Sometimes the only thing that seems to stay the same in the social media world, is that it is constantly changing. Facebook and other social networks constantly update their look, add features, and generally confuse the rest of us with a dazzling array of change, change, change.

While this might whet the appetite of the early adopters, keen to stay on top of the very latest technological advances, the rest of us might not be as happy with yet another “thingy” to figure out. Personally I’m very happy to let a big tech corporation update and advance their technology, but I prefer to have the benefit of their work be in the background, so I can focus on my work and make a living. Also, it’s obviously easier to focus on ONE thing rather that 20 things that keep changing.

Maybe it’s just because I’m male, but it’s challenging to keep up with 20 social network platforms that don’t stay still! Blogging, however, has essentially stayed the same over the years.  And blogging is a crucial part of keeping your company on top in search results. Additionally, a well setup blog can be the hub of an effective marketing plan and simplify any corporate social media effort.

A key, key aspect of blogging, is that you OWN it. Marketing exclusively on Facebook or other free platforms is risky if that’s the only marketing plan you have. Why? Facebook owns everything you put out. Ask yourself this very important question: Do you pay Facebook for your Page? For your personal profile? No, you don’t. Facebook can literally yank your page at any time. Same with Twitter or LinkedIn.

But a blog is different, especially if you are paying for the domain and hosting. It can’t just be taken away because someone complains or flags your content. Wouldn’t you rather own your content, and retain the ability to push content out to the same social networks you have now as a “distribution campaign?” Keep in mind, posting something on Facebook has a shelf life of about 1 hour. It’s soon gone, pushed out of sight by a constant stream of content. Blogs are consistently located in one spot (owned by you) and are easier to find in search results today, tomorrow and in the far future.

I recommend looking over your activities and start writing about what you do every day. Give people a taste of your company and how you help people. Give away free tips. Help someone every day and write about it. Interview other people in your industry and give them a platform to promote how they help others too. Do it every day, but at least once a week. Technically, there are some really good reasons to blog which I’ll get into in later posts. For an overview of social media, watch my free webinar, Demystifying Social Media for Business, which includes a section on blogging that might be helpful to the novice.