How would you like to be a “fly on the wall” to hear what your customers are saying about your company? How valuable would it be to engage your clients in a daily conversation about how you could serve them better? What if there were an inexpensive way to create fresh buzz for your products on the Internet? And what if, in the process of doing all this, you bumped up your business Web site’s search ranking?

These are some of the advantages Central Iowa businesses can realize by adding Web logs, or blogs, to their toolbox of communications channels, said Mike Sansone, a former content manager for America Online who launched a Clive-based copywriting consulting business in April.

“When I was building online communities for AOL and other Internet start-ups (in Chicago), one of the goals was to give the consumer a sense of ownership in the discussion,” Sansone said. “With blogs, the consumer now has ownership of their conversation. A business person who engages in that conversation is going to be able to extend their reach into the marketplace.”

Clients of his consulting business, Copywriting Solutions, “are always asking how to improve their Web search results,” he said. “As I did searches, I saw blogs come up more and more. My feeling is, ‘Let’s cut to the chase; let’s get businesses started on blogs now.”

The number of people “talking” through blogs is increasing. An estimated 9 percent of Internet users in the United States – about 11 million adults — say they have created blogs, and 25 percent say they’re blog readers, according to a survey of more than 2,800 Internet users conducted earlier this year by the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press.

Among the major corporations that have launched blogs to engage their customers are General Motors Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and The Boeing Co., as well as Fast Company and Forbes magazines. And within the past two months, both Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. have introduced blog search engines that enable users to specifically find content that’s been posted on blogs. Other Web search engines, among them IceRocket and Technorati, also specialize in blog searches.

Though the majority of blogs written by Iowans are driven by politics, hobbies or sports, Sansone is among a small corps of bloggers in the state focusing on the potential businesses applications.

Blogs are usually formatted as a series of short articles with links to other articles or Web sites. They tend to be both more conversational in tone than traditional Web sites and easier to respond to.

Using an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) reader such as FeedDemon, Newsgator or MyYahoo! to automatically receive new content from selected Web sites and blogs is a good way for businesses to begin the conversation, Sansone said.

“A lot of people are calling these ‘ego searches,’ but I’m not doing it to see how high my name ranks, I’m doing it to see who’s talking about me and what they’re saying,” he said.

“Step one is listening to your customers,” he said. “The next important thing is engage in that conversation by participating in conversations or creating (a blog) yourself.”

Roth & Co. P.C. is among a handful of Greater Des Moines companies that have established blogs.

“It really started out with an electronic newsletter that we sent out to our clients and friends,” said Joe Kristan, a shareholder with the public accounting firm. “The format was fairly blog-like with short articles. I thought it would be a lot easier to send out something like that rather than the old client letters that would probably end up in the wastebasket.”

Kristan said his firm’s blog averages about 300 visitors a day.

“A lot of it is people Googling and finding old posts,” said Kristan, who estimates he spends about an hour a day updating the site. “One of the most popular posts has been a photo of the Maybach (luxury car). I think it is a good way for a small firm to get the word out, and in a way that’s relatively inexpensive. You always appreciate links, and I try to link freely to other people when I see something interesting and hope they’ll link back to me.”

The Iowa Telecommunications Association, which represents 151 telephone companies across the state, plans to develop a blog as part of an update to its Web site, said ITA President Dave Duncan.

“We just thought it was something we need to take a look at,” Duncan said. “We represent telecommunications companies across the state, and we rely on communications. So we thought it was important to have it on our Web site. Our Web site is geared toward our employees and members. … We think the blogs would be initially dealing mostly with them. But like anything, when you start an initiative, you never know where it’s going to go.”

Andy Priestley, managing partner of Dynamic Webware Solutions LLC, said a side benefit of blogging is that it can boost a Web site’s search engine rankings. In the information technology industry, the word “blog” is often half-jokingly said to be an acronym for “Best Loved on Google,” he said.

“Google loves constantly changing content,” Priestley said. “Google loves large amounts of text. Google loves links. In general, Google loves blogs. That’s a major selling point for Iowa businesses.”

J. Christian Connett, an Indianola-based project management consultant who maintains several blogs, said he has assisted a number of individuals in establishing blogs. His primary business-oriented blog is Iowa Business 101 (www.iowabusiness101.com/blog/).

“My Iowa Business 101 blog has really taken off, and it’s permitted me to communicate with a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t have known about my business,” said Connett, who provides tips on blogging as well as design and programming. “It definitely gets read. Basically what we’re giving (users) is free information.”

Another of Connett’s sites, www.blogsoda.com , provides a hosting and design environment that allows businesses or individuals to post a free blog, using a design of their choice. He has a half-dozen clients who pay $4.95 per month for a custom-designed blog on which they can post ads for revenue.

“Blogs are basically a conversation platform with your customers,” Sansone said. “If you don’t engage in a conversation with your customers, someone else will. The most engaging businesses are going to win out.”

Connett and Sansone are now collaborating on building a new blog that will focus on cataloging and linking to all known Iowa-based blogs. That blog is slated to be launched with the next month.

On Dec. 8, Sansone will host two free informational sessions for businesses interested in learning more about using blogs. For more information or to register, visit www.LetsBuildaBlog.com or contact Sansone at mike@copywritingsolutions.com or by phone at 778-8527.

SUGGESTED BUSINESS BLOG FORMATS:

CEO BLOG  A principal of the business writes about what is going on within the company and in the industry, or about current events that affect the market.

TOUR GUIDE BLOG   Often used to give the audience a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing projects. Also to give insight and introductions to the people or particulars that make things tick.

EXPERT BLOG   A great way for independent contractors, consultants or a small business to position themselves as an expert within a niche market.

FAQ BLOG   Don’t just guess at the questions/answers your customers have. Let them ask in a dynamic way.