Weblogs or blogs for short, can be developed around on nearly any and every subject. And not only for personal use, blogs can also be used effectively as business tools, for business of all sizes from Fortune 500 to home-based operations.
Many have found that a blog is similar to a personalized money churner for their websites and businesses. In fact blogs can function as stand-alone websites with a full assortment of features; such as, automatic archiving, comment posting, pre- and post-dating entries, survey tools, remote capability, easy management, RSS feeds, subscriber box, statistics, IP banning, Google™ Adsense capability, sidebars, full color templates, assorted marketing means like SEO tools and much more, depending upon the blog and hosting set up.
Blogs actually have a variety of practical applications for both businesses and individuals using them for personal use. Some popular applications are:
1) Content management system (CMS) – With good blogging software, you can manage the content of your website in an efficient manner. For example, with good a blog content management program, you can add multiple authors and even pre- and post-date entries, loading them in advance in order to take time off for a vacation.
2) Organizational Updates and Calendar of Events - Blog software also sorts your posts chronologically, giving the latest entry first place for enhanced readability, even allowing posts via email. Plus you can incorporate a calendar to quickly find and click posts on each date that bears an interactive hyperlink.
3) Customer Relations Board - A blog can also serve to increase credibility and help boost your customer relations. Web visitors can post comments and questions on the blog and even use its knowledgeable base of posts sorted by categories as a public relations tool. Your blog will also allow your customers to find information quickly and easily with a search tool.
4) Sales Booster – You can use a blog to describe your products and services, listing them by categories and incorporating multimedia into the posts: digital photos, video and audio tutorials, PowerPoint slide show manuals, Adobe PDF guides and more. Invite visitors to subscribe to the blog for product and service updates, specials, coupons, an award points program and more.
5) Media Center – Post your press releases, digital photos, company history, executive resumes and article clips on your blog to boost the public relation efforts of your company.
6) Interactive Education – Educate your prospects and customers with your blog. Discuss not only your products and services, but your industry. Keep readers abreast of industry development and news. Invite feedback and reviews from your blog readers and industry professionals.
7) Community Development – Focus on developing a community of any size and invite participation from your blog readers. Invite file sharing, uploading digital photos and video clips, for example, with critiques and reviews.
8) Service Providers - Blogs can also serve as service providers by sharing news and relevant and detailed technical information about your products and services in a timely fashion. For example, add one inside your member area, and once members log in, they can click your blog as an updated knowledge database that discusses issues linked to specific dates so they can immediately catch up since their last log in day. Plus they can read through your categorized entries to problem solve tech issues and more 24/7 at their leisure and own pace.
9) Internal Communication System- You can set up a private blog; for example, for your own members or company workers and associates for intra personal communications. Display the latest information there and invite feedback and interaction, even adding surveys.
Hence, blogs can definitely be used in a variety of applications for both business and personal functions. They can serve as interactive tools like discussion boards and message forums or focus on any number of other software features to help a diverse audience interact via a common platform.
