TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Because many small firms can't cultivate mass marketing budgets to execute their branding and marketing strategies, they turn to blogging and social media sites. To use the blogosphere effectively, companies must first identify which blogs its target audience reads, which can be accomplished via Technorati.com or blogsearch.google.com. Next, small firms can either buy advertising or ask blogs or consumer sites to review company products. Another option for small firms is to become a blog participant, either through consistent comments on pages or by linking to target blogs. Becoming an active participant in the blogging conversation is vital, as bloggers are more likely to write about a product or service if a company representative has posted comments on their page. "Getting a blogger to write about your company before you participate on their blog is like asking a person to marry you without a first date," says Denise Wakeman, co-founder of the Blog Squad, a consulting firm that advises businesses on how to use blogs as part of an online marketing strategy.

Source: Wall Street Journal (03/17/08) P. R5; Banjo, Shelley
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