It seems as if several companies have useful content on their websites, but have trouble blogging. The problem with many of these companies is not that they are incapable of entering the content mindset. It's that they stop having this mindset once they launch their website.
Websites are static, but blogs are dynamic. All these companies need to do is turn their static content into dynamic content.
An article was posted on HubSpot (June 16, 2010) in regards to the "3 Reasons Why Website Content Should be Dynamic.
They include:
1.) To Keep Visitors Interested
It is quite obvious that you want people to come back to your website. If your website content is static, visitors can just browse your site once and then "be done." However, if you're adding new content all the time, they have reason to come back. If your content is truly interesting, they may subscribe to your updates via RSS or e-mail as well.
2.) More Pages = More SEO Juice
Each blog post is a new page that search engines see, and therefore a new opportunity to get found online. Packing as much content as possible into a few pages is not an effective search engine optimization strategy.
3.) Incentive to Create More Content
After companies pack their websites with useful content, they often avoid adding new content to their sites. If you don't have a blog, adding more content means redesigning the site and complicating the layout.
So, as you can see - presenting the dynamic parts of your website in a blog will help you gain followers, improve your SEO, and encourage you to produce more useful content for your site visitors.
Your website should contain some information about your company, outside of your blog. However, this should be reserved for basic information that does not change often. The information that does change, such as news, offerings and events should be in a blog.
Many companies are already doing the right thing by offering useful content -they just need to make the change from presenting information in a static way to doing so dynamically through a blog.
Blogs have a greater sense of involvement. They should not be treated as tweets or IM. The best ones I read are monthly or bi-weekly and run to a page or two. They offer new information and perspective about topics I care deeply about. Blogs are for keeping your audience tuned in, not to shout out to anybody who happens to come along.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking along the same lines as Jim. Tweets are so blunt and quick and often times retracted. A blog involves more information that can be useful to the read.
ReplyDeleteNice post Amy! I enjoy your blogs.