I recently asked my readers if they saw a value in businesses having a blog, or if a website listing their services and contact information was enough. And generally, the response was positive for businesses having a blog. I thought now I would share my opinion on the subject.

It’s big world, and there is a lot of competition. So I believe it is really important to stand out. And assuming that all your competitors have enough business sense to have a website, companies these days must really go above and beyond when trying to attract potential customers. This means reporting on timely issues that surround your industry, creating a corporate identity online and showing generally that your company is more than just a website, it is a group of living breathing individuals passionate about what they do.

It really is difficult, however, to show passion and drive in a business website without sounding unprofessional, and perhaps a little bit like you are “gushing”. A blog may be just the ticket for giving your company an outlet for the passion that motivates the drive for success, and the desire to please your clients.

In addition to this, creating an online presence cannot be just about attracting the clients that will ultimately pay for your services/products. Good marketing, online or otherwise, means that “everybody knows your name”, not just those that really need to know your name or those that are actively seeking to discover your name. The more people that know about you, the more chance you have of drawing in potential clients.

Blogs have the added bonus of being much more likely to be linked to. By creating interesting and informational posts a company can contribute to the technological climate, thus engaging in a natural and organic linkbuilding campaign.

I don’t believe that a blog will directly generate a large number of new leads and sales, rather a blog is great for contributing to the corporate image and online marketing of your company, which will in the end help you to secure more business.

Here are a few resources I thought I might also share on the topic of business blogging:

White paper relating to the value of a blog for businesses from Lewis Global Public Relations

Business Blogging from Internet Marketing Voodoo

Also, if you want to see what I mean about a blog being used to enhance a business website for Terinea computer services in Edinburgh and Hastings, check out a blog I frequent, Terinea Weblog, which coincidentally is where I found this hilarious YouTube video under their Friday Funnies. This blog illustrates essentially what I am saying here, and what many people suggested when I posed the question.