The Importance of Blogging

The Importance of BloggingErin Decker 4154605

WEBD220 Web 2.0 FundamentalsNovember 27, 2014

Blogging has become a crucial method of communication in the Web 2.0 atmosphere and has

many purposes, both business and professional. It can be used:

Personally –• as a means to

promote oneself and create a positive web presence when searching for a new job or in some cases is a career itself.

• as a way of journaling personal feelings or experiences

Business –

• it can be used to promote a business

• create better communication with a business’s customers.

• increase traffic to a business website

• Increase attention to a businesses brand.

Globally, blogging can build new communities on the internet and connect people with others with

the same interests and concerns. Overall, blogging is one of the most popular contributions in the Web

2.0 world.

Blogging for personal uses

Blogging is used for a plethora of personal reasons. In its early days, blogging was primarily used as an electronic journal, cataloging an individual’s feelings and

experience (Bullas, J., 2013).

While it is still used as a means to express personal thoughts, blogging can connect an individual to a

community of people with similar thoughts and interests, which is a big part of the Web 2.0 model.

Professional profile

Another important aspect of blogging in the personal realm is its use by job seekers. A blog can be used to showcase one’s expertise on a

particular subject (Derr, A., 2011). A blog can become a digital resume of sorts, allowing the author a platform to demonstrate their abilities and

offer references from previous employers or customers (Parris, J., 2013). Blogging can help shape a professional network. Lastly, blogging aids in

creating a favorable “digital footprint”, which is often reviewed by potential employers prior to being offered a position (Parris, J., 2013).

Blogging as a career

Along the lines of professional development, a blog can become a career in itself. While most blogs start out as hobbies or part time exploits meant to make one heard in the world, the popularity and content of a blog can allow the author to build a career out of it. While this transition is notably slow, it is not unheard of. It can begin with posting ads and escalate to being hired full time to work on a specific business’s blog (Goddard, J., 2012).

Blogging for business uses

In addition to personal uses, blogs have a large impact on business.

Social media has had an impact on how business attract customers and advertise products and as such many businesses have targeted social media as part of their marketing strategy (Altobelli, F., 2014).

Bloggers are part of that strategy for many businesses and they are typically utilized in one of two ways; established bloggers are approached by a business as a result of the popularity of a blog on its own or a blog is added to a business’s own website and written by a corporate blogger.

Established Bloggers

Established bloggers are attractive marketing tools as they come with a readymade audience and can share information about your brand or product with all of their followers as well as any new readers that they acquire. Content about your business can be added as part of a blog post or as advertisements on the blog’s webpage (Goddard, J., 2012). This method of blog utilization is also beneficial because having content on a blog about a business’s product or brand makes it more accessible in search engine applications.

Corporate bloggersSome businesses have added their own blogs rather than attracting established bloggers to their product or brand. Adding a blog to a business site helps create content that is always different, which attract more attention in searches than sites with content that is static. Traffic can be increased to business sites by tailoring the content of the blog to improve SEO elements (Khazzoom, L., 2013).

Additionally, this increases the communication with consumers which makes it an instrument for providing superior customer service (Derr, A., 2011). It also makes a larger business more “human” by making it more

accessible.

Another interesting aspect to blogging that has developed in the years since its creation is that it has become influential on the way a person decides

what items to purchase (Bullas, J., 2013).

Most online retailers have product reviews by users and individual blogs are also being used to provide product reviews to other potential customers. In fact, blogs are ranked just behind retail and brand sites by consumers in regards to their effect on purchasing choices (Bullas, J., 2013).

Blogs of this type can become so popular that they are used as research sites for consumers looking for information on potential purchases (Derr, A., 2011).

As a marketing tool for both business and personal reasons, blogging has proved to be a strong and fruitful avenue and one that fully encompasses the

Web 2.0 ideal.

Blogging is a great way to put ones thought out into the world as well as promote a specific message, whether they are ideas and opinions or product or business reviews. It is a excellent way to share knowledge and build community. Additionally, it is helps to make big businesses more relatable and accessible for

their customers.

Additionally, it is helps to make big businesses more relatable and accessible for their customers. Blogging is working its way into the fabric

of the social connections we deal with every day; therefore it appears that its relevance will continue into the future, perhaps becoming even more

interactive.

References

Bullas, J. (2013). 10 Insights On Social Media and Blogging Influence: New Research. JeffBullas.com. Retrieved from: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/03/11/10-insights-on-social-media-and-blogging-influence-new-research

Derr, A. (2011). The Importance and Usefulness of Blogging Beyond Tomorrow. Insightful Web Design. Retrieved from: http://www.insitefulwebdesign.com/articles/blogging.html

Goddard, J. (2012). Blogging as a Career. A Cup of Jo. Retrieved from: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2012/08/blogging-as-career.html

Altobelli, F. (2014). The Importance of Bloggers in 2014. Business 2 Community. Retrieved from: http://www.business2community.com/blogging/importance-bloggers-2014-0773735

Khazzoom, L. (2013). Get Your Blog On! The Important Role Blogging Plays in Business Development. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/loolwa-khazzoom/get-your-blog-on-the-impo_b_4499380.html

Photo credits

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act=8&ved=0CAYQjB0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.examtime.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-to-

become-a-successful-blogger%2F&ei=RHh7VPKKDJDBiQKJ-

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Photo credits (continued)

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