Brock’s Blogging For Business

By Terry L. Brock

Have you heard it? There is a roaring that is growing stronger daily and it holds some great potential for your business. It is growing so fast that you can’t ignore it and could be left behind if you miss it.

I’m talking about the storm of Blogging that is taking the Internet and business by storm. I’ve written before about Blogging in these columns but now the noise in the marketplace is building to a very high volume. And that means increased revenue for you and your business if you capitalize on it.

Also, the benefits are to you as a consumer of information. You want to get quality information quickly and easily without a bunch of spam and unwanted time wasters. Spam has pervaded the Internet and caused serious problems when it is accompanied by viruses. However, with Blogs and their new cousins podcasting and RSS (more on that later) you eliminate 100% of the spam and get only the information you want.

Here is a quick primer for you, as a busy salesperson or business owner. Blogs are short for web logs. They are a special form of web pages that contain largely text and content about specific topics. There are millions of them out there---many are worthless. However, the free market has a way to seeing through all the clutter. Those Blogs that are content-rich and provide value will last. Those that are merely someone’s drivel about what they did that day will not be read. People will gravitate towards those authors and Blogs that consistently provide relevance and value.

A close cousin to Blogs is the new technology of RSS. This stands for “Real Simple Syndication” and it is a welcome relief if you are swamped with too much e-mail. I’m using RSS now as a consumer to read those stories from several sources that are valuable to me. If I don’t want to read something, no problem! I don’t go to it. But RSS technology encapsulates the best websites and “feeds” that I want to read. I determine what I want and can unsubscribe at any time. There is no spam and no chance of ugly viruses coming through.

Tied closely to RSS is an even newer technology called podcasting. Although it is friendly for Apple’s successful iPod, you don’t have to have an iPod to benefit from podcasting. You only need the ability to play the audio MP3 files that are available on the Net. With podcasting in place on your computer (easy to set up) you can listen to audio from your favorite radio stations, news sources, friends and more. In sum, anyone can become a radio station. Your business could provide useful tips on how to best utilize your services or the products you have. You don’t have to be a computer genius to create this. Instead, you need to master some basic technology, much like you mastered word processing software and e-mail at some point.

Note: Watch what is developing with podcasting. Right now it is largely limited to audio. There are already some areas where video is coming through and this is the major breakthrough. Video is now being used in “Vlogging” or video Blogging. By using Vlogging as a tool, your business can demonstrate new uses for old products, show demos of new products and do a lot more. This is a cost-effective way to reach customers and make your business stand out from the competition. Video is the next big thing with podcasting. More to come on this one.

Recently I did a teleseminar on Blogging and how a small business can use it. You can listen to the seminar and see a lot of resources at: http://www.terrybrock.com/BlogTeleSeminar.htm to get answers to Blogs and what they can do for you. Check this out (it is free for you) and let me know if you have any questions.

Blogging for your small business is a great tool. You want to provide consistent quality information in a way that people will come back over and over. You can use this tool to get information out quickly. If you can type, you can Blog. You don’t have to know a bunch of elaborate computer coding (like HTML, PHP, ASP, etc.). All you have to know is how to use an Internet browser and click on a “Publish” button. And here’s a real nice feature---you can get a Blog for free. Check out the teleseminar (above) to learn about how you can get a Blog for free in a few minutes.

Once you have a Blog, you can add audio to it with any touchtone phone---including your cell phone. Also, referenced in the teleseminar, you can create audio on the Net if you only know how to use a cell phone and punch in a phone number, and a password. The technology has become that simple to use.

So, here’s your assignment: Learn what a Blog is and begin one to experiment. Since it is free, your only cost will be a few minutes of your time. Then after you’ve discovered that, think about how you can help your customers and potential customers to gain more by hearing from you via text and audio messages. Think about how video Blogging (Vlogs) can help you reach more people and take your message to the next level.

Don’t be left behind on this one. That roaring sound is getting stronger and those that control the sound will reap the benefits fro the future. Embrace Blogging today and be ready for the good tomorrow.

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission. Permission granted to Biz Journals to use in regular publications.