Recently I came across an article on Mashable’s website entitled, “10 Tips for Corporate Blogging.” The article opens with the following statement, “In a world where small businesses with corporate blogs receive 55 percent more traffic than small businesses that don’t blog, companies should be taking note on how to improve their blogs, attract more readers and get more results.” While I agree with this statement, it still surprises me that more organizations choose not to blog.
Owned media, such as a blog or website, is a channel that an organization fully controls and can be a tremendous resource to adding value to target audiences. Consider for example Seattle Children’s Hospital’s blog “Seattle Mama Doc” written by Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a mom and pediatrician committed to sharing her insights about parenting and how to keep kids healthy. The blog is a fabulous place for parents looking for information about current medical news, stories about parenting and much more – and the editorial direction, content and publication dates are determined by Dr. Swanson and Seattle Children’s.
Another benefit of publishing a corporate blog is that the information you’re sharing on your website may also be leveraged on social media sites as well as for earned media or editorial coverage in newspapers, magazines or for broadcast news. Again, consider Seattle Mama Doc. Much of the information that Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson shares is timely and relevant to journalists. From her blog, they can gain a sense of her perspective on a topic, and they can quote her blog or interview her for articles they’re writing. The hospital can also publicize key posts on its Facebook page and via Twitter.
Clearly developing compelling content for a blog is not an easy endeavor, but I firmly believe it is an important and relatively cost-effective marketing tool for most companies. I know from our experience with the Communiqué PR blog, we have seen a significant increase in traffic to our website. In addition to Seattle Children’s Hospital, many other Communiqué PR clients have successful blogs and also have seen an increase in visitors to their sites.
In the coming years, I believe more companies and nonprofit organizations will invest in developing robust, compelling and value-add blogs that will augment ongoing public relations activities. For more on our perspective on creating a corporate blog click here.