Some Things I Learned at the Blogging Seminar

As I mentioned before, I attended a blogging seminar held in Payson, Arizona, last Saturday. The main speaker was Dave Barnhart. See the post below for his info.

The first thing I learned is what a blog is. I won't go into that topic, since you're obviously up on that or you wouldn't be here reading this blog. The basic information I want to share is how a blog can help a business owner, or by extension, a writer.

• It gets you Google juice. Google loves blogs, primarily because they always have new content. Therefore, your name or business name, can be on the top of the search engine lists if you blog with regularity.
• It's free exposure. Influential people, like newspaper reporters and magazine editors, read the blogosphere. They might need background for an article, or is could be a slow news day and your input is just the thing they want to highlight.
• It provides direct access for your clients/customers/readers. Once example Dave mentioned is GM Fastlane, wherein the management of a giant automobile company interacts with customers, actually providing customer service!
• It humanizes you and builds trust in you and your business. This leads to the possibility that customers will drive past your competitors to buy your products, even when they are priced higher!
• It leads to conversation in which your business is the topic.
• It improves your business's image. Having a blog today is comparable to having a website in 1994. It brands you as a forward thinking, cutting edge business.

Dave pointed out the usefulness of using business blogs to educate and inform, to do customer service, and to target the customer's needs. There was much more to the seminar, but I think that's enough.