The BLOG Power

Friends, Thank you very much for taking out time from your very busy schedule to read my blog(s). I really feel encouraged after reading your feedback in the comments column. Friends, presenting 64th blog titled “The BLOG Power”.

Friends, did you know the first blog was created in 1994? And in 2021 around 6 million blog posts are published every day that means over 4000 blogs a minute including the one you’re reading now. Blogging, which was once looked at as a hobby, has now become an important marketing tool as most of the professionals like me and most of the trades are using blogging to directly grow their bottom line. Today, the world of blogging has transformed from obscure personal blogs to a space for activities and businesses of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Having a blog is the single most important thing an individual or a business can do to advance online. Word Press, Tumblr, Blogger, and Medium are the key blogging websites.

Back in 1996, Bill Gates made a bold prediction that content would be where the real money would be made on the internet. Flash forward 25 years, 85% of the marketers are planning to increase their content marketing budget in 2021, much of which will be focused on their blog. Blog is a social media phenomenon which evolved together with the Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is the term used to describe a variety of web sites and applications that allow anyone to create and share online information or material they have created. A key element of the technology is that it allows people to create, share, collaborate & communicate. The term Web 2.0 was coined by Darcy DiNucci in 1999 and later popularized by Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty at the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 Conference in late 2004.

Around 25 years ago the conversation between brands and consumers was rather one-sided, with brands dominating the conversation. Fortunately a lot has changed since then. The beginning of the internet in 1995, and then social media in 2004, has led to a huge shift in consumer expectations. Now clients are able to interact directly with their businesses in real-time. When a blog makes its readers agree to its content then it makes them more approachable and communicable. A blog is a perfect place to interact with our target audience, existing and the potential one, through comments.

Friends, Blogging isn’t easy; it’s a commitment and it takes time. I take around 3-5 days and sometime even more to write a blog. But, I love writing blog as I strongly believe that blog gives me a platform to showcase my knowledge and expertise about the field I’m working in, and to dive into issues that are important for my target readers. Blog also gives me ample space to discuss in-detail about a topic of interest, like the one you’re reading now. .

Blogging also helps me get discovered via social media. Every time I write a blog post I share it on digital (social) media networks that I’m using frequently i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Whatsapp, which helps me to reach out new audiences that may not know me yet. My Blog post also helps keep my social media presence going and further strengthening my social reach with blog content and driving new visitors to my blog post via above mentioned social media channels.

 

Friends, Blogs are usually written by the individuals like me and said to be suitable for the digital natives, to which some refer as “Generation C” which represents people that are born after 90’s and is empowered by the digital technology. This is why ‘C’ stands for connected, always clicking, communicating, creative or content-centric and belong to the largest categories of the internet users, which are between 15-45 years old as these users participate on the internet by reading and writing the content. Young people are nowadays highly engaged on the internet where they can freely express their opinions. It is also predicted that Generation C will continue increasingly consume digital information in order to simplify and improve their lives. It is clear that Generation C is the ‘engine’ of the digital era. Nevertheless, there is also the evidence that people above 50 years, like myself,  have experience with the creation of internet content, too. This means that due to various user-friendly tools on the internet, almost everybody can become a blogger, like me.  

 

Friends, Blog communicate your brand effectively, build your credibility and authority on the subject and help frame your expertise on the topic. A great blog, like the one you’re reading now, shows that your brand has its own unique personality, has tons of interesting information to knowledge-drop, and is worth spending time with. Blogging for me has been a path to not only to self expression but self fulfillment that has become a journey of self discovery. I have found what works for me and what doesn’t. I write about topics that resonate with my field of interest and purpose while keeping focused and relevant. It is an exciting time for me to live where I can connect to my global tribe with rich multimedia that transcends time and place and that is the Power of BLOG and BLOGGING.

We all now have the power in our hands to make a difference and maybe leave a legacy. If you embrace this global and interactive social mind by participating actively you will be surprised and amazed as to where it will take you. Happy Blogging.

Thanks for your precious time to read the blog.

Suresh Gaur P R Guru

Doctors of Letters (Honoris Causa)

D. Litt. in Public Relations