Blogging is essential to public relations for several different reasons. The first and most obvious reason is network building. This is a vital part of the communication strategy for public relations practitioners, and blogging is the next big networking tool that PR practitioners should use to their advantage. This is one of the reasons it is very important to use links in your blogs, and hope that others will learn about your blog and include a link to it in their blog. It’s kind of like getting a support group together–you support them and they will support you. It is also important to use sites like blogpulse and technorati so your blog is easily accessible for those searching for a particular subject. Elizabeth Albrycht expands on these ideas here.

When I came across Albrycht’s article, I realized that the article was part of a project regarding blogs and public relations. If this is something that interests you, I would recommend exploring this site.

Another very important thing to understand about blogs is their power to reach the masses. Blogs have become an additional medium for communicators. I came across a fantastic article with some great quotes from blogging and social media expert Don Crowther. Here is one that really stuck out to me:

“What the traditional media doesn’t recognize is that many bloggers, though unrestrained by traditional journalistic methods and ethics, have audiences and actual readership larger than many newspapers, television and radio shows,” Crowther said. “Plus this audience is often more loyal and able to be influenced than that of traditional media, giving bloggers tremendous power to shape opinions, actions and purchasing behavior.”

These days, major companies are contacting bloggers in hopes to win their approval and be mentioned in their blog. Some even go as far as sending free samples, or providing free tickets/press passes to an event, hoping that the blogger will cover it. It is certainly cheaper than advertising, and possibly even more effective because consumers realize that bloggers are real people, which creates a certain level of trust. I would highly recommend checking out Crowther’s website if you are interested in learning the latest PR trends.

Several big companies are catching on and creating their own blogs. For example, Procter and Gamble has experimented with this. Click here to see one of the blogs for yourself.

Controversy usually surrounds topics of new interest, and this one is no exception. I, however, certainly believe that blogs will open many doors for PR practitioners.