I scan or read well over three dozen blogs each day. The posts that I find helpful I put on Twitter so others can be directed to the author's site so they can read them if they want to. One of the things I don't understand is why the people who create these blogs may go for months without ever adding a new message. Recently, I removed several of the blogs I had been following because nothing new had been published on them in five to six months. Many of these were business-related blogs that I assume were created to attract people to those businesses. I don't think most people will find them very attractive.
Since starting this blog a few months ago I try to post on it at least once a week, usually Monday. Once in awhile I don't do it simply because of my schedule. I have another blog that is focused on ministry and church leadership. Because that is my primary focus and the field in which my day job is located I try to post on that blog at least four times a week. In addition, I post around 15 articles on my Twitter account each business day with a link that directs the reader to the site where they will find the article. Half of those articles are related to ministry and the other half are focused on small business. I do this because I want my readers to find fresh information from some of the best thinkers in these two areas of life. Since my Twitter account links to my Facebook account, those who just follow me on FB are able to be directed to those articles as well. I continue to struggle getting large numbers of people following my posts; I can't imagine how difficult it is for those blogs that are only updated 3-4 times a year to attract regular followers.
What makes this even sadder is that I have found the articles on these blogs to be quite good. The authors are people who have something worthwhile to say, and usually a product or service to market, but they are turning away some of their potential clients due to the lack of blog maintenance.
Small businesses and ministries need a presence on social media. A web site and/or blog (I think both are best.) are becoming more essential to get their messages out to persons who need to know about them. But, if these are not going to be updated regularly these sites can become more of a detriment than an asset. Stale messages send a negative signal to your potential clients that you don't want to send. It tells people that you don't have a lot to say about your product or service or you just don't care to give them the information they might need to do business with you.
I have seen church websites that have not been updated in three or four years. Their previous pastor is still listed on the church staff page. If that information is wrong then I can't assume I can trust their service times either. This has actually kept me from visiting some churches. Some businesses don't do much better. Dated information about the company or the product or service doesn't impress potential clients, and it's important to know that the first image some people will make about your company will come from you social media sites. Create the wrong impression online and you will drive potential business to your competitors.
Businesses have two options. Either pay someone to manage your site or do it in-house, but your sites must be maintained and updated on a regular basis. In today's environment your online presence may be a major portion of your marketing depending on the target audience you are going for. As such, it should be seen as an investment, not an expense. You are investing money and time in an effort to reach new clients and to encourage your current clientele to do more business with you. Make your online sites a priority in your planning. Don't ignore or "forget" them. They can be a rich source of revenue if they are properly maintained.
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