To Blog or Not to Blog...
- June 29, 2009
- by Collateral Staff
- Business Tips
- Marketing
Now that you are online and connected to people, how do you build these relationships to better your business and establish yourself as a leader in your field? In the internet world, it's not just about how many connections you have, but the value you have to these contacts. To create value, provide people with information that is of interest to them. How can you do this? One of the best ways is by starting a blog.
What is a blog? A blog is short for "web-log," or essentially an internet journal. There are millions of blogs on the internet, from personal to professional covering every topic under the sun. While a blog is a place to write about anything you want, it can be especially useful as a way to write about what is going on at your company and in the bail industry. The best thing to remember when you start a blog is that it requires work and upkeep. If it is not something you think you will be able to keep up with, ask within your company to see if anyone would be interested in running it - you may be surprised by who volunteers. You can also hire a local college student to write articles for your blog, or even take on an intern. Try to update your blog at least once a week. Readers will lose interest if they never see fresh content on your blog.
How do you begin writing a blog? There are many programs that allow you to start blogging with relative ease. Blogger and Wordpress are the two best known beginning blogging platforms. Of the two, blogger, also known as blogspot, is probably the best way to start. Free and simple to set up, it takes minutes to start blogging. Blogger is owned by Google, so if you already have a Google account, you are already halfway to starting a blog. Blogger is a great way to figure out the ins and outs of blogging and discover if it is something you believe you can manage in the long term. However, it is best to start a blog on your bail agency's website. Blogger is a good way to start, but be prepared to commit to hosting a blog on your agency's website in the long run.
If a regular blog seems daunting or too much work, there are several "micro-blogging" sites on the internet that allow you to share information without having to necessarily write too much original content. The most popular of the "micro-blogging" sites is Twitter. No doubt you have heard much about Twitter in the mainstream media recently with the Iranian revolution being the most recent example of how information can be easily disseminated through Twitter. What exactly is Twitter? Twitter allows you to send out 140-character messages, or "Tweets" to the people that are following you on Twitter. When you are a member of Twitter, you can follow other people that interest you. For example, you can follow AboutBail.com and Collateral at http://twitter.com/aboutbail. To find other people in the bail industry, go to http://search.twitter.com and type in "bail agent" or "Bail bonds" and see what people are talking about. If someone looks interesting, you can follow them and see all their updates.
A good way to find and connect with legal professionals on Twitter is through TweetLaw. TweetLaw is a Twitter application designed specifically for the legal community. You can create an extended profile and then put yourself in up to four categories. People can then look for members or tweets based on the category. It is a good way to connect with not just other bail professionals but also criminal defense attorneys. Twitter is a good way to share interesting articles, relevant information and establish yourself as a professional in the bail industry. Why is it a good idea to establish yourself as a professional in the bail industry on Twitter? Many news outlets are using Twitter as a way of finding sources for news stories, and the relationships you create on Twitter can potentially lead to many opportunities.
Blogging, both in the traditional form or new micro-forms such as Twitter, is a great way to educate the public, increase the chance your company will be found in a web search and establish yourself as a leading professional in the bail industry. This free opportunity to brand yourself further is worth the time and effort if you are willing to put in the time and effort. There is plenty to write about in the bail industry, even if it is just a breakdown of how the bail system works, "interviews" with your staff or how you got started in the bail business. The more you write and share, the more people will learn about the importance of the bail industry.
