Are Blogs a PR Tool?
I got a new computer last week and transferred all of my files to the new computer. I was a bit surprised to see that I had 14 GIGS of email. What?? Who the heck saves that much email? I'm afraid I do. I'm an admitted Email Pack Rat.
So I started cleaning it out by going into those vague folders that you put stuff you want to read "later." Guess what? If 5 years pass by and you still haven't read it, it's not only old, it's OBSOLETE! Yes, friends, I have email going back to 2004 in my email archives. Surely, it'll come in handy someday, right?
So what caught my eye was an email titled, "Could Blogs Be a PR Tool?" I had to laugh out loud! What the heck year was this written? Turns out, 2005. My how much has changed in just five short years! But if you're still wondering, the answer is a resounding YES! Blogs are an EXCELLENT PR Tool! Here's five reasons why:
1) Journalists search the web for information. They find your blog, or blogs written about your company/product/service, and they have more information than a press kit can possibly cover at 2 a.m., the morning of a deadline.
2) People search the web before they buy. More than 85% of all purchases -- personal and business -- begin with a search on the web. Sure, your website could be found and browsed but a blog gives you a chance to address many different topics in one forum, giving people more information in one place.
3) Blogs build keywords. OK so this might not be a true PR tactic but PR is assuming the role of SEO content builder. The more keywords, the better you rank. So write away and build that content!
4) Blogs create a forum. If you don't create a place for your consumers to voice their concerns, complaints or praise, they'll find a place to do so and it'll be harder for you to find it and address it. A lot of complaints are simply poor information but end up on sites like "BIGGESTSCAM.COM" or something similar. Don't tarnish your name with bad PR like that -- blogs give people a chance to interact with you.
5) Blogs give your company/product/service a personality and a step into the social media age. No longer are we operating on the traditional PR model of Business-Message-Journalist-Media-Consumer. In fact, it's all completely jumbled. It's now Consumer-Message-Business. The Consumer owns the message. Businesses and the media strive to keep up with what is on top of the consumers mind.
So yes, 2005, Blogs are a PR tool and if you're not blogging by now, then I should tell you that 2005 called and wants their press kit back. (LOL!) If you don't know how the best way to implement this PR tool, give me a call.
So I started cleaning it out by going into those vague folders that you put stuff you want to read "later." Guess what? If 5 years pass by and you still haven't read it, it's not only old, it's OBSOLETE! Yes, friends, I have email going back to 2004 in my email archives. Surely, it'll come in handy someday, right?
So what caught my eye was an email titled, "Could Blogs Be a PR Tool?" I had to laugh out loud! What the heck year was this written? Turns out, 2005. My how much has changed in just five short years! But if you're still wondering, the answer is a resounding YES! Blogs are an EXCELLENT PR Tool! Here's five reasons why:
1) Journalists search the web for information. They find your blog, or blogs written about your company/product/service, and they have more information than a press kit can possibly cover at 2 a.m., the morning of a deadline.
2) People search the web before they buy. More than 85% of all purchases -- personal and business -- begin with a search on the web. Sure, your website could be found and browsed but a blog gives you a chance to address many different topics in one forum, giving people more information in one place.
3) Blogs build keywords. OK so this might not be a true PR tactic but PR is assuming the role of SEO content builder. The more keywords, the better you rank. So write away and build that content!
4) Blogs create a forum. If you don't create a place for your consumers to voice their concerns, complaints or praise, they'll find a place to do so and it'll be harder for you to find it and address it. A lot of complaints are simply poor information but end up on sites like "BIGGESTSCAM.COM" or something similar. Don't tarnish your name with bad PR like that -- blogs give people a chance to interact with you.
5) Blogs give your company/product/service a personality and a step into the social media age. No longer are we operating on the traditional PR model of Business-Message-Journalist-Media-Consumer. In fact, it's all completely jumbled. It's now Consumer-Message-Business. The Consumer owns the message. Businesses and the media strive to keep up with what is on top of the consumers mind.
So yes, 2005, Blogs are a PR tool and if you're not blogging by now, then I should tell you that 2005 called and wants their press kit back. (LOL!) If you don't know how the best way to implement this PR tool, give me a call.
posted by Jan at
8:49 AM
