Blogs are rapidly becoming the most important information portal in this digital age. Suddenly, everyone owns or wants to own a blog. The blogosphere is becoming saturated by the day, with new blogs springing up and even the previously dormant ones are being resuscitated to life. Blogging platforms are becoming very useful with Bloggers and WordPress dominating the blogging platform war. Everyone wants to get something out, be it news, promoting a brand, or a product, entertainment and so on.
Beyond the desire to just put out a blog, some bloggers have identified the unique business opportunity blogging brings. Anik Singal, top businessman and CEO of Lurn said in an interview, ‘ the best way to start a business is digital publishing…’ This is not just a random statement, as he has benefitted much from digital publishing over the years to build his dream as a top CEO, author, and public speaker. He also went ahead to define digital publishing as the business of ‘packaging information and selling it to people who need it using the internet’.
Here are 5 reasons why blogging is the best business strategy right now according to Anik Singal:
- Digital revolution:
Digital revolution has taken the world by a storm. Suddenly everyone is moving to the online space. Businesses, Brands, celebrities, organisations, institutions, and governments are all opening up digital platforms to promote themselves to the world. Today, 6.6 million people publish on blogging websites, 12 million do this through their social media pages. This is a huge market for any new business to exploit. Many traditional print, and electronic media have identified the need to switch their focus and attention to digital presence and marketing. The same goes for big companies and brands. This has seen an increase in the use of blogs as a communication tool in various niches. Brands now see it as a must have to not just communicate with prospects but also address their needs well ahead of time.
- Attention:
With the huge market the digital space offers blogging, attention comes with it. The sustained attention on your business, brand or product is golden. 81% of Online consumers in the United States have been found to trust the information or advice they get from blogs. 128 million web users were avid business blog readers as at 2013. More people are keen to see what brands are saying. However, they are also on the lookout for quality content from virtually any source as long as it appeals to them. This gives independent bloggers a unique opportunity to quickly become a trusted voice in any specific industry. Conversion means different things to different businesses, brands and individuals but the attention as a result of consistent blogging is a key ingredient when it comes to driving conversions.
- Location independence:
Another reason blogging is the best business is the fact that you can blog from anywhere. Just with your laptop, tablet and smartphones, you can push on with your business from just any location. You don’t have to be tied down to a particular location to do business. This will help you match up to the attention you get from your readers. The flexibility allows brands to publish blog posts at different intervals. This flexibility is taken a notch higher if your business employs remote bloggers and uses cloud technologies to ensure a steady stream of content.
- Commercialisation:
If you run an ecommerce front, your blog acts as an attraction suite to market your products. For standalone blogging, however, there are tons of monetisation options that can be taken advantage of. Google’s Adsense offering is tried and tested but there are other ads publishing networks you can take advantage of. Alternatively, you can seek out quality products in your niche and become an affiliate. The opportunities are endless. If you’d rather retain control on the commercialisation of your blog, you can hold off on using 3rd party advert publishers and sell your own ad spots when your blog has gained adequate traction.
- Feedback:
For most businesses, one challenge is how to get the right feedback on their products. You might have the best marketing strategies while but still be caught in the inability to get the right feedback which will help you fine tune your product for better acceptance from the market. Blogging creates an instant opportunity for this. All blogs are enabled for comments and with each post, instant feedbacks can be received. This way you can improve on your content, and ensure improved patronage by taking onboard practical recommendations that can improve your business.
