Shahar and Nash Boyayan were featured in the
February 2010 issue of Utah Business Magazine on page 23.

Business Blogs 101
Useful Content Attracts Potential Clients by Candace Little

Blogs Help Business: Type “money managers” into Google and MoneyManagersLive.com is in the top four results, a business blog for Paragon Wealth Management. Does a blog at the top of a Google search help Paragon? Absolutely. This Utah business has figured out how to maximize its Web presence with a blog.

 David Young, president of Paragon, says people who find its blog usually end up at the company’s Website, or they go from Paragon’s Website to the blog, creating a steady flow between the two. Clients, prospects, investors and individuals visit Paragon’s blog to learn more about investing in general or to know what actions Paragon is taking in its portfolios.

“For us, it took at least a year to start seeing the benefits of the time and effort we put into [a blog],” says Young. But there’s no question Paragon’s business has benefited from blogging. Young says Paragon gains new clients from blog visitors and he hears a lot of positive feedback from blog readers.

“For our business, regular communication is critical and a blog is a perfect medium for that,” Young says. “It gets our message out to a much larger audience more cost effectively than we could any other way.”  

Blogging: Fad vs. Necessity

John Pilmer, APR, founder and CEO of Pilmer PR, a company specializing in custom public relations and marketing communications campaigns, says having a blog is almost becoming a necessity to survive, not only for his clients but for his own company. “The use of social media is exploding,” Pilmer says. “We realized that blogs are a staple of the social media world, and may be the first place some people go for the latest information. It became apparent that blogs and social media profiles are becoming the new ‘home pages.’ One of the biggest benefits has been to draw traffic to our Website through blog traffic and SEO.”

Pilmer says he sees blogs as a needful way to keep up with today’s fast-paced communication. “Our industry moves quickly, and a blog helps us quickly post news, PR tips and accomplishments. A blog shows our clients that we are up-to-date, and can help their business manage its own effective blog.” The blog also includes links to other articles about communications, social media and business strategies to appeal to current and potential clients, other industry professionals, and members of the business community in Utah and across the country.

Pilmer says blogs are especially effective when immediate two-way communication is the goal, as updates can be posted without needing a Webmaster, and readers can easily give feedback. “Unlike social network updates, blogs have a longer shelf life, and are much more search-engine friendly,” he says.

Pilmer suggests that businesses commit to starting a blog if they want to see results. “Most businesses can benefit from a blog if they are prepared to invest the needed time for a long period of time,” he says. “Even if a company doesn’t have frequent news to tell its audience, it can still use a blog to establish itself as an industry thought-leader, build community and attract new talent.”

Q & A with Blogging Queen Bees

BuzzBooster is a modern marketing agency where mother and daughter team Nash and Shahar Boyayan help businesses market online. Here are a few things they have to say about business blogs:

Q: What types of businesses should start a blog?  Are there any businesses that should not blog?

A: Most businesses would benefit a lot from having a blog and there are many reasons for that like the simple fact that blogs show better in the search engines than Websites do. In an age where the gold rush is to get attention and be found, a blog can be a business’ best friend. Businesses that are extremely regulated have an extra challenge when using blogs. Financial advisors, insurance agents and attorneys would go into that category but even then, there are some exceptions of successful bloggers in those professions.

Q: If a business starts a blog, does it have to use Twitter, Facebook and other online marketing tools?

A: It is better to use only one tool and become really good at it then to try to use everything online and be mediocre. We need to be where our audience is and sometimes that means having a presence in several social media tools. When [a business knows] exactly what they want as the outcome, they can decide which tools to use. Sometimes one will do, sometimes they will need more.

Q: How do you suggest business blogs stay relevant in the world of online media?  

A: A business blog that spends 98 percent of the time providing good content and 2 percent of the time making a soft sale tends to be relevant to its audience for a long time. A blog is the place to show your company has personality, sense of humor and good relevant content to provide. When possible, a company should blog once a day or several times a day. More often will bring more readers, more visibility online, showing better in search engines. [When that is not possible, posts should be made] at least once a week.