Blogging (blog comes from the term Web log which is similar to an online diary) is a marketing tool many businesses foolishly do not use. When a blog is done well it creates a conversation between you and your client community, driving traffic to your site as the result of search engine results. You can share news about your business, information and resources and ask for input from readers. Blogging is easy and not necessarily time-consuming.
You should already have a Web site for your business, so adding a blog won't be difficult for your web manager or hosting company. It is generally just an additional feature. While we can't do an overview of every software package that includes blog add-ons, whomever is managing your site for you should be able to do this without problems. If they cannot do this for you or you don't have a Web site, there are free blogging tools on the Internet. Blogger, Wordpress and Typepad are all user-friendly and you can simply have a link from your main site to the blog. The sites vary in how much you can customize a blog, so start off with a simple template.
Plan on posting to you blog no less than one time per week, but you can post daily or more if you want. Most blog posts are a few paragraphs, 200-600 words total. Blogging establishes you as an expert so write about what you know. If you are a hair salon owner, write about beauty trends. If you are an accountant, write about all things money: making it, saving it, investing it. But be consistent. Over time you will build a following if you keep putting out content that answers the question "what do my customers want to know?"
Be sure you link to other sites within your blog posts. The dry cleaner might link to club soda giant Schwepps, the restaurant to Gallo as appropriate in the site. Why is this important? When someone does a search for Schwepps or Gallo, your article is likely to pop up, driving traffic to your blog and thus, your Web site and you.
When you are blogging, remember to encourage comments from your readers. Using open-ended questions at the end of a blog post increases the likelihood readers will comment in your discussion area. The more engaging your site, the more often people will return and the more likely they are to link to your site which will increase your traffic.
When you add a "blogroll" to your site, you improve your online relationships and goodwill. A blogroll is a list of links to other blogs that are appropriate to your readers and which you recommend. Doing so provides an additional service to your customers and builds rapport with other leaders in your industry.
Add images and videos. A graphically pleasing blog draws more repeat readers. You can get free or low cost (generally around $1.00 or less) images at several sites. Search "free and low-cost images" to find some of these vendors. Once you download your image you can store it off your hard drive at a site like Flickr or Photobucket and use the URL to add the image. Videos can be found online and will generally have an "embed" feature that gives you HTML code to allow you easily embed the video in your site. Use these judiciously. An article about raising capital lends itself to an image of money. An article about productivity might feature a video of your favorite motivational speaker.
You may be frustrated by this article because you feel you cannot write or you do not have the time. Don't worry! There are plenty of affordable, professional writers available. Posts will run between $5-$15 each, or less, and you can purchase in a monthly package to drive down costs even further. Most "probloggers" can handle everything including adding images, tags and categories for you as well as review your comments. Go to freelancing sites like GetaFreelancer or Elance to shop for a writer. Prepare to communicate with them quite a bit in the beginning until they understand your "voice" (how you, personally, would present the information).
Blogging is a must if you are trying to get your name "out there". It can help get you noticed by improving traffic, helps you build relationships with others in your field and customers and also establishes you as an expert. Additionally, you provide a legitimate service to your readers. Blogging, which can be fun and easy, is an additional marketing tool you can add to your toolbox.
You should already have a Web site for your business, so adding a blog won't be difficult for your web manager or hosting company. It is generally just an additional feature. While we can't do an overview of every software package that includes blog add-ons, whomever is managing your site for you should be able to do this without problems. If they cannot do this for you or you don't have a Web site, there are free blogging tools on the Internet. Blogger, Wordpress and Typepad are all user-friendly and you can simply have a link from your main site to the blog. The sites vary in how much you can customize a blog, so start off with a simple template.
Plan on posting to you blog no less than one time per week, but you can post daily or more if you want. Most blog posts are a few paragraphs, 200-600 words total. Blogging establishes you as an expert so write about what you know. If you are a hair salon owner, write about beauty trends. If you are an accountant, write about all things money: making it, saving it, investing it. But be consistent. Over time you will build a following if you keep putting out content that answers the question "what do my customers want to know?"
Be sure you link to other sites within your blog posts. The dry cleaner might link to club soda giant Schwepps, the restaurant to Gallo as appropriate in the site. Why is this important? When someone does a search for Schwepps or Gallo, your article is likely to pop up, driving traffic to your blog and thus, your Web site and you.
When you are blogging, remember to encourage comments from your readers. Using open-ended questions at the end of a blog post increases the likelihood readers will comment in your discussion area. The more engaging your site, the more often people will return and the more likely they are to link to your site which will increase your traffic.
When you add a "blogroll" to your site, you improve your online relationships and goodwill. A blogroll is a list of links to other blogs that are appropriate to your readers and which you recommend. Doing so provides an additional service to your customers and builds rapport with other leaders in your industry.
Add images and videos. A graphically pleasing blog draws more repeat readers. You can get free or low cost (generally around $1.00 or less) images at several sites. Search "free and low-cost images" to find some of these vendors. Once you download your image you can store it off your hard drive at a site like Flickr or Photobucket and use the URL to add the image. Videos can be found online and will generally have an "embed" feature that gives you HTML code to allow you easily embed the video in your site. Use these judiciously. An article about raising capital lends itself to an image of money. An article about productivity might feature a video of your favorite motivational speaker.
You may be frustrated by this article because you feel you cannot write or you do not have the time. Don't worry! There are plenty of affordable, professional writers available. Posts will run between $5-$15 each, or less, and you can purchase in a monthly package to drive down costs even further. Most "probloggers" can handle everything including adding images, tags and categories for you as well as review your comments. Go to freelancing sites like GetaFreelancer or Elance to shop for a writer. Prepare to communicate with them quite a bit in the beginning until they understand your "voice" (how you, personally, would present the information).
Blogging is a must if you are trying to get your name "out there". It can help get you noticed by improving traffic, helps you build relationships with others in your field and customers and also establishes you as an expert. Additionally, you provide a legitimate service to your readers. Blogging, which can be fun and easy, is an additional marketing tool you can add to your toolbox.
About the Author:
With 30 years of consulting experience, Steven Schlagel offers training and coaching for startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check his site for more articles to increase your success!
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