to the sensibilities of traditional public relations.
3. Do not have a thin skin. Comments to your posts may bite or sting, especially while other people watch. But a strong benefit of blogs: unwarranted criticism often causes other customers often to spring to your defense. Trust-based relationships emanate from taking the bad with the good.
4. Do not let your blog go unattended for weeks at a time. Focus on several posts per week, even if they’re just a few paragraphs.
5. Do not make your blog a branding exercise of self- centeredness. If you endlessly promote yourself and your services, no one will care.
There are multiple blog service providers, but here are two of the best:
* www.TypePad.com. Starts at $4.95 per month.
* www.Blogger.com. Free.
While not nearly representative of the tens of thousands of small-business blogs out there, here are a few models to explore:
Stonyfield Farm
This 215-person New Hampshire dairy maintains five excellent blogs about the company's products and the organic lifestyle.
Douglas Berman
Berman is a law professor at Ohio State University. His widely read blog has helped him become the pre-eminent expert on sentencing law. His blog was also the basis for a favorable write-up in the Wall Street Journal.
Z-Coil dealer blog
The blog of Carolyn Linzner, who operates her own shoe store in Sonoma County. Her blog features lots of customer testimonials and photos.
Postlapsaria Fashions
Keiko Groves, a 19-year-old Florida college student, has marketed her successful Internet-based clothing business entirely via her blog.
Other blogs that reference Small businesses and blogging:
» Why Small Businesses should blog from Kalsey Consulting Group
Six reasons your small business should have a blog. [Read More]
» Small Business Blogging from News Goat
Small businesses and blogging — Reasons why small businesses should blog. This is something I think about from time to time. I mention Smart Goat here, but I don’t mention this site on Smart Goat. There’s two reasons for this:... [Read More]
» Why Small Businesses Should Blog from Radiant Marketing Group
I'm continuing a meme that I found on two other blog sites that lists six reasons why small businesses should blog. The first was a post on the Kelsey Group site. They picked it up from Church of the Customer. [Read More]
» Usahawan Kecil Sebaiknya Menulis Blog from #direktif
Church of The Customer menulis perlunya menulis blog untuk usahawan kecil. [Read More]
» Usahawan Kecil Sebaiknya Menulis Blog from #direktif
Church of The Customer menulis perlunya menulis blog untuk usahawan kecil. [Read More]
» Small business and blog from Warnadunia.NET Plug
Kalsey post about this. And there are some examples also (not all of them are small). You?... [Read More]
» Usahawan Kecil Sebaiknya Menulis Blog from #direktif
Church of The Customer menulis perlunya menulis blog untuk usahawan kecil. [Read More]
» Reasons to Blog from Pheedo
Church of the Customer gives us more reasons to blog... Why should you blog about your small business? Among dozens, if not hundreds of reasons, here are six: 1. They fan the flames of customer evangelism. They help humanize you... [Read More]
» How to live in customer heaven or rot in customer hell from Movable Theoblogical
via Church of the Customer via Radiant Marketing Group via DocChurch of the Customer: Small businesses and blogging The Future of Blogging, In Their Own Words, Part II is the 3 Clutrain Bloggers, Doc, David Weinberger, and Rage Boy (Chris... [Read More]
» How to live in customer heaven or rot in customer hell from Movable Theoblogical
via Church of the Customer via Radiant Marketing Group via DocChurch of the Customer: Small businesses and blogging The Future of Blogging, In Their Own Words, Part II is the 3 Clutrain Bloggers, Doc, David Weinberger, and Rage Boy (Chris... [Read More]
» Small Business Blog from Lewiston Web Consulting
How does a small business compete? If you're on the Internet, consider a small business blog. A small business blog is a powerful tool to help market your product, become the expert, or provide good PR. Learn about small business... [Read More]
» Small Business Blog from Lewiston Web Consulting
How does a small business compete? If you're on the Internet, consider a small business blog. A small business blog is a powerful tool to help market your product, become the expert, or provide good PR. Learn about small business... [Read More]
» 7 Reasons For Small Business Blogging from The 'RSS-Powered' Report
In a great article by Church of the Customer they propose 7 reasons by small businesses should be blogging. They state two very key phrases that online businesses should grasp when trying to understand the importance of blogging. Blogs may [Read More]
» Usahawan Kecil Sebaiknya Menulis Blog from #direktif
Church of The Customer menulis perlunya menulis blog untuk usahawan kecil. [Read More]
» Usahawan Kecil Sebaiknya Menulis Blog from #direktif
Church of The Customer menulis perlunya menulis blog untuk usahawan kecil. [Read More]
» To Blog Or Not To Blog--That Is The Question from Customer Service Experience
Maria, at Customers Are Always, continues the discussion I started about how a business can use a blog to blunt negative buzz. I had made an off-hand statement that, I don´t believe that every business needs a blog. Maria says... [Read More]
» Some Blogging Basics from They Rode On
For more on blogs and blogging, check out the following (listed in no particular order): [This post is among those listed.] [Read More]
I LOVE it when I am validated. I am a huge fan of typepad and always recommend the above two options when talking to contacts and clients. This is a great post to share. Thanks
Thanks, Anne! If you (or anyone else) have additional reasons to blog or tips, please post them.
