That’s the question that rattled around in my head three years ago. So I started reading everything that I could lay my hands on about blogging. I discovered, among other things, that blogging could be a very useful business tool. For example, in a 2008 social media survey, 93% of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, 85% believe a company should not only be present but also interact with its consumers via social media, and 56% of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with and better served by companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.
I decided to take the plunge and set up my blog. What I’ve learned might be useful to those of you still thinking about doing so. I’m not a Web 2.0 expert and I’m not going to tell you that blogging will bring you fame and fortune. But I hope you’ll see that blogging can be an important part of your personal history business.
Seven reasons why you need a business blog.
- Millions of people every day search for information and services on the Internet. If you’re not there, they won’t find you.
- Blogs are easier and cheaper to set up and maintain than websites. I spent all of $20 getting my WordPress.com blog launched.
- Google ranks blogs higher on its listing than web pages. Search engines like activity and links. If you post frequently and people link to your blog, you’ll eventually be on page one of Google.
- Blogs are more personal and informal than a website. They allow for conversations and in our business being personal is a critical part of who we are.
- Blogs can establish you as an authority. Part of this has to do with publishing content regularly. As Woody Allen said, “80% of success is showing up.”
- Blogs are a great way to connect with clients and share valuable content about life stories.
- Writing on a regular basis clarifies your thinking and adds immeasurably to your learning about the many facets of personal history.
Has blogging worked for me? I think it has. My blog is still a work in progress, but since I launched it in July 2008 I’ve had over 56,000 viewers and 137 have become subscribers. I consistently appear in the top five Google listings for “personal historian”.
I’ve also discovered how much I enjoy writing articles and how it has limbered up my creativity and worked my “writing muscles”. I’ve come to know some of my personal history colleagues better and expanded my network to include genealogists, social-networkers, and writers.
So what do you say? Time to take the plunge?
Photo by Sarah
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