A blog, or web log, is an easily updatable Web tool. Consumers use them as online personal diaries. Companies are learning to leverage this casual communication process to provide constant updates to interested consumers and create a brand “voice” in the crowded online world. Blogs are primarily text, although photos and other images can be included. A recent study by Technorati found that there are more than 100 million blogs on the Internet.

The large number of blogs speaks to the medium’s ease of use. To start a blog, you essentially need an email address and something to say. A booming selection of “blog hosts” exist that can have even a newbie up in a matter of minutes. Some of the most popular hosts include WordPress.com, Blogger, Typepad, and Vox. Users can create an account often at little or no cost. More technically experienced users can forgo the blog hosts and set up a blog as a stand-alone vehicle. That entails subscribing to a hosting service and downloading a content management system or blogging platform. The higher costs and technical requirements net the user an individual URL (as opposed to one that shows the blog as a subset to the blog host platform) and more customization options.

Marketers willing to put the time into content creation should consider a blog. Consumers are used to the constant flow of new information that blogs deliver. For a company hoping to create a brand presence via a blog, it requires a good deal of consistent care and feeding. Unlike a Web site that can be left alone for some period of time, blogs are constantly hungry for new content. Daily updates are the norm; any blog that languishes more than 24 hours without a post looks dead. A marketer must dedicate manpower to feed the beast. Blogs also inspire community response. Readers will often post their own comments and expect the blog owner to respond in kind. An unresponsive blog owner risks offending the visitor.

Case in Point
Yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm winnowed its number of blogs from five to two because of the time/manpower commitment involved. The blogs were born in 2004 after Stonyfield CEO Gary Hirshberg saw the way presidential candidate Howard Dean’s message was fueled by bloggers. He brought in writer Christine Halvorson to discover how blogs could be leveraged in the yogurt business.

At first, Halvorson alone managed all five blogs, but soon it became clear that not all topics struck a chord with visitors. The insider’s view of the company, for example, detailing the dishes served at the St. Patrick’s Day potluck and quirky sayings of staffers, never drew an audience. The content from one of Stonyfield’s organic farmers, on the other hand, was a hit. Rather than focus on visitor numbers, which Halvorson says vary month to month, the company looks to the comment boxes to see if the blogs are having an impact on readers. Some posts attract dozens of comments, others just a few.

Quick Tip
Hirshberg says to avoid the urge to use the blog for generating sales leads. The minute you start to sell, your reader will tune out. Instead, blogs must be used as an ongoing conversation.

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