You Are Now Entering the Blogosphere.

Public Relations Specialist Amber Dawe has a laugh reading my new blog.

Dear Friend,

"Hey dude. What's bloggin'?"

"Nothing much. What's bloggin' with you?"

"Too much. I've got three meetings today and a report due at noon. I'm totally blogged."

"Wow. That's a blogger."

The mock-dialogue above was to demonstrate how blogs have changed the way we communicate. Not that I've ever heard anyone talk like that, but still. Blogs have been around for many years now and have become almost as common as websites. Four years ago, "blog" was Merriam-Webster's word of the year. Now, in 2008, the word "blog" is being broken down into sub-genres such as diary blogging, corporate blogging and research blogging.

Many companies have taken the leap and joined the blog-versation; others still might have some questions as to the benefits of maintaining a blog.

Here are three points persuading you to join the blog-versation.

It's an All-In-One

A blog is an advertising, public relations, marketing and community relations tool all wrapped up into one neat little electronic package. It is a personalized advertisement, press release, informational brochure and discussion forum. Having a blog will increase your Internet exposure by retrieving more results when your company/name is searched on various search engines. And let's face it, a majority of the public gets their information from the Internet. So the more of a presence you have there, the better connection you will make with potential customers.

It's a Two-Way Street

Allowing people to leave comments or contact you through your blog shows that your business cares about what the outside world thinks and recognizes the value of personal interaction. Yes, this is kind of ironic, seeing as the personal interaction is taking place through an electronic medium. However, responding to comments or concerns is still a personal acknowledgement that is appreciated. You can similarly make comments to the public, communicating ideas and thoughts or asking for feedback or suggestions. This makes a potential client feel valuable and important, and nothing beats the feeling of self-worth.

It's Up-To-Date

Maintaining a blog allows you to do a couple of things as fast as you can type the words "EXTRA! EXTRA! BLOG ALL ABOUT IT!". First, you can comment on recent events or breaking news stories that pertain to your field of work. This shows you are knowledgeable about current affairs and gives you more credibility. Second, you can quickly make company announcements instead of waiting to include the information in a monthly newsletter or mailing. This is not to say that you shouldn't also put the announcement in the newsletter or in mailings, but the more exposure the better.

If you still have questions about blogging or would like to know more about other social media tools, please don't hesitate to call or shoot me an email. It would be blogtastic to hear from you. Until then, feel free to visit my own new blog: http://prforlaughs.blogspot.com/.

Blog out, people.