Are internet marketers lazy? Is that why they aren’t blogging?

Sometimes, the amount of content online can become a bit overwhelming. I’m subscribed to more RSS feeds than I can really find time to read, however despite the volume of material out there it’s surprising how few internet marketers (and specifically search engine marketers) in the UK actually blog.

Just a second I’m thinking – via flickr

Only a handful of the UK search agencies listed in NMA’s marketing service guide are blogging. And that’s including a few neglected abortive attempts in the handful. There are plenty of great search marketing blogs out there from the UK; Dave N, Lyndon Glen & Kevin, all spring to mind, but it seems a shame some of the bigger firms aren’t really taking advantage.

I’m a kind bloke, and even though they’re competitors I felt I ought to do my bit to evangelise the benefits [tag]business blogging[/tag] could have for their bottom line and why they are missing out!

Competitors Are – if anyone needs a compelling reason to start blogging, the fact their competitors are, should do the trick. It’s competitive world out there for agencies. As more firms start up everyday, clients are shopping round. If you’ve only got a ‘brochure-ware’ website & the person you’re pitching against has a well read & industry recognised blog, it’s going to make your job an uphill struggle.

Gives the Company a Voice – every company is different, but often it’s quite difficult to communicate that difference to potential clients or customer. A blog is one of the best ways out there to get the personality of a company across. They needn’t be formal and often work best if the character of the writers comes across.

Show Depth of Knowledge – one of the most exciting things about search marketing is that you can learn new techniques, tips & best practice everyday. It’s often difficult to get across that depth of knowledge your have built up in your team in a conventional website without it getting overwhelming. Small regular chunks of content produced by your staff can really start to show how much you collectively know.

Despite these and lots of other compelling reasons lots of companies seem to have missed the boat when it comes to blogging and it’s easy to understand why.

Too Busy – it’s difficult to commit the time needed to do a blog justice with a busy client schedule. It’s easy to see when some from Site Visibility is off on holiday or we have lots of new projects starting, because the intensity of our blogging drops.

Though with our re-launch we are doing are best to make sure that ideas we have for posts don’t languish on the to-do list. We’ve tried to dedicate specific time to blogging and draft a posts while having our 3 o’clock cup of tea. It’s amazing what you can achieve in half an hour without distractions.

Fearful – despite being a huge advocate for business blogging, I’ll admit there are risks that make SEO firms fearful or at least reticent to dive headfirst into [tag]blogging[/tag]. The products search marketing consultants sell is our knowledge, and for a lot of people it’s difficult to understand why you would want to give that product away for free. But think of it as a loss leader.

Similarly they might be worried that they won’t be able to add anything valuable to the [tag]blogosphere[/tag]. But everyone has their own unique insight and combination of skills and experience. You’ve got to be careful to make sure you are saying something original, but that’s a question of quality control and shouldn’t act as a barrier.

Lack the Freedom – It’s important to have some standards on your blog but you’ve got to let your contributors feel free to express themselves. Nobody wants to start a flame war, but neither do you want a ‘this is the corporate voice’ blog. Encourage people to be creative and transparent, you might be surprised what you can get away with.

There are hundreds of creative marketers out there and it would be great to hear more of their opinions, experiences & about even about their cats and what they had for lunch.

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