Should you invest more time in a company blog or Twitter?
A question I have seen banded about of late, is whether or not Twitter is the best way forward for brands to connect with their consumers, or whether the blog is the best platform for making that connection.
Surely, the answer is both? Why not use the two?
Simple right? Think again.
The real decision is not which to use, but rather, how much time should I invest in each mediums.
The blogosphere, as I’m sure you all know, is becoming ever more saturated. Copycat blogs are popping up left right and centre, so what makes you and your company stand out? What makes you special?
If we don’t have the “X Factor”, that distinction between us and the other blogs, then it will be a struggle for you to get your message across to key consumers. Obviously, this isn’t the status quo for all companies, as larger brands won’t have trouble getting that traffic, consumers will be seeking them specifically.
Essentially, if we don’t have a well know brand, the following is crucial:
Blog with an interesting and unique perspective. Copycat blogs are easy to spot and will drive traffic away from your site.
Engage with readers who engage with the blog! If we are seen to be indifferent, we risk the reader looking elsewhere, where they will surely find the all-important two way communication.
Creating a great blog takes time. It won’t happen overnight. Time must be spent creating and moulding the design, and researching the competition. It won’t be easy, but the benefits of a well-designed blog will far outweigh the time spent creating it.
Most importantly, we need to remain consistent. To build a loyal readership, consistency is essential. It gives the reader faith in you as a blogger and promotes the feeling of authority. After all, you are there to showcase your business and to increase consumer confidence.
In short, creating a blog worth reading takes time, effort and they come with a price tag. However, they can provide invaluable insight into what your readers’ think of your brand and give you the chance to really showcase what your business is capable of!
If the blogosphere is saturated, then Twitter is off the scale.
Twitter has grown year on year, and although this is slowing down, the amount of new Twitter profiles is staggering. Everybody wants a piece of the cake.
Twitter is cheap, requires little time and effort and we can make an impression almost instantaneously, thanks to the help of RT and hash tags.
Twitter is great for spreading your messages quickly with ease. We all know the benefits of Twitter. We can all achieve massive reach in a short space of time, and this is great for brand awareness.
It’s great for getting our names out there, our faces seen and most of all, our voices heard.
Perfect, right?
But what about when we have a lot to say? What about when we are asked to explain our products and services? Suddenly Twitter loses the initial magic.
With 140 characters to use, it becomes an impossible task to put anything of substance out there. And this ladies and gentlemen, is Twitters downfall.
Unless Twitter change their rules, we are forced to utilise both the blog and Twitter. This isn’t a bad thing. If we are going to invest time in one, why not the other?
New business and emerging brands might want to focus more on Twitter, whereas established brands could further enhance their offering by creative an exceptionally sophisticated blog.
Whatever we decide is best, we need to create a blog to house our content, our how to guides, our ask the expert features and use this as a major tool in consumer engagement. We can use Twitter to gain the awareness lacking from blogging, let our readers know where to find our content, and have some fun along the way.