Is it Really Necessary to Have a Company Blog?

From the work-at-home entrepreneur to the big, multimillion-dollar companies, company blogs have become a staple in today's business world. Often, consumers turn to company blogs for news, knowledge and the reminder that companies are still run by humans. Blogs have the ability to promote both big-time businesses and small start-ups.

A company blog is, first and foremost, a new and interesting way to deliver content to consumers and to interact with them. Community managers often answer questions and discuss products or features with consumers through company blogs. While a community manager can really take company blogs to the next level, employees can also start and maintain a company blog to practice their own knowledge in the field. For example, a professional who offers a specific product will find that by keeping up with a company blog, he is forced to stay on top of the latest in technology for his product. As a side effect, he's becomes much more knowledgeable about his field, his product and the technology surrounding it. Professional blogs allow professionals to learn on a daily basis and may, in fact, help make employees become better teachers.

Company blogs also allow companies to gauge consumer reactions to new products or services without having to spend a lot of money on expensive field surveys or reports. Blog posts allow consumers to interact directly with the company, instead of through a hired third-party researcher. This is time and money saved on conducting field research or sending out lengthy mail surveys that take weeks to come back.

Professional blogs for smaller businesses can be key in getting that business to really take off. Using a company blog to hype a new product or service is a great way to break into the social media realm on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Professionals may find that personally posting to the company blog, especially for startups, is a way to remind consumers that a human being runs the business; consumers may find this person to be far more relatable than a big company. Company blogs for smaller startups can also help meet investment goals or sales goals. Getting the word out about a new company can be tough in a world of millions of virtual voices, but a company blog can be just the ticket for reaching a company's ideal market.

In a world where business is rapidly turning to a virtual space, company blogs are an excellent way to deliver news and knowledge to the consumer. It can create a relatable image for a company that increases both consumer interaction and, ultimately, sales. Company blogs create a space for consumers to interact with a company directly and give feedback and opinions on new products and services.

hImage courtesy of SEOPlanter on Flickr.com