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I realize this is quite an old post, but I like to look back periodically at what people were discussing in the past and imagine the relevance of these old posts in today's world. This post rings true even louder than it did back in 2004 when you wrote it! Although the number of blogs from small businesses has grown exponentially, I think we have long way to go. The feedback loops that blogs offer is an incredible opportunity and I hope more and more business owners take advantage of it.
What are the advantages of Type Pad to Blogger?
Jackie and Ben- do you just have a blog and not a website? If so why?
thank you.
Sanjay -- Many thanks. I hadn't looked at this post in awhile either. Glad you think it holds up well.
AnaMaria -- TypePad has an excellent set of tools and features that Blogger does not. That's primarily because TypePad is a paid service while Blogger is not. TypePad makes it easier to control the look and feel of your blog, too, and has created relationships with third parties for the inclusion of toolset widgets.
Our blog is incorporated into our website as one unit. The front page of our website is our blog, while the rest of the website uses the look and feel of the blog. We've tried to keep it all rather seamless.
5. Do not make your blog a branding exercise of self- centeredness. If you endlessly promote yourself and your services, no one will care.
This point is no longer a dogma. I'd say it's negotiable. There are several reasons why a company may want a "self-centered" blog and they don't have anything to do with your customers:
1) Link popularity
2) Search engine saturation
3) Fresh new content
SEO is the name of the game and most of your customers will come by way of organic searches. Push your web site up to the top of the SERPs.
Jackie
Your blog/website is seamless and interactive (I guess that is the difference between a blog and website?) Thank you. I really enjoy all the info you provide and still read your book that I got 5 years ago.
Hi
In the UK companies still don't all understand the reasons for blogging.
Persuading a company to start a blog is made easier if you do the postings for them.
As long as the information you provide is from them and/or checked by them after posting.
Great post and very true. I started my own personal blog in August on a topic I'm naturally passionate about, marketing. At first it was just to get my feet wet and see what the blogosphere was all about. Since then, I've launched two other blogs for our company and have encouraged several friends to start their own. The reason? It's the only medium where you can communicate, connect and participate in communities with a real voice. The authenticity with which you can speak with, is powerful... more powerful than a press release or corporate message. In the end, it always comes down to the same thing, people want to deal with people, and blogging provides a real human interactive experience that allows for this online.
Blogging is yet another dimension of marketing for small, medium and larger scale business. It can be more beneficial for small businesses in the senese that they get exposure equivalent to larger oens depending on the blogsphere they are covering.
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Thank you for very imformative post!
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I would affirm this advice from personal experience. Our blog helped us launch our business when our doors finally opened. The three month delay allowed us to explain what was going on in the process. I can't tell you how many customers came in that first month saying they've been reading our blog.
ks
good
Great Blog entry. Many times blogging is missed in small business. And the sad fact is even when some start it they never follow through with maintaining it. You highlight some excellent points. Thanks for the information
Megan
http://www.Passportmentors.com
Some small business owners simply don't have time or skills to blog. Although I know it doesn't take that long, it's getting started with a blog that is hard. Especially for a person who's hands are full already.
If you don't mind me posting a link to my blog, read more here: http://www.istudioweb.com/blogging-for-small-business-2008-01-21/
Thanks for this post. No doubt some really good useful information here and much I can use for my website G5 Business Directory I never knew blogs could be so effective..again thanks for the information I really enjoyed reading this
cheers
BobM
Our blog has provided a way to establish and demonstrate expertise in the area of word of mouth marketing.
Great post.
I try to encourage small business owners to add a blog to their stagnant website. As you mention this is a great way to educate & interact with your customers. Even better are the SEO advantages that come with blogging including the use of your long tail term keywords from your industry.
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Thanks for the info mate!
Excellent post, thanks! Bookmarked your site for future reference.
You highlight some excellent points. Congrats
Interesting article. I need to read it again in order to digest all the information correctly!
Rayan Thank you for very imformative post!
Take a look for this commodity online forex resource website... I learned there a lot!
Thanks so much for the great list of links and suggestions. While I don't agree with all your ideas, I thinkn you can have help with your business blog, the point is to get your ideas out there. And let others react to them.
Yes I have found that the businesses with most hits on their websites seem to have most links into blogs - but isn't it very time consuming to do? If there is any quick way of doing this, I'd be grateful to find out.. Thanks!
