"Blogs Will Change Your Business" declared the front cover of the May 2, 2005 Business Week. Without question, the Web publishing format is gaining popularity as a legitimate new business marketing tool.
A well developed blog provides fresh, updated content and natural links in abundant supply, and it does so in ways that far exceed the capability of other types of web content. Blogs are often the most regularly visited parts of a companies website.
Technologically savvy businesses are using blogs to build relationships with their clients and prospective clients by sharing information, their culture and expertise. However, it doesn't appear that ad agencies are that technology savvy. Instead of leading the way they are often lagging far behind and that is a sad reflection on our industry.
Blogging is an incredible marketing tool for ad agencies own self promotion. The benefits of blog marketing is almost unlimited. Agencies have the ability to draw prospective clients into conversations, giving them an interactive forum on the web. It increases credibility for agency's as an expert in their industry and makes agency's more attractive to their target audiences and in recruiting. It also provides an excellent opportunity to build relationships.
Why aren't more ad agencies blogging? The same old cliches come to mind, agencies don't practive what they preach, the cobblers children have no shoes and ad agencies are their own worst clients. But they are missing out on a great opportunity to demonstrate their own credibility and expertise in a immensly popular new communications medium that would provide them with great dividens especially in the area of new business.