Here are three more reasons why not to blog. In a world where everyone wants you to jump on board the “Social Media Express Train, there are a few good reasons to stay at the station.
- Before you get on a train you should know where you’re going.
- When people get off the train at your station, it should be a welcoming environment where they want to stay awhile.
- Before you get on the train, you should know if you have time to take the trip.
In business speak:
Mission. Before you jump into anything, you should know why you’re doing it and what you hope to accomplish. Does a blog fit in with your marketing plan? Who are you trying to reach and what do you want to communicate? Finally, why are you using this medium through which to communicate? If you don’t know, then you’re not ready to blog.
Priorities. Your first priority in the Internet Age should still be your web site. This may change over time, but for now, it’s your home base — or for this analogy — the train station. The purpose of blogs and other social media are to drive people to your web site. Therefore, before you go taking off for parts unknown, make sure your destination (web site) is a place that visitors feel welcomed and want to visit when their own “Search Train Express” pulls into your station.
Time. There’s only so much of it in a day. Do you, or the person blogging for you, have the time? Most companies I see have never figured out how to do a traditional or e-newsletter much less a blog. I could (and would) argue that a blog is easier than a newsletter, but the underlying issues are the same. Do you have the time to consistently post to a blog on a very, very regular schedule similar to a reliable train schedule?
Pro-bloggers post a minimum of once a day, with many using their blogs like Twitter and posting several times a day. In my opinion, this is not necessary in the business environment, but at least once a week is crucial. And, here’s where a blog is very different from a newsletter. Newsletters are acceptable in monthly and quarterly cycles. Blogs are not.
If you want to get started in blogging, don’t let me dissaude you. In fact, contact me. I’d love to help. You could be up and blogging with just a one-hour phone consultation. Or , we can brainstorm solutions that can gives you a blog presence using others in your company or outside resources. But, if you’re not ready to blog, don’t beat yourself up. Blogging, like train trips, needs to be planned and be suited for you.
*adapted with permission from original post on InsideMarketing.org, 6/14/09, Rhona Bronson, NAPL
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