Is Your Company Blog Simply Marketing Insurance?

By on November 28, 2006 in Blogging, Conversations, Marketing with 14 Comments

We’re hearing more about and from companies launching blogs (good news), and many are doing it because it’s the hot marketing tactic (bad news).

One company that gave blogging a try a few months ago didn’t think it worked at all.

  • They didn’t link to other sites, especially those of value to their target audience
  • They didn’t comment on other sites
  • Their posts were written like their brochures

But they thought blogs were hot. They still do, because they are about to try it again. Hopefully, this time they become engaged in a dialogue with their customers rather than a monologue at their customers.

When a company tells me they want a blog but are not interested in the social aspects of blogging – they want to sell products rather than develop relationships – I urge them to reconsider (or at least rethink their plan).

Having Car Insurance doesn’t make you a better driver. Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean you’re all of a sudden better at marketing or that you’ll get more customers. 

Blog because you want to engage with your customer, creating a deeper relationship – or as the folks at MojoPages have put it: RelationSHIFT

Is your marketing plan in good hands? Is your blog strategy?

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  • Sherry Borzo

    Mike makes an excellent point about the importance of the real use of blogging for business. Just this morning I heard someone negate blogging as a kind of personal catharsis. If in conversation everyone is really asking themselves “what’s in this for me” then making the focus of blogging to answer the reader’s question rather than the blogger’s question makes much more sense. It’s the powerful difference between projecting a monologue versus inviting a dialogue that makes the difference in terms of mutual engagement. For many of us, it takes some lessons to learn the skill. Thanks Mike for the great information!

  • http://twopointouch.com Ian Delaney

    There’s obviously some sort of unconscious vibe going on, Mike. Just yesterday, I dissed a white paper that marketed Web 2.0 as basically a way to flog more stuff (http://twopointouch.com/2006/11/27/flog-more-stuff-20/).
    The idea is to change your relationships, as you say.

  • Rodney Rumford

    Mike,
    Nice insights! I have been helping clients with Business Blog & Podcasting Strategies with best practices to follow for several years. Most people need a serious education about how to engage with the marketplace and have actual transparent conversation via a blog.
    A properly executed blog can provide product/service feedback, transparency, insights and should be used as a communication tool. Simply having a blog and not engaging with the blog readers can be the kiss of death in most instances. As a hard and fast rule you do not sell products diectly because of the blog, rather you inspire closer relationships & conversations & connections which will ultimately create business in the long term. Blogging is not the marketing silver bullet that some people have been led to believe.
    While many time Blogs fall under the directive of corporate marketing types, getting them to understand that it CAN be a marketing tool, but just not in the traditional sense is a real challenge. They feel a total loss of control and usually freak out. They need serious guidance and continuing coaching to really have the blog become genuine and transparent. This is a big SHIFT for most businesses. But creating connections, conversations, relationships, community, etc… all have definate business benefits.
    Rodney Rumford
    p.s. Thanks for the mention about MojoPages, it is much appreciated.

  • Engagement Principles

    The current definition of engagement marketing (roughly paraphrased) is connecting with customers in the gray areas surrounding the brand.
    That’s what blogs (and social sites) do best, and an organization without a grasp of that has probably doomed their blog project before it’s launched.
    I pitched a blog to one prospect, who replied that they already had a pipeline for their PR data.
    If a company views a blog as simply another pipeline for PR, corporatespeak and product information, then all is likely lost.
    Those who realize that it’s an ideal way to demonstrate they share their customers’ values and passions will likely succeed.
    I encounter two huge obstacles to business blogging (and they’re not money or time).
    It’s that they simply don’t understand. Or they’re afraid that they’ll be “found out” by their customers.

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    If Forrest Gump Was A Business Blogger

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  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    Welcome Sherry:-) Yes, I think some personal blogs – and maybe even some professional ones – work well as a journal where one can brain dump as it were. Many media would have us think that’s the only way to write a blog. Smart businesses are finding out it can extend reach and engage in conversation.
    >Ian, thanks for sharing your post, I’ll comment more about that paper and your thoughts higher up. As for the ‘vibe’ – it’s uncanny sometimes…David Armano has called this B.S.P. (Blogger Sensory Perception)
    > Rodney, You write: “…you inspire closer relationships & conversations & connections which will ultimately create business in the long term.” Exactly! That’s one of the reasons I’m excited about MojoPages – Stay contagious with that thought:-)
    >EP, Wow, does your last statement say a lot. It’s not always money or time, but lack of understanding of fear of being found out. We experienced this just yesterday (based on the questions asked) with one small company. We could almost sense the owner looking for reasons (crutches?) not to blog.

  • http://managetochange.typepad.com ann michael

    Mike -
    I have come across so many stale – this is who we are and what we do – corporate blogs – yuck! They’re checking “we blog” on the to do list and not understanding the potential. Someone pointed me to MojoPages last week. I ended up reading every entry and don’t plan to miss any in the future. I feel like I’m there. I want them to succeed. Now that’s the way to blog!!!
    Ann

  • http://www.grnoakpark.com James Waltonj

    I my career, I have seen business changes from a commercial aspect. early on, a key was needs indenification, features, features benefits, Outcome delivery, partner, trusted advisior,make your cilent look good, and much more. All those things are important but building friendships in business is a gift. The relationship will grow because of trust and respect. Your friend will want you to be successful, and you will want their success. Benefit of doubt is earned and as the provider, you will work extra hard not to let your friend down.We have learned from blogs like my space, relationships can be formed from a far,I am learning about blogs but it could be the best customer satisfaction tool ever.

  • http://www.converstations.com Mike Sansone

    >Ann – It wouldn’t be so bad if they kept at it and learned as they engaged, but they neglect the engagement step. Worse, they then become anti-blog evangelists (a sign of unaccountability if you ask me).
    >Jim, you say it all here: “The relationship will grow because of trust and respect. Your friend will want you to be successful, and you will want their success”
    Thanks for adding to the conversation and being a friend!

  • http://mtnhealthinsurance.com Don Osborn

    I would love to have a blog. I need someone to challenge me on things. I need some feed back. Correction, I need lots of feedback. Help me to do things better. Please, I need comments, suggestions, & criticism!
    Wish I knew how.
    Don
    http://mtnhealthinsurance.com

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  • gary

    I agree with your point. Though the temptation to sell, sell, sell is always there. I imagine there are blogs whose purpose is to sell. But for some businesses, the idea is to disseminate information and keep the readers coming back, which usually translates into loyal buying customers. It’s a fine line with some firms. http://www.lowcostaffordableinsurance.com/low_cost_insurance.php

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