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This is a subject which has been debated within the social media circles as also by marketing professionals. From the stand point of social media enthusiasts (I will explain later why I call then social media enthusiasts) the use of blogging as a vehicle for marketing is as inevitable as the morning Sun. But hardcore marketing professionals on the other hand question the need for such frivolous tools like blogging.

Blogging is most popular tool in social media toolkit

It was therefore with a lot of interest that I read about a survey which placed blogging as the most popular tool within social media ecosystem. In fact the figures touted are to the tune of thirty five percent. Even if we consider that this is a blown up figure or merely an exaggeration arising out of a biased sample, it is still significant. We simply cannot ignore it. And when we look at the marketing spend of major companies, a not so trivial allocation is being made for social media activities among which blogging is a major expense. All the while traditional marketers are howling away that such budgetary allocations are a waste of expenditure. Why are these marketing professionals opposed to blogging? It is certainly not out of any personal spite. The main issue which seems to be bothering these people is metrics. How do we measure the success or failure of a blogging campaign? As I have mentioned in some earlier post, we can also argue that it is equally difficult to estimate the ROI of a billboard campaign. But marketers generally accept a little bit of fuzziness in this case. To me, not able to obtain the metrics case of a blogging campaign is not such a big thing.

Managing expectations

To me it all boils down to managing expectations. What do we want from our blogging spend? Are we looking to influence a larger audience? Or are we trying to address a narrow band of customers? The subtle emphasis on broadband reach and a diffused ad campaign change the dynamics of blogging. We then start looking at blogging differently. This is what I call managing expectations. Rather than appeasing   top rung of management by rolling out benefits of blogging, it is better to start from the beginning. Starting from this premise we can then work out a sensible plan which would lead us towards the goal. Obviously brand building and public relations are goals which are realizable via the blogging channel. I am not saying that this alone will suffice. But blogging will certainly enhance and improve the branding effort of an organization.

Situational dynamics

Social media enthusiasts, so called because they are solely interested in the role of social media in business rather than delving into the cost and returns, somehow seem to miss the woods for the trees. Whereas savvy marketers, focus on the ROI in exclusion of everything else. Blogging unfortunately isn’t the same as a PPC campaign where returns can be pinned down with double digit accuracy. But the relevance of blogging has to be seen in the context of the business. Factors which influence the success or failure of a blog are the specific consumer market, the target audience and the scope of the marketing effort. This is what I call situational dynamics. In certain circumstances blogging used as an informal influencer can save an organization from the blushes. In one case, a pharmaceutical giant escaped from serious censure by resorting to social media as a propaganda tool.  The context in which we deploy blogging and the overall marketing strategy are important for   successful fulfillment.

Blogging is a multipath channel

Blogging is a fantastic business intelligence tool. By snooping ( I use this word for want of a better one) on what others are blogging about ,we can gather large amount of information. Participating in social media through blogging means a lot more than writing about your company. You are participating in and engaging with a wide circle of people: customers, vendors, suppliers, critics, laymen and many more.  This by itself is a learning experience. The social media environment is rich with information and we can garner this only by participating in it. By commenting on other blogs and reflecting on developments we can create a higher level of awareness about ourselves. These engagements can be more powerful than formal public relation exercises. The very fact that these are informal channels provides an aura of authenticity to blogs.

As I write this post, the power of blogging will only increase as we go along. I predict that  The blog from what it is  today,  will transform and change into a more powerful public relation tool . But if businesses wait for that to happen, it will be too late.