Bluffer's Guide to Blogging
Four years ago blogging was a little-known pastime practised only by computer geeks. The idea was to make interactive journals available on the Internet that anyone, anywhere with a computer could access. Since then the blogging trend has grown explosively. Let’s consider some figures – it’s estimated 40,000 of these online journals are created each day and they cover everything from industrial estates (http://peie.blogspot.com) to climate change (http://www.realclimate.org) to the latest in Latino style, products, entertainment and culture (http://vivirlatino.com) and everything in between. Believe it or not, there are over 16 million blogs in existence.
What is a blog? Simply put, it’s a series of updated posts on a web page in the form of a diary or journal, often including commentary on, and hypertext links to, other websites. Additions to the blog are posted in chronological order and can contain anything from simple text, to music, images and even streamed video.
For corporates across the globe, blogs are quickly becoming the new darlings of interactive marketing – firms have discovered that blogs support branding and customer communications, create awareness and customer loyalty. Moreover, it offers firms an additional opportunity to sell their product or service. But how many Oman-based organizations are benefiting from a corporate blog? Apart from the one you’re reading (http://www.bigbusinessidea.blogspot.com) - there seem to be few Omani organizations tapping into the potential of blogging. In fact, there are obvious sectors in the Omani economy that should be developing blogs - If they did, they’d be reaping rich rewards.
1. Radio, TV & Cinema
Oman’s radio, TV and cinema businesses are still relatively young and all rely on three forms of marketing: advertising, public relations and word-of-mouth. The latter has been the most important for all three and has contributed to the organic growth we're seeing in these industries. However, none of them have blogs and that's surprising.
What is a blog? Simply put, it’s a series of updated posts on a web page in the form of a diary or journal, often including commentary on, and hypertext links to, other websites. Additions to the blog are posted in chronological order and can contain anything from simple text, to music, images and even streamed video.
For corporates across the globe, blogs are quickly becoming the new darlings of interactive marketing – firms have discovered that blogs support branding and customer communications, create awareness and customer loyalty. Moreover, it offers firms an additional opportunity to sell their product or service. But how many Oman-based organizations are benefiting from a corporate blog? Apart from the one you’re reading (http://www.bigbusinessidea.blogspot.com) - there seem to be few Omani organizations tapping into the potential of blogging. In fact, there are obvious sectors in the Omani economy that should be developing blogs - If they did, they’d be reaping rich rewards.
1. Radio, TV & Cinema
Oman’s radio, TV and cinema businesses are still relatively young and all rely on three forms of marketing: advertising, public relations and word-of-mouth. The latter has been the most important for all three and has contributed to the organic growth we're seeing in these industries. However, none of them have blogs and that's surprising.
For Cinema owners, a blog would be a great way to promote upcoming releases and little-known movies that are finding an audience. Radio could use blogs to promote programs, new music releases, events and a DJ culture. TV could use a blog as a marketing device to help push television scheduling on behalf of advertisers.
The news flow in these industries is steady and blogs would be a great opportunity to get that information out to a growing youthful, educated and tech savvy Omani audience. Radio, TV and cinema are three key and important creative sectors and I’m surprised they haven’t embraced a cheap, interactive and non-resource-intensive marketing device like blogs.
Sample Blogs
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/weblogs/
2. Supermarkets
Contrary to popular belief, supermarkets make us richer. They’re hugely efficient, forcing down costs. Groceries - and now clothes and household goods - are today much cheaper than in the pre-supermarket age 20 years ago. That leaves us more money to spend on the things we value. Supermarkets enrich our choice too. The shelves groan with fruit and vegetables that were unknown 25 years ago - or unavailable when they were out of season.
In brief, supermarket shopping is big business, but why no blogs?
For example, a food smart blog with food-related news, views and advice would be a good way to attract and retain customers. There could be a Q&A section where folk ask a local chef associated with the supermarket questions on everything from health food to preparing a dinner party for 10. Extend this idea to include news about slashing your weekly food bill, cheap and easy recipes, menu planning ideas, shopping hints and you have a destination for food lovers, and a way to extend your brand and increase sales. This isn’t rocket science and in fact I have to say how surprised I am that apart from Marks and Spencer’s and ToysRus, I receive no e-mail or text contact from the supermarkets and larger stores my family and I spend our cash in. Most seem to rely on the fliers they put under my gate. Maybe they need to master a few Net basics before they blog?
Sample Blogs
http://www.grocerylists.org/
http://www.kiplog.com/food/archives/2005_0.7.htm
3. Stock Brokers
Interest in stocks and shares and the Muscat Securities Market has boomed over the past few years. Oman-based investors need professional advice. Indeed, the vast majority still rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and full or partial service brokers to execute trades, provide guidance and research.
Stock brokers could easily launch a simple blog that tracks daily market-moving events, highlights research and helps investors understand the in and outs of stock market investing. A more informed investor is more profitable than his uninformed counterpart. A blog can help turn those not so well briefed investors into better customers, right?
Sample Blogs
http://nasreena.blogharbor.com/blog/StockBroker
http://blogshares.com/help.php?node=8
http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/
http://tradermike.net/
4. Travel
Today, most folk are members of frequent flier programs – but how often does your airline of preference talk to you? And when they do, what are they selling you? That’s right, knock down fares at times of the year when you either can’t or don’t want to travel! Let’s face it, they could be communicating a whole lot more often as well as whetting our appetite with news on locations, car hire, restaurant and hotel recommendations, sightseeing tips, airline regulations and flight specials would all be a hit. I’d like to see airlines humanize the travel experience, this would certainly foster goodwill with passengers.
Sample Blogs
5. Education
Individual departments and university lectures have blogs, but I haven’t been able to track down an Oman-based college or university with a blog of its own. Oman’s higher education sector is booming and colleges are competing each year to attract the best students. So how can colleges talk to prospective students as well as mums and dads? Blogs. Most colleges run a website – but these tow an official and fairly dry line. On the other hand, a blog with information about the college, one that could include news about its great business or IT departments, and student life issues would spice things up and give prospective students a reason to keep checking in with the college during the decision-making process. A blog would also provide current students with information on campus events, workshops, seminars, career fairs, deadlines for course enrolment and other relevant news. Let students have a separate voice and use blogs as a way to bring information directly to current and prospective students in a straightforward fashion.
Wrap Up
Blogging is a cheap and effective form of information dissemination that can fit nicely into an overall PR, marketing, communications and sales strategy. Start-up costs are minimal and oversight is simple. Just one word of warning – make sure your blog is professionally and responsibly crafted. At the very least, blogs can be a good customer retention tool, and if successful, they can drive sales, create brand awareness and attract new customers.
If you want to set up a blog I thoroughly recommend you log on to Blogger (www.blogger.com). Indeed, anybody with a working computer and an Internet connection can become a blog publisher in the 10 minutes it takes to sign up.
In brief, blogging is the new public relations, the new market research, the new branding and the new R&D rolled into one. In fact, it represents one of the most forceful weapons in the dissemination of information since the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450. Irrespective of whether you run a start-up, a cinema, TV or radio station, a stock brokers, an airline or a college, shouldn’t you consider starting a blog some time soon?
