What is a blog? Who reads these things?

A blog, by definition is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and weblinks. It is a mixture of what is happening in a person’s life, and what is happening on the web. It could be the story of your business.

According to Tech PR firm Hotwire, a recent survey of internet shoppers found that web-based reviews from somebody believed to be independent were considered almost as reliable a source as newspapers. Information gathered from blogs was rated only a little less reliable; still considered twice as trustworthy as TV advertisements.

Despite the respect blogs can generate, businesses have been slow to adopt it. Only about 10% of large U.S. companies maintain one. But some analysts expect a jump to 20% in the next three years.

A blog allows you to speak with customers. You can use it to answer questions, gather feedback and spread information. It can be valuable information best written by someone with a passion for your service/product. The best entries help clients do their jobs better.

Not convinced to check it out? Blogs cannot be ignored because they could be talking about your business, to your employees, or leaking confidential information. An overwhelming majority of information broadcast out is digital- photos from camera phones, PowerPoint, government filings, billions of emails, even digital phone messages. With a couple of clicks, every one of these items can be broadcast into the blogosphere by anyone with an Internet hookup. And the kicker- blog posts can exist on the Web practically forever.

Not all the news is disturbing. Potential customers are out there, and some companies have discovered certain posts (such as revelations about a new product) can boost sales. Shoppers are accustomed to dealing with people rather than machines, so your blog could possibly be the ‘face' of your online store. This may be the ‘marketing' that keeps shoppers checking back to your site.