Why you need a blog
By now you have heard of blogs and maybe you think blah, blah - who cares!
Well you should - they are not just a weird thing that techies do - they are
a cheap, effective marketing tool that you should utilise.
More than the ranting of political activists and the diaries of teenagers,
blogs are a new marketing tool that you can add to your traditional
marketing strategies.
Your blog is whatever you want it to be
Blogs provide simple Web pages that support frequent updates . Unlike
formal Web pages that require extensive coding and custom graphics, blogs
use simple templates. This means that they can be updated as often as you'd
like.
Blogs are virtually free to set up . This really eliminates entry
barriers to having a Web presence. You need a computer, Web access, time and
imagination.
Blogs provide each content entry, or post, with its own unique Internet
address . Search engines can spider and index individual posts, and other
blog writers or readers can pass on links to individual posts thus expanding
readership and search visibility for the blogger.
Blogs have lots of links. This creates online communities with similar
interests. Quality content in a blog post becomes a link magnet. Not only
will others link to the post, but they will add their own comments using the
comment functionality, thus expanding the discourse.
Blogs are arranged in reverse chronological order. This places the most
recent content at the top of the visible page and provides immediate access
to the hottest , recent content on the blog.
Blogs use RSS, Atom or XML feeds that allow readers to subscribe to
updates that can be rapidly skimmed with an RSS reader.
Blogs are usually written from a personal or individual perspective. This
creates an environment where businesses can carry on informal conversations
with customers and build relationships that lead to return customers.
How do I get started?
Go to www.blogger.com and register.
It's free and it's easy. Within 15 minutes you will have a blog set up.
Once your blog is set up we can incorporate it as an RSS feed (see
newsletter #7) into your web site so that each time you update your blog
your web site will automatically be updated.
© Spiral Web Design Limited
June 2005
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