Good question and this response may actually need to end up as separate blog post. Personally, I would say that a blog is never fundamentally necessary for the success of an online business. With a good SEM strategy that includes solid SEO, aggressive Link Building, PPC and Social networking, you can find success without incorporating a company blog into the overall strategy.

As each client, their resources and their objectives are different you really have to carefully evaluate when to recommend a blog on a case by case basis. I would say that these are some factors that should be taken into consideration before making a recommendation:

Resources – If the company is a small organization, then they more then likely do not have a marketing department or someone within their company that can dedicate the time needed to write on a regular basis. Some questions to ask: Do they have someone within their company that is a good writer, or several individuals that can contribute regularly? Can they dedicate several hours a week to preparing content for the blog? Do they like to write?

Content – It is also important to determine if the client will have content that they can regularly add to their blog. Some questions you might ask are: Do they release new products and/or services often? Do they attend trade shows and conferences? Do they frequently add new clients? Do they regularly send out press releases? Do they have a company newsletter? Do they have multiple offices? Do they ever publish articles in trade magazines? Does their industry seen regular changes in pricing, marketing, regulations, etc? If their answer is no, then they may be hard pressed to find good content to post.

Competition – If they are in a competitive market, and if their main competitors are utilizing blogs, then it is something they should definitely consider. Not only does it assist them with generating inbound links and possibly increased organic exposure, it also prevents their competitors from having a competitive edge with their blog. However, the client would still need to be able to dedicate the resources and have good content for their blog.

Desire – Finally, when it comes down to it, the client really has to want to have a blog. If they are hesitant, unsure, or not 100% behind the idea, then chances are they will soon lose interest, stop updating it and the blog will eventually be forgotten.

I’m sure I may have missed other criteria and would be interested in other comments or responses.

When do you find it “right” to recommend a blog to a client….vs……a client that just “shouldn’t go there”.

What I mean is…

In what circumstance is a blog fundamental necessity to one’s business? A minor recommendation…..or, red flag?

Looking forward to your response.

Clint