Why Blogs Should Interest The Channel

I started blogging a few months after Synnex bought my company, EMJ Data, because I wanted to increase communication with my staff. My blog now is read by customers, vendors and strangers interested in self development.

Based on my experience, here are my “10 Rules of Blogging” plus some thoughts about why you, as a channel participant, might want to blog:

1. Have a theme. This attracts readers and provides a framework. I chose “Time Leadership” because I have had a long interest in the use of time and published an audio book on time management.

2. Blogging obligates you to do more blogging. If you have a lot of people reading your blog, they expect to see new material. I blog about five or six days per week and occasionally skip a day, but not often.

3. Blogging is a two-way street. You must respond to comments. The larger the blog following, the more comments you&'ll get.

4. Blogging takes time. One of my time rules is, if I add something to my schedule that takes time, I need to delete something that takes the same amount of time. For me, blogging takes about 15 to 20 minutes per day.

5. Be legal. Be careful not to give away information that could be considered to be business confidential. There have been cases where people have lost their job because the company does not like what has been said in a blog. Anyone can read your blog: your customer, your supplier, your competitor, your boss, your mom. That said, don&'t lose edginess or controversy, they boost readership.

6. Keep a file of ideas to inspire you.

7. Provide links. People who read blogs tend to like clicking on interesting topics to go right to the Web page with that information.

8. Only start blogging if you like to write.

9. Be authentic. It would be hard to have a ghost writer do a blog. One attraction for readers is a blog offers glimpses into other people&'s lives.

10. Be patient. Don&'t expect 10,000 readers the first month. Readership grows over time.

Blogs are cool and topical. Blogging is a phenomenon you should understand. What better way to learn about something than to participate in it?

So why would a VAR blog? Mainly, it can be a great way to communicate. Communication helps to influence. Because reading a blog is strictly optional, it is a less intrusive and more subtle way of making your views known. Your staff is a good target since they are likely to actually read it. But blogs also can be a way to communicate with customers and prospects. Clearly, the more customers hear from you, the more apt you are to influence them to buy from you. One challenge: Hoping prospects will simply find your blog without marketing it is like expecting them to randomly dial a phone number to buy from you. Good suppliers also will research you before they try to sell to you. A blog can inform them on what you are about.

Blogs can sway a market or present a view. If you have a message you want to get out there, a blog can be one way to do it. The good news is, it&'s free to blog if you use one of the myriad of free suppliers. The only cost is your time—which can be considerable, though, so think before you start.

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