Worker Bees Blog

Yet another article on business blogging. This time the focus is on measuring your blog's success. I like many of the points made in this article, the first of which is simply that you ought to have some goals for your blog effort, just like any other marketing program.

The other point the article makes, which I think is often lost, is that the tools for blogging may be inexpensive or even free, but if you don't have the internal resources to create and maintain the blog, then just like anything else...you'll be paying for someone's blogging time and skill.

I was just talking to Paul Chaney from Radiant Marketing today about this.

It reminds me somewhat of the economics you see in the theatre. Who gets paid the least (if at all) in the theatre? The actors. Leave aside the top 2% that actually make a significant living at it. In community, semi-pro and professional theatres around the country you can bet that the directors, the designers, the musicians and even the stage crew may be making more money than the actors.

Because somewhere along the line actors let it slip that they do it "for love." Or for "the experience." Or to "hone their craft." But not to "make a living."

Many bloggers have a bit of that fanatic "we love what we do" attitude...and it won't serve them if they want to make a living at it.

Blogging for a business is a skill and talent. You are (or should be) providing all or some of the following:

Strategic marketing planning
Market and competitive research
Marketing content creation
Technical writing
Program management
Program tracking
A feedback loop from the user to the development or customer service team

And so on.

It takes time. Time is money. Show me the money; I'll show you the love.

Does that seem crass? I don't think so. We are businesspeople talking business. That statement should be one that businesspeople everywhere can easily understand.