The Benefits of Blogging to Communicate Information

8/10/2019 The Benefits of Blogging to Communicate Information

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The Benefits of Blogging to Communicate Information

Introduction

Barger initiated the term blogging in 1997, as a log of the web or weblog. In its

simplest form it is a website with dated entries, presented in reverse chronological

order and published on the Internet. Descriptions of blogs allude to them as an

alternative to a personal web page; however, this connection over simplifies both the

content and the process of communicating through blogging. The word blog is both a

noun and a verb. People who create and maintain blogs are called bloggers. The act of

posting to your blog is called blogging and the collective world of blogging is the

Blog-o-sphere. (Paquet, 2003; Bartlett- Bragg ,2003). There are a variety of blogging

software tools available that make creating a blog exquisitely simple. Once youve

signed up for one of these tools, such as Blogger, Blog Spot, Blogger Pro, Diaryland,

GrokSoup, Greymatter, Movable Type, or others, youre in business. You do not need

to be a programmer the desire to express yourself, a computer, and an Internet

connection will suffice. How bloggers see themselves and the purpose of their blogs

may be related then to what motivates them to produce content. Although the topic of

that content can vary widely, studies suggest that most blogs focus on relating

personal experiences and thoughts (Huang et al., 2007; Papacharissi, 2007; Zuniga et

al 2011). The categorized five motives for blogging found out were;

To seek information,

To provide commentary

To participate in community forums

To document daily life

To express oneself.


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They concluded that information creation and consumption and social interaction are

the impetus for all blogging efforts, which is supported by other research (Kaye,

2005; McKenna and Pole, 2008; Zuniga et al, 2011). In general the motives for

blogging can also be the derivative for its benefits, the benefits being the general

communication of information.

Blogging to Communicate Information

According to Forbes, last year (2013) via a study conducted by theCharlton College

of Business Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts

Dartmouth revealed that 34 percent of Fortune 500 companies are now actively

blogging, which represented the largest increase in the number of Fortune 500

companies currently blogging since 2008. However, fewer are cognizant of the fact

that above and beyond giving a website substantial SEO benefits and promoting

healthier user engagement statistics in general, it can also play an integral role in their

higher level marketing strategy as well. This means more and more people are getting

used to the idea of blogging and using it as a very effective tool for disseminating

information and for consumer engagement. It is can also be used outside the circles of

business and be used for your personal growth as well. Therefore the benefits of

blogging can be classified into two basic categories.

Benefits of Blogging for Businesses

In this modern age of the 21stcentury your traditional way of marketing products and

services are not as effective before (Barker et al, 2008). The introduction of

technology and the Internet have changed the playing field for marketers and

companies. One way of diversifying your marketing strategies is by blogging. One
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important benefit is that it is cost effective and a very cheap form of marketing if it is

done right. Both new and existing businesses can benefit immensely if this form of

marketing is incorporated into their marketing strategies. Also, it is very easy to

integrate it into your day-to-day business activities, as it does not really need a lot of

special expertise to do so. Having one person designated to blog for your company or

business is a plus if you can afford it but it is not mandatory if you can use a computer

and can articulate your information in writing. In addition, it is also a very cost

effective way to have customer interactions as well as feedback. The Internet is one

medium where you can reach millions of people by just a click on a computer and so

therefore in the communication of information as well your reach and time of reach

can be very important, most importantly businesses. Blogging can unite all these

factors and get information to the people that matter the most to you and your

business. The last but not the least blogging can also provide Search Engine

Optimization (SEO) benefits to any new or existing company and business if it is

done effectively. To the layman who does not understand what SEO means, it

basically the benefit of the name of your company or business popping up in a any

search engine when certain keywords associated with your business is typed on the

internet. This can be very beneficial to any company as it can bring in new business

prospects from all over the world with respect to the service and products you

provide.

Benefits of Blogging To Individuals

Most people associate blogging to individuals who run businesses or have some form

of financial benefit from blogging. This however is not accurate. Individuals can start

the act of blogging to better themselves for various reasons like career and even

general confidence in life. One benefit of blogging to most people especially young


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writers and journalists who will want to experiment with their ability to put their

thoughts on paper use blogging to develop that skill. It gives you an avenue to

develop both your research skills and writing skills if it is a career path you are

interested in. In addition, it can also serve as a fertile ground to grow an image for

yourself as a person of influence in certain areas of your expertise. There are so many

examples of beauty bloggers, car bloggers, real estate bloggers and so forth that built

their brands and images via blogging. The added advantage to this is that it eventually

translates into income for an individual, which is also an added benefit for blogging.

The last but not the least, just like any form of human interaction there is the need to

connect and network with other individuals. Blogging creates that perfect opportunity

to do so. Interactions with people who view and read your blog can compound to

various relationships that eventually builds a network of people who are relevant to

you.

Conclusion

In conclusion various ways can be used to disseminate and communicate information,

blogging is one of such ways. Its inexpensiveness and mode of flexibility to practice it

is a sure way to communicate information. However just like the golden rule of life,

practice makes perfect and so once you start blogging do not stop. Continue to do so

and all those benefits mentioned above will be your potion in one way or another.


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REFERENCES:

Anne Bartlett- Brag (2003),Blogging to learn, Knowledge Tree Journal

Cheng- Yu Lai, Heng- Li Yang (2014), Determinants of individuals self-

disclosure and instant information sharing behavior in micro-blogging,

www.nms.sagepub.com

Marydee Ojala (2005),Blogging,www.nms.sagepub.com

Brian Ekdale, Kang Namkoong and Timothy K.F. Fung (2010), Why blog?

(then and now): exploring the motivations for blogging by popular American

political bloggers,www.nms.sagepub.com

Homero Gil de Ziga, Seth C Lewis, Amber Willard, Sebastian Valenzuela,

Jae Kook Lee and Brian Baresch (2011), Blogging as a journalistic practice:

A model linking perception, motivation, and behavior,www.nms.sagepub.com

http://www.vtech-seo.com/writing-articles/advantages-of-blogging.html

http://www.incomediary.com/biggest-blogging-benefits

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2014/03/13/three-hidden-benefits-

of-blogging-for-marketers/
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The Benefits of Blogging to Communicate Information