What is a blog?
You’ve no doubt heard about blogs recently and some of you may even have personal blogs that you keep up with. For the uninitiated, blogs are basically websites that can be changed easily and frequently with the most recent content staying at the top of the page. Blogs began in the ‘90s and were officially called “blogs” in 1999. Wow, blogging was born less than 10 years ago!
When they first started, blogs were mainly a place where tech-savvy teens kept an online diary, divulging to the world – or anyone who would read – the intimate details of their lives. However, in the past several years, blogging has become much more mainstream. So much so, that even corporate CEOs (like Craigslist.org’s Craig Newmark) and enormous companies (Delta Airline’s – Beneath the Wing Blog) have their own blogs now.
Blogs have evolved into a medium where you can connect with your customers in a much more personal way than standard advertising or even your current website can. Blogs represent the opportunity for two-way communication between you and your customers. You begin by posting about a certain topic and your customers can respond back to you. This kind of open and honest conversation can give your customers a deeper knowledge of your organization and you might even walk away with a good idea or two that has come from your customers.
Below are some examples of travel-related blogs that you should check out:
- HoliBlog – A local example, this is Holiday World’s blog
- American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) – they have integrated blogs into their website
- Travel 2.0 – Interactive Trend Report – Joint venture between Oregon and Arizona Tourism
- Marketing on the Smart Web – Owner of Buhlerworks, a Tourism Consulting company
- Destination Development Blog – Roger Brooks’ company blog
My next post will talk more about different blogging platforms as well as how and why YOU should be blogging!
The Tourism Tech Corner has a new home!
The Tourism Tech Corner Blog has now moved. Don’t worry, we’re still going to bring you great tips about Social Media, Web Marketing and Technology in the Tourism Industry, we’ll just be doing it at a new location (http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/techcorner/).
Be sure to Bookmark the new Visit Indiana Blog. If you’ve already subscribed to the blog through our RSS feed or via Email, you don’t need to worry, you’ll keep receiving updates like you always have. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can get updates sent to you via RSS or Email.
