Building and using business blogs has become a standard for many online marketers in terms of marketing on the internet. However with the growth in popularity of online social sites many have begun using these communities as their primary marketing platforms. In particular Twitter is being touted as a site that can supply all your business needs concerning marketing and traffic generation.
Does this mean blogging sites are now endangered in terms of their 'leading' role in web 2.0 online marketing? Actually this would hardly seem the case and here are 5 very strong reasons why.
Self-Hosted Blogs
Most blogs are self hosted meaning you own the site and the content and are therefore in total control. Online social sites have rule and regulations set forth by the site administrator governing behavior. The ability to 'personalize' your space on a social network site is non-existent therefore 'branding' yourself is very difficult. You can not build a solid foundation to an online business on a site where you have no control.
Blogs Gain Authority
Comments or content you share at a social site are not displayed for very long thereby they will have no long lasting affect. On a blogging site every post, comment or useful information is always available for viewing and tends to build up the authority of the site itself. The more content posted the more authority the blog will gain. This is a great foundation for building credibility and a business.
Symbol of Commitment
A blog is a symbol of commitment since it takes effort to maintain the site. Commitment is exactly what people look for in businesses since it is a sign of reliability. This leads to an increase in trust which is a vital asset to have when marketing on the internet. Online social sites require only that you 'show up' and chat a little thereby demonstrating very little effort or commitment.
The Strength is in the Link
Socialization communities normally link to blogs as opposed to the other way around. That kind of says it all right there since it seems these communities need to 'defer' to blogs as a source of reliable and useful content. This does not bode well however for the credibility of social network sites!
Analytics
Blogging sites have analytic capabilities allowing then to function more fully as a business platforms. These capabilities allow the site to improve and grow and are a necessary tool for anyone serious about building a lasting business.
Business blogs have become the adopted standard for online marketers due to their flexibility, ease of use and ability to interact with customers. Recent trends however indicate an increasing acceptance/reliance upon using certain online social sites such as Twitter as free standing marketing platforms. These social communities offer the same attraction that blogging sites do in terms of interaction and ease of use but comparisons stop there. The ability of social sites to help people 'build' a business when marketing on the internet is in question. The 5 reasons mentioned above as to why blogging sites are not likely to fall from favor as online marketing platforms merely fortifies their dominance. While many social network platforms such as Twitter are great traffic sources they do not offer a solid platform upon which to build a long lasting business.
