Impact that Blogging has on Businesses

It still hasn’t hit everyone yet, but the smart companies perk their ears when someone mentions “blogging.” There is a reason that I call them smart, and that is due to the huge impact that blogging can have on business in both a negative and positive light.

There have been enough studies now to prove that self published online media is in fact taking viewers away from traditional media. Those viewers are now looking to digital magazines, utube, and blogs for their information (if they are not actually publishing themselves.) Now even small time bloggers have the power and influence to positively or negatively impact business based on what they write.

Their is a familiar phrase “someone will tell ten people about a bad experience, and only two for a good experience.” While still true, it is now amplified when the user chooses to blog about a good or bad experience. Not only in the direct readership base of the blogger, but remember that blog posts become searchable. Imagine a great review of your product/service that comes up anytime someone searches your company… now imagine a bad one. That alone can make measurable shifts in business and sales, and all based on a single blog post.

This may sound frightening, but we see it is an opportunity. It should tell you right now that your company or business needs to have methods for improving and monitoring customer satisfaction. After all, having nothing but happy customers is a great way to build a business.

Additionally, you should be monitoring the discussion of your company on blogs and online publications. While a bad review can negatively effect your business, it does give you the opportunity to change the publishers mind. A response by a blogger stating that they were contacted and the issue was resolved is a powerful vote towards your business and could potentially convince once bitter readers to open their minds again.

Most of the time when people talk about business blogging it is in the context of the business themselves blogging, but that is missing the whole conversational side of blogging. Some of the biggest positive impacts that blogging has on business can be achieved through engaging in conversations that occurring right now. Have you ever sent a trackback to other prominent bloggers? Left comments? Discussed the issues with readers?