Why Advertising, Marketing and PR Pros Should Blog (Part One)

Most advertising, marketing and public relations professionals know a blog when they see one, but when it comes to actually using this relatively new, self-publishing platform, there are still many skeptics and naysayers among us. This time next year, however, those people will likely have come to their senses. In 2005, I dare say you would have to be either misinformed or just plain obstinate to not at least consider adding a blog to your business plan. Here are ten reasons why:

1. Blogs are Interactive. In many cases, marketing is a monologue, a well-choreographed sales pitch to an audience of passive prospects. But one of the key attributes of a blog is that it allows readers to provide honest, public feedback that is posted below the author’s spiel. It involves your audience. By granting the opportunity to respond almost instantly to any and all posts, a blogger is building a mutually-beneficial relationship with his or her constituency. As the level of confidence grows between a blog and its readers, so does the potential for lucrative, new business activity.

2. Blogs are Humanizing. A blog may be dependent on cold, Web-based technology for hosting and distribution, but its success depends on the ability of its author to come across as honest, credible and down-to-earth. There is no spinning of the truth in the blogosphere. The idea is to break through the corporate-speak and to put a fresh, trustworthy face on your organization. Like a good newspaper column or editorial, most blogs are written in one strong, opinionated voice and don’t shy away from controversy and difficult subjects. Some of the best business blogs in existence are some of the most candid.

3. Blogs are Inexpensive. In most cases, the only cost to the author of a blog is the value of the time and talent required to create and maintain it. Sure, some hosted services, like Typepad, charge a modest monthly fee. But there are plenty of free, ad-supported blogging services and tools available. My blog, A Fine Kettle of Fish (written under the aegis of Yellowfin Direct Marketing) uses perhaps the most popular one of them all, Blogger. It doesn’t matter which service and tools you use to publish yours, however – the financial barriers to entry are so few and far between, you almost can’t afford not to establish a presence in the blogosphere.

Note: Written by Yellowfin Direct Marketing’s Bob Cargill, this is part one of a three-part series on the many reasons why advertising, marketing and public relations professionals should blog. Parts two and three will be featured here in A Fine Kettle of Fish over the course of the next couple of weeks.

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