Why Have Blogs Become So Popular From a Branding Perspective?

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The word blog has been added to the colloquialisms of millions of Internet users throughout the world. Surprisingly, this common word is actually quite new to the language. The word blog is actually an abbreviation for the word “weblog,” which was originally used to refer to a list of content updates featured on a website: a log of information posted to the web. In the early days of blogging, this Internet activity was reserved mainly for consumers who wanted to digitally document the events of their lives.Today, that concept of blogging has almost completely disappeared.Now, businesses, brands, small business owners, corporations, and even non-profit organizations are using blogs as a branding technique. With a blog, a single individual can create a brand concept and quickly solidify that concept into the minds of consumers.

If you’ve ever seen the popular AMC Network television series Mad Men, you probably realize that branding a few decades ago was a process that could take years of concerted effort from hundreds of marketing professionals. The ability of blogging to turn the branding process into a single-person effort that can occur in a few short months is a staggering innovation that has rocked the commercial world. Blogging experienced a unique transition from online consumer journal to branding strategy powerhouse, and it’s important to understand why blogs are so popular from a branding perspective.

The Introduction of Blogging

Blogging was first developed in the 1990s with software such as WebEx, which was used to create continual online conversations. When the software first gained popularity, it was used predominantly for conversations amongst consumers and online journaling. Popular journaling websites like Xanga and Blogger were used almost exclusively by consumers. You could create journal entries about your day, provide information about the songs you were listening to or the foods you were eating, and even connect with other bloggers to read their updates. Blogging was almost exclusively a social endeavor.

The Consumer-Corporation Shift

Almost a decade after the blogging process was established, brands started recognizing the incredible power of generating regular content and making this content available to a population of consumers. No other forum or software offered such an incredible way to get into the minds of consumers and communicate valuable information with such consistency. The blogging shift from consumers to corporations happened quickly and powerfully. Today, the concept of an individual blogging solely to document his or her daily activities is almost nonexistent. This may be, in part, because social media networks have replaced the need for an online journal. More likely, however, journaling with a blog has lost popularity because it’s a relatively ineffective way to use this software type…..

Blogging as a Branding Technique

Blogging is used as a branding technique for a variety of different reasons. First and foremost, it is easy to create continuous content about a business, organization, or institution. Consumers have voracious appetites for blog content, and the demand for content is often higher than the speed at which marketers can produce it. This is quite different from the consumer reaction to other branding strategies like advertising. Many consumers are exhausted with television commercials, radio and print ads, and roadside billboards. They perceive these branding efforts as an assault and an annoyance. With blogging, on the other hand, customers are actually seeking out information about a brand. Blogging brings consumers to the door of the business, so the business can then communicate information about the industry, the latest products and services, and the brand itself.

Easy Design Changes to Communicate About Content

Another reason why blogs are so popular from a branding perspective is the relative ease with which design changes can be implemented. You can transform the entire look and feel of your brand by using a brand new premium WordPress theme or blog design template. It’s incredible just how easy it is to communicate something entirely different about your brand with a few simple keystrokes and a design overhaul.

Forum-Style Communication Makes Consumers Feel Valued

Blogging is also popular for branding because it provides consumers with a forum on which to express their individualism. A consumer can yell at a billboard until he or she is red in the face, but that billboard isn’t going to communicate anything of value to the brand or business. With blogging, consumers have real opportunities to share their opinions with brands, and many businesses are using blogs as a way to improve their services and satisfy customers.

Are You Blogging for Success?

Blogging offers businesses and brands a way to seamlessly blend promotion, advertising, and information to the consumer. Consumers don’t react negatively to blogs because they are actively seeking out blog content. From a branding perspective, a blog is one of the most convenient ways to solidify a business’s image and interact personally with consumers. If your business or brand isn’t implementing a blogging strategy, you may be missing out on an incredible branding opportunity.

About Author:

Anny Solway is a dedicated writer at ThemeFuse – a web studio that creates original WordPress templates, that can be used out of the box. She loves to share blogging and technology tips.

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