Week 9 Part A: Blogs, Vlogs, Podcasts & Webinars

Blogging for an artisanal soap company could help customers navigate the soap industry and make informed decisions about products.  This platform could be used to educate consumers on harmful ingredients and the environmental impact of the soap-making process. For example, Palm oil deforestation is leading to possible extinction for orangutans and harming many other species such as elephants and tigers. Palm oil is a common ingredient in natural soaps. This kind of information could help customers make informed decisions about the products they are buying. I would state why I stopped using palm oil and provide a like to my palm oil free soap.

The blog would also be beneficial in sharing information with readers. If they are concerned about palm oil deforestation, I can direct them to organizations that they can support. I would also provide links on where to buy my products. Linking directly to other pages of my site would help customers search for ingredients, benefits, and other relevant information, products, services, etc. 

Another way a blog could help my business would be through the sharing of personal stories. Personalization helps build trust with customers. I could share the success my family members have experienced since they began using my soap.  I could share a personal story about my toddler who was suffering from eczema and since she has been using my soap her symptoms have cleared. Personalizing my products helps customers to get to know me, my mission, my brand, and why my soap is so effective.   

I think blogging is a great option for estheticians and preschools. Estheticians could blog about skincare techniques, products, active ingredients, and procedures. It would help build customer trust and interest. Preschool blogs could be a great resource for parents and caregivers. The blog could discuss parenting styles, such are command and demand or connect and redirect. There is so much good information on raising toddlers condensing it into bite-size blogs with links to more in-depth information such as books on the topic would be helpful.

A business that may not benefit from blogs would be one that does not have the time or the resources to fully invest in creating a quality blog. If the information is poorly presented, outdated, or messy the business may be better off investing its resources into a more attainable customer engagement activity.