Is Blogging Dead? Does it Really Have a Future in 2020 and Beyond?

For a different take in our series of features on blogs, we're back with the guys from Create and Go to see what they predict for the future of blogging

Invasion of the Blogs

For great tips on what to put in a blog, Meryl K. Evans goes in depth to help you understand why a blog can be so much more than just a blog

Lemmings are cute, but dumb. If you tell them to jump off a cliff, they will. Just like the people who start blogs because everyone is doing it. Guess what happens after a little while? The blogs die.

In managing a list of many Web sites, most of which are blogs, I deleted countless sites from the list because the sites and blogs no longer existed. The people ran out of steam or had no reason to start them in the first place.

How do you know when a blog is right for your business? Learn why people start blogs, how they find their niche and how blogging tools can be used for more than blogs.

Blog content is king

Some people like to read blogs, others like to read newsletters, still others like to rely on feeds and some read a few or all of them. No matter the method the information is distributed, each medium has one thing in common: content. Having a blog connects your newsletter and your business with all of these readers and delivers important content in a particular style.

I've been blogging since June 2000. If you review my early blog entries in meryl's notes, you'll notice they're more personal. When blogs first hit the scene in the late '90s, they were personal diaries and journals. Like the blog business, my blog has transformed from personal to business speak, although I still add personal notes here and there.

A few bloggers tend to talk about their work, their products and their little world. That might work for celebrities where fans want to know everything about them, but it doesn't work for the average business person. Other business people want information on how to succeed and when a blog spends time hawking products offering information of no value, few people will return. The people whose products sell well are the ones who provide valuable information. Readers already know what kind of information they're getting, so they trust that when they buy something, it will be of the same or better quality. This value must be reflected in their blog. It's much like people who only sign up for a newsletter after first seeing an example.

Who should venture where one has not blogged before?
No one wants to be a lemming (I would hope). How do you decide whether or not to set up a blog? The answer isn't black or white (what did you expect?). Ask these questions:

Can you regularly update it -- at least five times a week?

Do you have something to say other than just linking to others?

Do you read other blogs or feeds?

Can you provide information of value to others not just to yourself?

How large is your newsletter subscriber list?

How many unique visitors do you get on an average day, week or month?

The big decider is whether or not you can write in the blog almost daily. The people behind the high traffic blogs post multiple times a day. Though resourceful, merely linking to other sites doesn't give visitors much reason to make the effort to come to yours. Reading other blogs or feeds is a great way to learn how to carry a discussion. Find other blogs covering topics similar to yours and check them out. Disagree with their opinions? Write about it and explain your reasons. Cross-blog discussions are common, and that's where trackback comes in handy.
Trackback is a blog feature. If you decide to comment on another blog posting in your blog instead of in that blog's comments page, then you link to the conversation through the trackback link. Trackback is similar to the permalink, the permanent URL for the blog entry, but it has a different URL for copying and pasting in your blog's trackback box.

Aside from the technical aspects of operating a blog on a daily basis, subscriber list size and Web site traffic are good indicators of what kind of reaction you'll get when opening a blog. Starting from scratch with little traffic means you have a long road ahead and lots of work to do. There is no magic formula anyone can sell you for $97 to make your blog an overnight success. But with some perseverance and ingenuity, your blog can engage many prospects and clients.

Pick a niche

Considering there are numerous blogs out there, pick a niche topic when starting a blog for a better shot at attracting and keeping an audience. meryl's notes focuses on three areas: webby, geeky and wordy. In reality, this is too much. What I need to do for my readers is create three separate blog entry points, so those interested in writing, newsletters and Internet marketing get nothing but the wordy entries. Those interested in Web design get the webby stuff and the technophiles receive the geeky content.

I also manage a personal blog separate from meryl's notes. It's about cochlear implants and deafness. This could fall under the geeky category, but it's a personal blog and doesn't belong in meryl's notes. This blog is written for a different audience.

The blogging tools for both of my blogs come with syndication capabilities so those using feed readers or aggregators can read the content through the software. For an explanation of syndication and feed readers, refer to What Is This RSS, XML, RDF, and Atom Business? When sending a new issue of a newsletter, comment on it or link to it in the blog, that way the blog and feed readers will get the goods, so all three bases are covered.

