You say you aren't a writer? That you don't have time for blogging? You just want to pay someone to advertise your business or event for you? Well, even if you have lots of money to spend on traditional advertising, don't overlook these important reasons for starting and maintaining a blog for your event or business.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Which entry do you usually call first when you Google something? It's always better to be at or near the top of search engine results. Search engines like Google and Bing favor fresh content, particularly if it is accompanied by relevant back links. If people are linking to your blog it means they find your blog useful or interesting. Search engines also pay attention to who is linking to you. If lots of high ranking sites are linking to you, you will come up higher in online searches for your type of event or business.
2. To build a community. If you can build a strong community through your blog, the people who have met online, have read and shared your content and have identified themselves as fans will keep coming back. They will also become your brand ambassadors, singing your praises wherever they go. Again, what do you trust more? The word of a friend or the high-dollar ad you saw? Brand ambassadors are GOLD. Build a thriving community and you will have brand ambassadors.
3. To collect email addresses. An email address gives you more control over your contact with potential attendees. On your blog, you can offer a special incentive, say a free white paper or e-book to those who give their email address to you. Building a robust email list of potential attendees or clients is one of the most important marketing steps you can take.
4. To connect with potential clients/attendees. Your blog is an opportunity to engage in dialogue with your attendees/clients. They can comment on your posts and you can comment back. A conversation can ensue. Establishing that two-way connection is a big step for any marketer. People are much more invested in any relationship where they are given a voice. This is the advantage that social media has over traditional broadcast marketing.
5. To learn about potential clients/attendees. You can use your blog to ask a question or poll your audience. If you use an analytics tool such as Google Analytics, even if they aren't commenting, you can find out things like where they come from and how they found your site. A blog can allow you to refine your marketing strategy and learn how you can better meet your attendee/client needs.
6. To foster online relationships that drive face to face meetings. Build a thriving community on your blog - where people actually meet and talk to each other in the comments section - and guess what? Your community members will knock other people down to get to your face to face event. Seriously. They will do whatever they have to do to turn their online friendships into face to face experiences.
7. To gauge interest in event content offerings. You can ask your audience for suggestions, you can merely present a list of potential session topics for them to vote on, or seek their input in any number of other ways. Taking advantage of this ready-made test market, can take some of the guess work out of planning your event.
8. To be helpful and accessible. Establishing your openness and accessibility makes you and your event or business seem more trustworthy and likable. It's great to get positive feedback, of course. But when you get negative feedback, it's an opportunity to demonstrate that you are willing and able to fix things. Your attendees or potential clients will appreciate this.
9. To enhance your brand and authority. A professional website with a blog gives your brand an image that can set you above competitors who put less effort into their website design and strategy. It is your online store front. A blog that is updated on a regular basis (at least once per week) let's people know that you are open and ready for business.
10. To build interest. Interviews or guest post by speakers; articles about subjects that will be covered at your event; even profiles of attendees are great subjects for blog posts on an event blog. They get people excited about attending and also help them to feel part of the community even if they can't attend your event. Likewise, guest posts or interviews of past clients, and articles about subjects of interest to your clients are excellent subjects for your business blog. They help clients to see that you get them and can be trusted with their business.
11. To provide information. I've placed this reason last because providing basic information about your event or business on your blog should be a given. Too many people stop here, however. Providing information about your event or business, of course, is important. But, as noted, there are many more important reasons to have a blog. When your attendees and clients see that you are more interested in reaching out and starting a conversation WITH them, they are much more likely to come back.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Which entry do you usually call first when you Google something? It's always better to be at or near the top of search engine results. Search engines like Google and Bing favor fresh content, particularly if it is accompanied by relevant back links. If people are linking to your blog it means they find your blog useful or interesting. Search engines also pay attention to who is linking to you. If lots of high ranking sites are linking to you, you will come up higher in online searches for your type of event or business.
2. To build a community. If you can build a strong community through your blog, the people who have met online, have read and shared your content and have identified themselves as fans will keep coming back. They will also become your brand ambassadors, singing your praises wherever they go. Again, what do you trust more? The word of a friend or the high-dollar ad you saw? Brand ambassadors are GOLD. Build a thriving community and you will have brand ambassadors.
3. To collect email addresses. An email address gives you more control over your contact with potential attendees. On your blog, you can offer a special incentive, say a free white paper or e-book to those who give their email address to you. Building a robust email list of potential attendees or clients is one of the most important marketing steps you can take.
4. To connect with potential clients/attendees. Your blog is an opportunity to engage in dialogue with your attendees/clients. They can comment on your posts and you can comment back. A conversation can ensue. Establishing that two-way connection is a big step for any marketer. People are much more invested in any relationship where they are given a voice. This is the advantage that social media has over traditional broadcast marketing.
5. To learn about potential clients/attendees. You can use your blog to ask a question or poll your audience. If you use an analytics tool such as Google Analytics, even if they aren't commenting, you can find out things like where they come from and how they found your site. A blog can allow you to refine your marketing strategy and learn how you can better meet your attendee/client needs.
6. To foster online relationships that drive face to face meetings. Build a thriving community on your blog - where people actually meet and talk to each other in the comments section - and guess what? Your community members will knock other people down to get to your face to face event. Seriously. They will do whatever they have to do to turn their online friendships into face to face experiences.
7. To gauge interest in event content offerings. You can ask your audience for suggestions, you can merely present a list of potential session topics for them to vote on, or seek their input in any number of other ways. Taking advantage of this ready-made test market, can take some of the guess work out of planning your event.
8. To be helpful and accessible. Establishing your openness and accessibility makes you and your event or business seem more trustworthy and likable. It's great to get positive feedback, of course. But when you get negative feedback, it's an opportunity to demonstrate that you are willing and able to fix things. Your attendees or potential clients will appreciate this.
9. To enhance your brand and authority. A professional website with a blog gives your brand an image that can set you above competitors who put less effort into their website design and strategy. It is your online store front. A blog that is updated on a regular basis (at least once per week) let's people know that you are open and ready for business.
10. To build interest. Interviews or guest post by speakers; articles about subjects that will be covered at your event; even profiles of attendees are great subjects for blog posts on an event blog. They get people excited about attending and also help them to feel part of the community even if they can't attend your event. Likewise, guest posts or interviews of past clients, and articles about subjects of interest to your clients are excellent subjects for your business blog. They help clients to see that you get them and can be trusted with their business.
11. To provide information. I've placed this reason last because providing basic information about your event or business on your blog should be a given. Too many people stop here, however. Providing information about your event or business, of course, is important. But, as noted, there are many more important reasons to have a blog. When your attendees and clients see that you are more interested in reaching out and starting a conversation WITH them, they are much more likely to come back.
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