The Blog Studio had an interesting post this morning about the role of design in marketing.
If marketing is a conversation, then design is incredibly important. Here’s why:
In a “real” conversation, there is a huge amount of information being exchanged. The words we speak play only a small percentage in the total exchange.
Think about it. In a face to face conversation, you take in information based on the speaker’s physical appearance.
Think of the difference it would make to the effectiveness of your message if YOU were delivering it to your prospect or client vs some generic spokesperson reading your lines.
Should a company or professional service firm be looking at someone like LexBlog to design and implement a professionally designed marketing blog? I wonder if the off the shelf or generic blog designs really do companies or professional service firms justice. I have been pondering that very question concerning my blog, the Kansas Family and Divorce Lawyer.
Tag: LexBlog Blogging Blogging Tips Solo Tips
Grant –
You know I think the world of you and Kevin. You two are on the cutting edge of blogging. That being said, I do think there is a place for off the shelf blogs.
First, until a firm commits to a blog, it may be an inexpensive way to try it out. By commit, I do not mean saying they want one, but rather, they invest the resources to write good content, link to other blogs, and provide information that will be useful to their clients and potential clients.
Second, while consumers are still learning about blogs, and about law firm blogs, a somewhat homogenous product may be beneficial as consumers will be more comfortable with it. You and I both have seen blogs that make you cringe. Maybe simple will draw in more consumers until they reach a level of sophistication needed to explore beyond their comfort level. (Although there are a lot of customized blogs that sure look the same.)
Third, with the technology changing and updating so quickly, we may need to wait until we reach some sort of plateau before exploring more customized options.
Fourth, I do not think potential bloggers, especially those who have good content, should be scared off by thinking about hiring a professional. Maybe they should start to blog and worry about the details later. It is still something new to most people.
Finally, and this is personal opinion only, I think some bloggers with the fancy sites look down on those without the fancy sites. This "classism" restricts entry into blogging for those who are new or those who cannot afford someone like Kevin. Look at how many blogs have the same "blog roll" and do not add anything new or different, like yours. Maybe there is a place for those who are looked down on to share resources without trying to compete.
Just some of my own thoughts.
Jonathan
Jonathan is right. A custom designed blog is not for everyone and the decision to have one should be thought out completely. But at the same time you should be asking yourself what you are wanting to accomplish by doing a blog. If it is marketing and promoting your firm, maybe a well thought out, professionally designed blog will say a lot about you and your firm. At the same time, I have seen some great "off the shelf" blogs out there. Which is why not everyone has a professionally designed blog and why everyone shouldn't.