Bizstartup.ie - Start Up Kit

Blogging authority Technorati says that not only are blogs hitting the mainstream, with 184 million blogs worldwide and some 346 million readers, but 95pc of the top 100 newspapers in the US now have reporter blogs.

The business world has been slow to adopt blogging, but small Irish firms in particular have realised the wisdom of creating an emotional touch point with potential customers. The managing directors of niche Irish firms have taken a disciplined approach to engaging with their audiences and while it isn’t easy to quantify the bottom-line result, business bloggers admit there are benefits for the business.

Firms such as World Wide Cycles in Clonmel and Ice Cream Ireland in Dingle and Killarney have witnessed the phenomenon of readers and potential customers from far afield walking in and greeting the owners as if they are close acquaintances.

However, budding business bloggers must realise that the blog is more than just a platform to drive future business. The members of their potential audience want engaging, clever and insightful efforts that will guarantee their return.

But not all business bloggers have realised this. Business blogging blunders that dominate are fake blogs (flogs), which are usually written by a PR person masquerading as a company CEO. In the case of Coca-Cola, the company launched The Zero Movement blog. What was meant to look like the musings of a hip, young guy was in fact a blatant plug for the new Coke Zero drink, a rebranded Diet Coke aimed at men. The content, which lacked authenticity, was soon rumbled as a Coca-Cola creation.

Genuine business bloggers

Real business bloggers are genuinely passionate about their subject matter and it shows. Julian Alubaidy co-runs Bubble Brothers, a Cork-based wine company with a warehouse on the outskirts of the city and a wine shop in Cork’s picturesque English Market.

Alubaidy says the first thing potential business bloggers must remember is that it’s an opportunity to bring a human voice to the business by sharing knowledge and insights, not a sales pitch.

“It’s a ‘butterfly stamping its foot’ kind of thing,” Alubaidy says. “A small gesture that you make can have ramifications you may not be aware when you do it. And, of course, you have to be careful about that small stamp of a foot because it can turn out for the good or not so good.

“Another point is it takes time to build up an audience. I think I’m quite lucky in being able to churn out prose at a reasonable rate but find it difficult to produce posts that are more than just a glimpse.

“That’s the reason a lot of bloggers and businesses take more notice of Twitter or micro blogging. Certainly wine does need a bit of concentration – but it’s nice to get a fact wrong and see who comes out of the woodwork. I could easily spend a day a week on my blog, but it’s not justifiable in terms of what I should be doing when it comes to running my business.”

Generating sales

Alubaidy says that his blog has led to actual sales but found that his Twitter handle ‘Slurp’ has generated more business. “I sold several cases recently on the strength of Twitter.” He has also found that blogging has indirectly boosted footfall in his store. “I have been pleasantly taken aback to find out people read the blog. Customers let slip what I’m up to. We have a stall in the English Market in the centre of Cork, and if I’m not there people make the trip to the office park outside Cork.”

But what has impressed him most is the connection he can make with a rapt audience. “On a human scale it allows me to talk to people directly in my own voice. The current recession has got people back to basics – they are looking at the site and talking to me, looking for my opinion. In a recession the domestic comforts are in many cases the last things to go. People will look after themselves, so wine is a good talking point.”

This is an edited version of an article which first appeared in Owner Manager magazine written by www.siliconrepublic.com editor John Kennedy