Business Blogging: What’s in it for You?
Post on Business Blogging written for Star Power by Chris Frerecks, Kinetic Knowledge/ Real Estate Blogsites
As Marketers Why Must We Business Blog?
These days the landscape for reaching our target market has changed so dramatically that both business and consumer have been granted an incredible opportunity. Because of the Internet, Search & RSS consumers have the luxury of unlimited information: what, how much and exactly when they want it. And while search is critical to our online marketing, it’s only part of what we can leverage to be successful.
A Medium for Change
Very unlike the old days, where time and space for an advertising message was sorely limited, there are no limits to how much we marketers can share of ourselves. The message is always there, seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Traditional marketing sound bites and hype have faded as noise because the consumer’s ability to do online research is only limited by how much [we the marketer] have actually put out there. Do you wish to hunt for your next home buyer or make yourself available to them when they’re hunting for you? And by the way, having longer, more specific search phrases indexed [i.e. Santa Barbara CA Waterfront Home For Sale] demonstrates an intent to serve objectives, positioning oneself to convert better-qualified home buyers. Search doesn’t intrude, so it doesn’t look or feel like advertising. Trust can’t be outsourced to ads. We business bloggers must demonstrate genuine knowledge of our trade and, in Real Estate, of our communities. Home buyers don’t want to be told what to buy, how to think and they won’t tolerate having their view disregarded. The most effective amongst us will demonstrate consideration, sincerity, honesty and enthusiasm in order to engage.
Challenge vs. Opportunity
But how do we meet this challenge? Is it difficult? Is it expensive? Actually Business Blogging in is not only simple, but cheap! Rather than the old environment where we were limited to interrupting people while they consumed media, we actually have the means to become an available and timely source of coverage - no longer an interruption, but a valued resource. We can demonstrate our genuine sense of service by sharing all the useful and timely information we have. Blog what you see, hear, know and have to offer… simple! Google doesn’t say it wants to organize the most technical, the most intellectual or the most eloquent presentation… only that they want to "organize and make the worlds’ information universally accessible and useful." Why? So they can connect ALL searching consumers with the fresh, relevant and unbiased answers they want.
And why can’t we see ourselves as a form of advertorial trade media? Traditional media outlets might have you believe differently, but does a journalist possess the immediate real life knowledge we have? If we know our target is researching, why wouldn’t we publish our knowledge of our trade to the web? In theory, search engines are an instant answer system, providing consumers with the right answers. So, in this environment where one’s knowledge can easily flow to where it is needed, what have you done to volunteer your expertise to the indexes?
Sharon Simms of St. Petersburg, FL says, "More than 95% of our new business comes from the Internet, and it’s coming from blogs rather than websites. The bottom line of value is not comments or hits - it’s closed business that came because you blogged. Blogging has also raised my visibility and credibility in the community."
Blogs have reduced the cost for content creation and distribution to negligible lows. There are no longer limits to how much of ourselves we can share. In fact, very much like our consumer to us, we’re empowered with a giant opportunity to be there for them every day. The barriers between our daily knowledge and those who want it have been removed… so folks, as marketers, we must all Business blog!
Chris Frerecks, Kinetic Knowledge LLC and Real Estate Blogsites provide real estate professionals, including the STAR POWER organization, with leading blog solutions, blog writing content, blogging education and service. Chris is easily reached at chris@kineticknowledge.com.
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