Blogs: Why You Should Care

In the past few years, web logs, or blogs, have become all the rage. Where people used to host personal websites, now they put up a MySpace page and launch a blog to keep everyone they know, and lots of people they don't, informed as to their activities. Blogs, from being simple online musings, have risen to challenge established news media as a source of information, and they are a remarkable means of measuring the current state of user opinion.

In the past few years, web logs, or blogs, have become all the rage. Where people used to host personal websites, now they put up a MySpace page and launch a blog to keep everyone they know, and lots of people they don't, informed as to their activities. Blogs, from being simple online musings, have risen to challenge established news media as a source of information, and they are a remarkable means of measuring the current state of user opinion.

Businesses are beginning to catch on to the merits of running their own blogs. They are a controllable means of educating their target consumers as well as a way to entice repeat visits. By providing fresh content on a daily or weekly basis, blogs establish themselves as a place to go for news, jokes, educational tips, or opinions people can't find anywhere else. Businesses can set themselves up as a reliable source for "the straight skinny" on their products, what's happening within their industry, or for after-market tips on getting the most bang for the consumer buck. By offering non-partisan, non-sales type information, the risk of offending potential customers is low, while the increased brand exposure can be very high.

Blogs allow instant or moderated feedback from readers. Moderating posts can infuriate some users, but most understand and appreciate that offensive rants will be kept from cluttering the board. Moderation also keeps unhappy customers from venting in public, while the post can be routed to a customer service specialist to handle offline.

By their real-time nature, blogs attract people who want gratification now, whether it be a response to a complaint, a critical tip on installing a widget, or the inside scoop on Black Friday sales. Becoming a reliable information source or the guru on a subject establishes trust between a business and potential customers without pushing a product in their faces.

The key to blogs is keeping them fresh, with new content and timely responses to questions posed by readers. If users believe a real person is inside that blog, responding to them, they will come back again and again, establishing a relationship, and eventually, a community loyal to the blog's sponsor-your business.