Starting Fresh with Blogging

                Prior to this class, I had aspired to create a blog, but due to lack of knowledge, time and motivation to sit down and learn how to create one, I was unsuccessful. My first blog was created using “blogspot.com”. Initially, the set up was relatively easy because it automatically connected to the Google account I had previously had set up. However, after the initial set up, I found it rather complicated to customize my blog and rearrange the little widgets and features. As a whole, blogspot.com could be more user friendly, although, most social networking sites are not overly user friendly initially do to the user being unfamiliar to the site. Overall, blogspot could be more user friendly, but in the end, if the user has time to figure out the site, they will be fine.

While searching for business blogs to browse through, I realized that a vast majority of the blogs I came across were blogs regarding personal stories, traveling, food blogs, and inspirational collections of words, pictures and quotes. These examples I came across are the general impression I originally had of blogging prior to meddling in the world of blogs. When I finally reached some business-related blogs, I was surprisingly shocked with the results.

                After reading different blogs from the internet as well as fellow classmates’ blogs, I have determined that blogs can allow businesses to become more connected with the consumers in the sense that it allows for customers to see what companies, or executives in companies are doing. As a John Deere intern this summer, I have been consistently keeping up with Samuel Allen’s, Deere’s CEO, blog. His blog can be found at. Customers can feel as though they have more connection to a company or certain individual since blogs are essentially diaries or glimpses in to the mind(s) of people or companies.

                How to effectively employ a blog is definitely an aspect of interest for a company. In my limited experience and knowledge of blogs, I have not come across several companies that blog until I researched and found that Sweet Leaf Tea (http://sweetleafteablog.com/), Stonyfield Farm (http://www.stonyfield.com/blog) and even Disney Parks (http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/ ) are all regarded as some of the best blogs on the internet. I was impressed with the frequency and the detail these companies incorporated within the blogs. Not only were the blogs visually appealing, but the content seemed interesting as well.

                While exploring company blogs, I realized that the blogs allow customers and viewers to have a glimpse in to the culture, and the company activity. Providing this depth will ultimately allow the customers to feel closer connected to the company, or individuals within the company. Despite the massive benefit of customers being able to peer in to the company through a diary-like portal that blogs provide. With the numerous benefits and impressive aspects blogs provide for companies, blogging is not as interactive with customers as other social media platforms such as Twitter, or Facebook. Blogs also seem very hard to attract consumers too. Unless I was a John Deere intern, I most likely would not have took interest in Samuel Allen’s blog, nor would I have any knowledge that the blog exists.

Blogging can obviously be very beneficial for a company, and is intriguing for a college student who is looking to begin a personal blog regarding her experiences while traveling abroad and through internships, I don’t know if I would consider blogging to be the MOST beneficial tool for reaching out to consumers.