GravityFreedom – Discussions on Internet Marketing, Web Design and Web Development by GravityFree in Sarasota, Florida

After working with many different clients to help them launch their corporate blogs, it has become apparent to me that there is no easy answer to the question should a company blog or not. That different companies have vastly different goals goes without saying, but even normal metrics for blogs such as visits, rss subscriptions and comments cannot always be applied in every circumstance to determine whether or not a company should commit to writing a blog. I want to describe three different case studies that may help show why different blogging strategies can achieve success without relying on the same metrics.

There are some constants that are worth mentioning. No company or individual should commit to writing a blog without determining a blog strategy. Who will write and edit the blog? Who is the blog being written for? How often should the blog be updated? How will the blog be marketed? Who will handle responding to comments? These questions apply in all cases and should be answered with a great deal of thought. Additionally, once a blog gets going, it should have the flexibility to grow and change based on what readers are saying and doing(or not saying and not doing), what resources are consistently available, and what trends or other unforseen topics may arise.

Case #1: Set and Match.

GravityFree created a corporate website for Nick Bolletieri. This site is to promote the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy at IMG Academies as a leading source for tennis instruction as well as to promote Nick’s talents as a consultant and speaker. Nick also has a great deal to say about the world of professional tennis, and has become known for making predictions about the winners of major tennis tournaments. These predictions and other musings were buried deep within the site, making them hard to find, so we felt that Nick’s voice would be better served in a blog atmosphere.

After working with the client, GravityFree recommended the creation of NicksTennisPicks.com, a blog that targets tennis enthusiasts, potential students and sports writers. The blog allows easier access to the predictions and other observations about the professional tennis world. It leverages several effective blog tools such as RSS feeds, Twitter and Flickr, to quickly and easily distribute Nick’s message to readers.  Another important element of the blog is the ability for readers to contribute by posting comments – encouraging dialogue between the author and the readers and between the readers, thus generating more excitement and sometimes debate. Incidentally, the blog has been nominated for “Best Tennis Blog” by OntheBaseline, the largest independently-owned professional women’s tennis news website in the United States.

In this case, the blog metrics to pay attention to are: how many visits to the blog, how many RSS subscribers there are, who are the subscribers, and how many comments are made.

Case #2: What Color Is Your Car?

BeGreen Auto is a pre-owned auto dealership of hybrid, diesel and other high-mileage vehicles. Green technology is constantly in the news and the market for these cars tends to be very well informed. It is important that the company does not come across as merely trying to ride the green revolution, but to come across as dedicated to green causes and up-to-date on the latest topics of green transportation technology.

GravityFree recommended the creation of TheGreenAutoBlog.com, a blog dedicated to trends in green auto technology and other green topics. Even though the posts may not get traffic or comments like NicksPicks.com, it will serve as reinforcement that the owners of the company are committed to making the planet a better place to live, encouraging potential buyers to help the cause by buying a pre-owned automobile.

Case #3: Let Everyone Else Do The Work

Blogging is a discussion, and discussion involves listening. Gemesis is a manufacturer of diamonds. You may not have known that diamonds are being commercially grown or “cultured” in laboratories, but the diamond industry and other interested parties are very much aware of this trend, and they all have a great deal to say about it. Just do a search on Google Blog Search for “Culture Diamonds” and you will see a very vibrant and passionate discussion about whether or not laboratory-grown diamonds are really diamonds.

GravityFree recommended that Gemesis responds to these posts through comments. A comment is a mini-blog, really. This way, Gemesis could help control the discussion about “cultured diamonds” without actually creating a blog. It will probably create a blog once it becomes apparent that there is enough writing to be done on the subject, but sometimes just comments alone help shape a conversation and it allows a company to add to the blogosphere without dedicating valuable resources to creating and maintaining a blog.

Please feel free to discuss other reasons to blog (or not to blog) that you may have encountered.