B2B Blogging

Original Post  - Oct 09, 2007

Is Blogging on your B2B website a good idea? Blogging, especially for your business, has its pros and cons. Here are a few to consider:

Cons:

• Anything you post is available forever on the web. Search engines and other sites cache results which means that even if you delete a post, it may still be available somewhere on the web.
• Any opinions expressed in your blog can affect the image your business portrays. Keep clear of political, religious or controversial opinions unless you’re ok with those opinions being associated with your blog.
• Takes a lot of time. While writing a blog post sometimes only takes 5-10 minutes, there are times when it can eat up a lot more - especially if you feel compelled to post on a schedule and are feeling writer’s block.

Pros:

• An easy way to add content to your site (and lots of it). A blog can be a great way to add content to your site very frequently. Visitors are more likely to visit if your site is up-to-date and has a lot of content to offer.
• An easy way to share valuable expertise. Do you have experience or information you’d like to share with your customers? Blogging is an easy way to show your knowledge in your industry and get your name out.
• A good way to reach out to your customers. Blogging with a comments allows you to share experience, expertise and opinions with your customers. Most importantly, it allows them an easy way to give you feedback on how you can improve your products and services. These are all important to creating a good customer-centric website.

Overall I think blogging can be good for a B2B website, if you go into it with commitment to post regularly and understand how it can affect your business. It certainly is a good way to establish communication with your customers and share your experience and expertise with them. Keep in mind that the above pros and cons also apply if you have a personal blog. If you blog under your real name, it can affect your business image, even if it is in a personal setting.

Happy Blogging!