Astrong online presence is important for businesses in today's high-speed and
highly competitive world. Blogs have already become the new buzzword in the
marketing arena. Businesses and marketers are extensively blogging for
organisations, products, ideas and for other organisational goals, and they are
achieving results.



This has not started happening in Pakistan yet. An overwhelming majority of
local consumers who do not (or cannot) use the internet and even marketing
professionals still ask puzzled as to what a blog is.



A business blog is a published by or with the support of an organisation to
reach out and achieve organisational goals — customer relationships, media
relations, internal collaboration, knowledge management, recruitment, test ideas
or products and rank high in search engines. In external communications, the
potential benefits include strengthened relationships with important target
groups and the positioning of the publishing organisation as industry experts.
Within the organisation, blogs are referred to as tools for collaboration and
knowledge management.



Marketing guru and blogger Jeremy Pepper writes in a Wall Street Journal
article, "To me, this is how a company should use a blog: as a complimentary
communications tool to comment on your industry, post-case study synopses, have
an open dialogue, post-company news and address any and all issues raised by
readers, and internally." This, I think, can be best done by freelance outside
bloggers.



Blogs can drive visitors to existing websites and help find new customers and
engage those that the organisations already have. They are prevailing and
cost-effective marketing tools. As far as business is concerned, there are
clients and potential clients. A blog will create a dialogue between the
business, present client base, and potential buyers. Communication has never
been easier and user friendly before.



Once a company has a blog, it offers immediate and high impact interaction with
its target audience. As more people have online access, they will want more than
the standard online newsletter or typical public relation response Gone are the
old days when companies simply used to feed information to their customers. Now
everyone asks and looks for a dialogue — a meaningful exchange of information.
People also want to know that the organisations are listening to them and paying
heed to what is being suggested, and blogs allow just that — responding quickly
and openly.



From a business point of view, there are several potential reasons to blog,
particularly in a less connected country like India. But it depends on what a
business wants. Blogs are different from channels like video, print, audio,
presentations and even word of mouth marketing. They all deliver results but of
varying kind. The kind anyone can expect from blogs is mainly about stronger
relations with important target groups.



One way to introduce blogging in the local business scenario would be to include
blogging as a subject in business schools and other higher education
institutions. Blogging is already being taught in prestigious universities as a
part of business and mass communication curriculum in the developed world. Not
only are the business graduates working with blogs during their studies and
benefiting, but they are also bringing along blogging skills when they join the
practical world in whatever they happen to be doing. Which is why it is not
unusual for CEOs and Chairmen to blog personally.



Who should blog for the businesses when CEOs and chairmen are busy doing other
important things? Ideally, front-line people who know the business in and out
should blog about it. Marketing professionals should also use this powerful
tool. An organisation can hire professional writers and freelance bloggers to
blog for them under company's name or blog under their own, there are lost of
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Depending upon the information provided by the organisation and feedback by the
audience, a blogger from outside can develop the ability to write in his or her
own voice and create content for business blogs. Similarly, freelance bloggers,
can view business with an objective eye and offer fresh marketing ideas and
strategies.



These bloggers can study the company's marketing materials, reports, other
collateral information and meet key people in the organisation to learn about
the activities of the organisation, and how best to market its products through
blogging.



Bloggers can post material written in an editorial style and voice, updating at
least once a day, three-to-five days a week. The content may also include
company news, events, and information about new products and services relevant
to your business. "Blog writers will need to hold back their own self and avoid
having their blog entries read like press releases, which may be easier said
than done," says  Moen, Manager, Marketing of a Indian-based international
concern.



Earlier, online marketing and websites never picked up in Pakistan because of
the obvious "digital divide that exists due to individual disparities in levels
of income, education standards, psychological reasons, age, gender, rural-urban
divide, and quality of life or collective deprivations like lack of physical
infrastructure." Now, things seem to be different. Telephone density has
increased manifold in Pakistan in the past few years. Internet access is also
available at more places and its use is continuously growing. Pakistani
businesses can target specific segments, more so when they want to market
globally.