Today, we thought it would be good to debate the pros and cons of having a blog on your website. We have noticed that a huge number of companies now have a blog on their page. Do blogs really work? Are customers reading the blogs or are they a waste of time, resources and space?

We have had clients who believe their blogs are a waste and that there is little point in having a blog. In our experience we would have to say that blogs are an excellent device for regular sharing of valuable content. The problem with many blogs is that they do not share valuable content and often they are populated by uninteresting articles that do little for the company or the brand.

As a way of helping you to improve your blog and the number of followers it has, here are some simple tips which take you back to the basics of blog writing.

Blogs should have a theme. The theme of your blog is not what it is called, and it is not the same as the theme or brand of your company. Your blog should add something new to the information already on your website, it should not duplicate it.

A blog is an online journal or diary. If you have a look at some popular blogs online, in any given subject, the one thing they all have in common is that they share information that is new or presented in a different way. The articles are informative, helpful, engaging or interesting. Some blogs achieve all of these things with every article!

It is a myth that the most popular blogs are done by writers or by people who are hobbyists or enthusiasts. There are many blogs which are part of healthy thriving businesses. And there are some blogs that have become so popular, they have become businesses.

The reason these blogs succeeded is because they provided a service, targeted at the right people, and the content was good enough to keep them coming back, to engage them to respond, and to build a relationship with them.

When people read your blog, they should feel as though they are being spoken to by a trusted colleague or friend. Not reading an impersonal text book. That’s the biggest mistake most bloggers make. They do not give their blog a tone of voice. Instead they just regurgitate information about the company and hope for the best.

It is no surprise that some many blogs fail to reap rewards and results for companies. If you want to improve your blog, we suggest you start following and reading other blogs. This will give you a great sense of the good, the bad and the ugly!