Each day, I meet people who ask the question “Now tell me ‘Why should I be blogging?’”
That is such a great question, so let me see if I can make a case to answer this question.
1) As of the end of 2008, over 7 million blogs were reported to be not just open but actively thriving on the internet. This tells me that blogs are hot, and we should all be on board.
2) A Pew Research Project on digital trends and the state of news media for 2009 presents that MSNBC is the leading digital site for news. The reason? The site has more blogs and video footage than any of its competitors. This tells me that people are gobbling up blogs and video footage. Consumers of today crave information, and a blog can deliver this information on an ongoing basis.
3) Pew Research is also reporting that newspaper readership is steadily declining, while online readership is on the upswing (I will note that overall, both online and print, newspaper readership is down.
4) Our plug-n-play world has created a demand for “right now” news. As a blogger, you can deliver news as it is happening. Why wait until the newspaper can print your press release next week or one month from now. If “old news” is being reported, your company will be perceived as being outdated.
5) Blogs, if moderated properly, can offer a true “user experience”. By allowing people to comment and interact by surveys and video, your blog can become an outlet for people to actually engage with you, which leads to deeper customer loyalty and raving fans.
6) With a blog, you can follow the trends of what people are reading and what people comment on most often. This can help you develop new products and services and deliver value, even before your customers want it/need it.
7) With a blog, you can deliver exceptional value every day. By adding resources, announcements, strategies and tips, your customers will feel like they are receiving a great gift every day by following what your bank (or business) is up to. Customers love feeling like they are “in the know”, and a blog can help you over deliver, not just monthly or annually but on a daily basis.