During my exchange student program, an online journal was a cost-effective tool for documenting my experience and keeping in touch with my family and friends. Every post was crafted with an excitement to share because my audiences are waiting to read them.
Unlike my online journal, to me, blogging as a professional marketer is comparable to selling a product — my posts. The process goes from positioning – choosing the blog concept and the tone of voice, branding – choosing a theme, promoting –creating traffic and CRM – responding to visitors’ comments.
As writing my last blog related to “Marketing in the 21st Century” class, I had to admit it has been challenging weeks for me. I struggled to find topics to write and how to write critically, worry if there will be any feedback and if the readers can understand and how not to look stupid giving comments to my fellow bloggers. Through all these struggles, however, I found blogging provides valuable aspects to me. It is a good start for a digital marketing student to become a competent digital marketer.
Through blogging, I developed digital literacy and writing skills. I learned that content must be concisely structured. Due to loads of information, readers can give up their reading effort anytime. Writing skills allow me to deliver a message to the audience with clarity when there is a lack of face-to-face conversation. By utilizing appropriate media, it enhances readers’ understanding and creates their interest. Importantly, this will lead to their engagement and comments which are very valuable for me.
I admitted that it is very difficult for me to come up with a ground-breaking idea, even my own style of writing. Attempting to complete each blog, it always leads me to search for new information from different sources. I spent time reading other blogs, news, and articles and quickly evaluate for a trustworthiness of the information. It keeps me being knowledgeable and it is very important for marketers to accumulate their knowledge in order to establish their expertise in a particular field.
Undoubtedly, companies are looking for candidate’s online profile and their digital literacy competency as part of the employment. Even freelance marketer, it is important to have the online presence. The blog helps its author to demonstrate knowledge and showcase the abilities related to the expertise field. For marketers, it shows their ability in influencing a wide audience as well. Moreover, writing blog helps expand an online network. When blog provides valuable information, readers will comment and share.
The caution for marketers is that I think blogs will soon become indistinguishable from other media channels when it is overused.
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DigitalSwift 
Yes, you’re true.
At first, I do not like blogging but when the time passed I got so many benefits from it and I think it is worthwhile to do.
While blogging, I can gain more knowledge from reading new, journal, and article. I can also improve my analytical skill as well as practice my English language.
Honestly, I will continue blogging when I have a free time hahaha.
but I would like to continue blogging about contemporary marketing which I think there is a lot of interesting topic waiting for me to read.
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Sure, a contemporary marketing!! Is there any current topic you plan to write?
I will be happy to share some useful links!!
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It is interesting that you point out about blogging is kind of online network.
From my point of view, I was reading various contents of review and personal journal on the blog. I can reach other’s blog across worldwide. We can share our opinion and see how they will react. It’s amazing, doesn’t it?
Can you forecasting which countries “blogging” will have the biggest network?
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Hi Disarin, to be honest, I am sorry that I cannot find the answer.
I would guess, with the Internet access, there is no longer be term ‘country’.
However, I do believe the trend would be that marketers and customers will interaction to each other more via blog. To my knowledge, blog is created for a niche market meaning more specific content or information to a certain type of customers.
So we can say a blog is a new type of relationship in our marketing world.
However, how long blogging can stand its value when they are overused.
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Absolutely yes! Firstly I hate it but lastly I like it. I can have more knowledge from journals, also other blogs. It helps me love to write more and more.
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So true and accurate in what you said. Blogging gives an opportunity to improve many skills. I’m the one who struggle for two week for writing the first blog. After i passed this step, it made me learn how to do with blog. I read and searched for information which improves my reading skill also. I agree that blogging is a big challenge for me to cross but now, i think both of you, me and our classmates who don’t like blogging at first overcomes this problem. And absolutely, i will continue my blog as much as i can after i finish this course. I will write more about marketing and my life here in Southampton also. How about you?
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Hi Bung, not saying I don’t like to do blog. I actually do, although I also have been struggling with. How do you see the challenges for marketer in using blog as one of their communication tools? What would be benefit for them to be presence in digital world?
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I have found out that what you have mentioned is true. I would like to know your opinion about blogging for company. Do you think that company should have online blogging for communicating with customers ?
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Thank you for your comment, Boonyaporn.
I think it depends on which type of social media they will use to communicate with customers. Regardless of the blogging trend, I would encourage companies to use a blog. Why? I think blogging help to promote an authenticity of the brand or company through less informal discussion. Blog writing is a niche activity and it provide company to reach their customers in a more friendly way by making them feel included. It helps bring your customers closer to the brand.
Some companies use a blog as a linkage between micro-blog (twitter) or Facebook to their Sales page. This is a less intensive way in conveying the message and lead to an actual purchasing decision. Even they do not buy, there is a chance that they like the blog and share with their friends.
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Hey Naim, I think that blog could not be disappearing because it could be connected with social media intensely now. Take Patis attack as an example, I could see a variety of contents shown on Facebook and giving a judgement is related to why ISIS could recuit that many soldiers to join them. Additionally, this content easily drives me to land on their website and read the whole article. The blog marketing could be still useful, but based on choosing the right topic, do you agree with it?
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Yes!!! I agree that we must be selective about what we share. I know it is hard to find the tone of my voice, the important thing to be true to myself. The opinion should be derived from a biased perspective.
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I totally understand your feeling. I did blog on the past few years and it was not easy to find right theme, topic, picture, and all the things. But after passing all hard times then you enjoy blogging without knowing it.
Do you have any ideas on the future blogging? Do you think its gonna remain the same or it might change?
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Thanks for your comment, Tanaporn.
If we are talking about future blogging for marketing. I think many companies will be used as a linking page between social media such as Twitter and Facebook to their official website. Content in the company’s blog will not appeal as a selling tool, but it could be used for sharing interesting content and referring a little to the products itself. This way, customers will not feel they are leading to buying products, but to be offered useful and interesting content.
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YES, these three factors truly help me to become a greater learner on the MOOCs, highly motivation, self-discipline and aggressive contribution. In addition, I also find out that the more useful information you give, the more comment you get. For example, when I attach a link of online article or youtube video to expand the idea, the more positive feedback I got from anther online users.
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I mostly agree with what you have mentioned above, but not with “how blog is going to become indistinguishable from other media channels because of an overused. As i think the core that can make your blog standout of the crowd is the content. If your content is interesting and good enough, then the reader will always find their way to your blog and that will make your blog is distinguishable from others. what do you think?
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You have your point Prinkpraewa. I expect more blogs will be used by
Apart from writing a quality and valuable content, it is also important to gain/maintain your audience by engaging them into the conversation. I have seen several bloggers has a guest blog post. It is when you can have your blogger fellows write a post on your blog. Interesting isn’t it? Moreover, I learned some fun tip from Nadine’s blog. She came up with 10 things we can learn about blogging from Taylor Swift. The similar you and her pointed out is to be “BEING AUTHENTIC IS THE FASTEST WAY TO BUILD YOUR BRAND”.
This link will give you more fun idea.
http://blogbrighter.com/10-things-we-can-learn-about-blogging-from-taylor-swift/
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