Bloggertone

While making New Year’s resolutions is not quite here yet, being in the final quarter of 2011 should leave many small businesses thinking about where they go from here in 2012.

Perhaps one item up for conversation is whether or not to proceed with the company blog. While it is not likely costing a small business much in expenses, the time and effort factors are definitely up for discussion.

In some company circles, blogs are getting put on the back shelf as company heads figure the time involved in writing quality content, maintaining it, promoting it etc. is not worth it. Others, meantime, view the company blog as an essential marketing tool that serves its purpose in several ways.

However your small business goes in this matter heading into the New Year will likely depend on the current and past success or lack thereof your blog has received.

Among the reasons to keep the company blog going in 2012 are:

• Serves as a good tool to recruit new clients and maintain your present base;
• Allows you to promote your products and services, including new offerings, all the while maintaining a dialogue with customers;
• Typically does not cost money to maintain, giving you a good return on investment (ROI);
• Brings traffic to your Web site.

Among the reasons not to keep the company blog going in 2012 are:

• Most of your current and potential customers are not heavy Internet users, so the traffic you’re receiving is minimal at best;
• You can better promote your products and services through traditional means like print magazine and newspapers, flyers, television and radio;
• The time your staff responsible for the blog is putting in could be better served elsewhere;
• The content is not being updated regularly, i.e. stale content is a killer for a Web site.

Oftentimes, whether or not to pull the company blog will resonate with numbers, specifically how much traffic, the site receives.

With a dedicated effort to the site, fresh and interesting content for your readers, and a look that is reader-friendly, your company blog should click with customers and potential customers, all the while allowing your Google rank to increase.

First and foremost, get with your marketing team or person and decide the purposing behind your company’s blog once again heading into the New Year. While it sounds redundant, it is important to go over why you have a company blog in the first place, who your target audience is, and what your yearly goals are with it.

Blogging can open a number of new doors for your small business; just be sure you have the time and effort to do so.

“Image from marekuliasz/Shutterstock.”