The National e-Commerce Extension Initiative
Southern Rural Development Center
Internet Strategies to Improve Farm Business Management
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The 'Blog'


A relatively new form of communication is the "blog." It's a funny-sounding word, but it may be an important communication tool for you to include on your website. The term "blog" is actually short for "web log." A blog provides brief news or updates on your website. Blog entries are frequently short and direct. Bloggers provide the date and time of their postings. You may be able to allow others to post responses to your blog entries. Use careful judgment to decide if that's what you really want to allow. It's quite possible that someone posts something you don't want to be seen on your site. Unacceptable language, comments about your business or your competitors, or items that are completely unrelated may not be desirable. As an alternative, you might consider inviting all responses to be sent to you in email form. Some blog software or services also allow you to review a blog response before it is posted. This way, you can filter it with a quick read and a click of a button. For more on blogs, search for "blog FAQ" or "business blog FAQ."

 
Farm Blogs

A blog can be a nice way to allow the public, including your customers, to get to know you and the business. Rooster Hill Farm's (http://www.roosterhillfarm.com) website includes a blog that is updated just about every day. Some of their entries from March 2006 cover the farm dog's pedigree, a recently published story about the farm, and the experience of a warm spring-like morning on the farm.

These notes serve as great public relation tools, letting people know about agriculture, generally, and Rooster Hill Farm, specifically. It's obvious, though, that the farm family is committed to providing a blog entry almost every day. Some days, there are two entries.

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Web site and all contents © Copyright SRDC 2009, All rights reserved.
CSREES These materials were developed as part of the Southern Rural Development Center’s National e-Commerce Extension Initiative. They are based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 2005-45064-03212

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Southern Rural Development Center.
 

For Questions or Comments, contact Shannon Turner.