Blogging is the new journalism and offers a liberated and self-publishing medium for individuals and companies alike. However, the B2B world has been slow to catch on especially in the dog-eat-dog world of the SME. Blogs also have phenomenal influence on the search engines and can provide a quick method for bolstering site position, traffic levels and site awareness.

Many Impress clients seem reluctant to embrace blogging. Perhaps it is just due to ignorance of a medium that can have profound benefits for their company sites. Clients are rightly obsessed by search engine optimisation and seem to be willing to spend a small fortune on adding keywords, links and new content in a forlorn hope of getting a first page listing on Google. The SEO freaks will no doubt be throwing their arms in the air with rage when I state that, in my experience, adding a Blog to a company site has far more instant benefits than any of the established SEO techniques.

Justification for this statement is only borne out of experience. Impress manage countless websites and all our clients want a primary position on key terms. By their very nature, the most popular terms are inevitably the most generic and this is where a reality check is needed. With the volume of sites competing for front page position, not every company can achieve this goal no matter how much effort or money is spent on keywords or links. I Wish this were not true as I could make many of my clients very happy if adding a few keywords and links could put them near the top of the natural listings.

Switch back to the power of the blog. My last entry featured Kevin Roberts 'Lovemarks' phenomena and I was contacted by Kevin's PR within 24 hours of posting the blog. Remember that Kevin is the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi and probably one of the most controversial marketing figures on the planet. No marketing  medium in the world enables me to establish direct contact with such an individual in such a short timescale; I would never get through to him by phone, but the Blog prompted an instant response. The complimentary copy of his latest book duly arrived from the US a few weeks later and an email interview has been agreed once I have finished reading the book.

Cut to an Impress pitch for a new website on behalf of Bodyline Books, the world's leading supplier of Wisden's. Those who know me will be aware that I love cricket with a passion so I really do want to win this pitch more than most. On a visit to Bodyline's premises in Farnham, I was like a child in a sweet shop confronted by literally hundreds of Wisden's including a copy of the very first edition. The guys that run Bodyline Books are looking to rebuild their site and secure a front page listing on Google for the niche areas they specialise in. Without doubt, these guys are the worldwide authorities on Wisden's, cricket books and other areas of sports memorabilia. They have expert knowledge and information unique to their company and clientele. I have strongly advocated the introduction of a Blog to their new website and hope to the cricketing gods in the sky that I win this pitch.

The case is the same for many Impress clients who possess unique and inspirational information that will find resonance with key target markets. At no point am I suggesting that established SEO techniques should not be embraced, but if you really want to communicate online, join the Blogging revolution that represents yet another level in the evolution of the Internet.

It's a rainy Wednesday night in Somerset and my cosy apartment is filled with the music of my beloved Sisters of Mercy. Outside, the first taste of winter upon the wind and a sleepy silence. The Sisters is the band that I love the most in the world. A band that for an all too brief few years touched the highest echelons of brilliance; lyrically intelligent with the subtle touch of a poet perhaps wasted on the pop medium; live - an exhilarating head rush of adrenalin that stole my heart every time, even the bands' logo, house font (Caslon Antique) and sleeve designs appealed to my design sensibilities even way back then in the pre-Apple era and only added to their magnificence in my minds eye.

So. What has this got to do with Impress, marketing and brand? Well, surfing the web I came across the Saatchi & Saatchi website and, more importantly Lovemarks (www.saatchikevin.com), the brainchild of the companies CEO - Kevin Roberts. For those who don't know, Lovemarks is a concept, a spirit and a 'vision thing' that looks beyond the brand. In his own words, "Lovemarks are brands that inspire loyalty beyond reason. People love them because of what they are, not because of what they do. Their appeal is emotional. Companies may own brands. But Lovemarks are owned by the people who love them."

And this is just the beginning. Within a few clicks I am reading some of the most inspiring marketing stuff ever written. The transcript's of Kevin's speeches just cut straight through all the crap and banish many traditional theories to the trash can where I have long believed they belong. Just check this out -

Management is a fallen hero. Doing things right, does not sustain enterprise. Nor does leadership, doing the right things. The message from the freezer box of business is that inspiration is the killer app.  That while none of us is as strong as all of us, it is the power of one that ignites. You are here today because as individuals you have the courage to make a difference in your respective fields. As instigators. As inspirers. As activators. After 35 years in business on four continents, my haka to you is to be an inspirational player. To be "in spirit". I ask you to inspire life. That means doing more than managing and leading. It means going to the end of the earth for what you believe in.

This is just for starters and I hope Kevin does not object to my cut and paste job from his text. His site is a revolution, an explosion of ideas, passions and expressions of the human spirit that is a 'must read' for every entrepreneur, marketer or brand manager, sole trader or company director. It warms the heart and is a rock-solid affirmation for all those great motivations which inspire anyone to start, run or manage a business.

On a personal note as MD of Impress, it is poignant stuff as I work with countless clients many of whom are having a tough time at the moment. Cashflow, economic uncertainty, staff problems; I hear it all and experience it myself on a daily basis. As their marketing agency, I urge positivity, visionary treatment of customers, aspirational values and unconditional dedication to the respective cause. It's hard, bloody hard especially for the SME market. Consumers, that most fickle of bunches, just want to feel loved over and over again. We are all human beings and love to be loved. Business is no longer just a functional transition. It is an emotional environment where feeling valued is king. Win the love and you win the dollar.

And so, The Sisters play on and on and I have now listened to all three original albums from start to finish. Joyous. This is the band that inspired me to write and publish my first fanzine which somehow (by default) dragged me into the marketing world in the first place.  

Each CD is being re-released this month. I already have the vinyl, the promos, the Japanese imports and Christ knows what else, but I have already ordered the remastered and repackaged versions from HMV. And all because I love and I will always love The Sisters of Mercy. Get it? Loyalty beyond reason.....