Blogs in disguise use the same tools

Blogging tools aren't just for, well, blogging. Such tools are an excellent way to help you update your Web site more often than you otherwise would. I use it to manage the list of tableless Web sites. Using blogging tools is much easier than the way I managed it before, updating the HTML files by hand. Though using a blog tool, it isn't a blog. In this case, the blog tool has become a content management system (CMS).

Small business owners don't have a need for the fancy and pricey CMSes out there. They find it easier to use blogging software to manage their sites or hire someone to adapt the tool for their site. Women's Spirituality is one such site. Karen Casey may not use the blog, but she does have discussions surrounding the articles she writes.

Blogs have found a place in businesses and people are finding creative ways to use them. Some companies have a blog on the intranet for communicating project status, jeopardies and metrics. They're used for knowledge management. With information pouring in, blog tools provide a way to share, organize and process the information.

Being a follower can be good or bad. No one wants to walk off a cliff with the lemmings, but everyone wants to succeed. Best practices won't help, since the decision to blog is based on the organization's mission, needs and goals along with its target market's desires and needs. A blog about lemmings? There is one, sort of. Or maybe you'd like to start your own and talk about dumb business moves.

Author Bio
Meryl K. Evans (www.meryl.net), Content Maven, is the editor of eNewsletter Journal and Shavlik's The Remediator Security Digest. She writes columns for PC Today, InformIT, and MarketingProfs. Contact her to get content that inspires action.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

7 Actionable Strategies For Greater Social Media Impact

Susan Regier

With the growing expanse of social options to create brand awareness, do you know where you should be hanging out?

It's impossible to be everywhere, so choose two or three platforms where your customers and prospects are hanging out and post, share, and comment regularly.

To get the most out of your efforts, here are my top 7 actionable strategies to ensure your brand is receiving optimal impact.

1. Include an Engaging LinkedIn Headline or Facebook Intro: Don't say you're "Self Employed" or a "Business Consultant." Instead, tell people exactly what you can do for them; for example, "Copywriter, Marketing Strategist & Brand Storyteller to Accelerate Your Sales & Profits."

2. Write a Compelling Summary or About Section: Answer the question, "what do you do?" As with all your marketing messages, write from your customer's point of view. So what challenges do you solve or solutions do you provide - meaning the outcomes that your customers receive when working with you?

3. Update Your Contact Info: Please, please, please include your phone number, your complete address if you're a storefront (link to Google Maps), and a link to your Website. I'm probably not the only one who has been on the road searching for a particular store and feeling frustrated as I scroll around trying to find an address or phone number. And similarly, I've arrived at closed stores, even though their hours are listed as being "OPEN." If you change your operating hours, change your Website and all social media listings!

4. Use Brand Images: When it comes to graphics, be sure to use a professional headshot and not a cute image of your dog. Seriously! This is your brand we're talking about. Include a branded cover photo or background image as well - don't leave the default blue background (LinkedIn) or blank space. This could be your first impression - make it a great one!

5. Customize Visual Content: Each social platform has its own design standards when it comes to graphic size, so be sure to size your graphics accordingly. I use Canva to create my graphics as they make it simple to resize an image for various platforms with a quick click of a button and a few minor design adjustments.

6. Share Your Videos: According to LinkedIn expert. Goldie Chan, videos get shared three times more than static images. Create short (one to two minutes or less) videos that clarify a point, teach a lesson, or offer a helpful tip. Add your logo and a call to action.

7. Create a Social Media Calendar: By creating a framework of posts, you can easily share content that resonates with your audience and promotes your brand effectively. Use an Excel spreadsheet or download a free template online to get started. List the products and services that you want to promote each week along with inspirations (Motivation Mondays or Fun Fridays), customer stories, blog posts, video tips, shared articles, etc. The list is endless. Creating a framework for each week or each month takes the headache out of deciding what to post each day and ensure you're not too salesy. These are "social" platforms, not a sales call.

Original article by Susan Regier at:
https://ezinearticles.com/?7-Actionable-Strategies-For-Greater-Social-Media-Impact&id=10247696