March 06, 2006 @ 12:18 PM
There’s much noise lately over traffic, and whether we should all care about it or not. I think there’s a distinction to be made between being highly findable, and one of its inevitable benefits… traffic. In a recent Washington Post article, Frank Ahrens posits over another popular meme, that blogs have peaked, and invites bloggers to tell him why they blog. I saw a connection between the two, and felt compelled to respond:
(An open letter)
Mr. Ahrens,
Good article. I’m certain you’re getting it with both barrels right now, so I’ll keep this brief. I found your article through Steve Newson’s blog.
And that’s exactly why I blog.
I’m exponentially more findable when I regularly publish content relevant to my market. People who track blogs and keywords such as design, blogging, brand, creative, etc… find anything I publish containing those keywords, almost instantly. This connects me to, and generates dialogue with, new clients, creative partners, professional resources - the things that help me grow my business.
I can also establish myself as an expert in my space. Through blogging, I can demonstrate the capacity for critical thought, and a passion for what I do. This holds a lot more weight in customers’ and peers’ eyes than just saying things like “We are critical thinkers”, or “We are passionate about (your noun here).”
As for your article, I can tell you first hand that the number of blogs I’m regularly requested to build for companies is not diminishing. In fact it’s accelerating at a rate I’m unable to handle as a sole-proprietor. And this is the case (without exception) among every web professional I know and speak with. One comment you’re likely to get from many people you’ve invited to respond, is that I (we) doubt a majority of Gallup respondents would be likely to even realize they were reading a blog. “I use the internet, but I don’t read blogs” is like saying “I use the internet, but I only read static content”. A.) It’s unlikely as a typical Internet user, that you’d know this. And B.) The distinction between static content and dynamic content is completely irrelevant once it’s been delivered. It’s all web pages.
-Mark Bixby
I asked Greg Storey about the debate, and he reacted like I’d just asked him, “Why do you use a mouse?” Once you’re findable, I think you quickly forget how bad it sucked investing time and resources in your static “store front”, opening for business, and listening to the deafening sound of crickets while you wait for someone to stumble across your company on the 143rd page of a Google search.
GOOGLE THEM:
A site I launched 3 years ago. (one result in the first 3 pages)
My blog I launched 6 weeks ago. (significantly more)
To other new bloggers out there: What has your experience been? Why do you blog, and how do you see blogs benefitting businesses who choose to take the plunge?
Comments
I blog because I feel like I have something to say and that it comes from a unique perspective. Whether I'm right or I'm wrong in what I post, I enjoy the resulting dialogue that comes from it.And (in my mind), that's the biggest benefit to businesses blogging... dialogue. Is there a company out there that DOESN'T want to have a dialogue with their customers? If so, I don't expect they'll be in business very long.
Blogging allows businesses to establish a dialogue in the most simple and direct manner. No mail-in feedback forms or confusing automated phone systems... just a simple form on their website that takes a few seconds to fill out. And there's a sense of satisfaction on the user's part knowing that the comment/feedback/etc gets posted immediately. It's there, for everyone to see.
Right on Josh. Beautifully put. Speaking of beautiful, check out www.blissfullyaware.com
Pfft, there you go name-dropping again. Have you not learned, man?! 
While I don't have a business or practice to promote through blogging, I do have MYSELF to promote; and who doesn't like promoting themselves, right?
Anyway, I think I blog for three reasons:
1. To collect my thoughts in a calculated format so they're no longer in the state of chaotic disarray in my head
2. To share things I've learned with those who possibly haven't
3. As a way of recording my life so I may recount it later and remember how stupid I was
These are both great comments. They help me see how wrapped up I can get in the advantages of the platform (technically) instead of the benefits of the practice. Keep em coming! Sean, so glad to hear Apple saved the day on your iPod!
Add a comment
