Does a Small Business Really Need a Blog?
Of course not. If that were true, only companies with blogs would be successful and everyone else would be floundering about helplessly. However, that said, a blog is a very valuable tool for communicating with customers and potential customers.
Alright, let’s establish why blogs are valuable for small business.
How many of you watch the news on TV or get your news from newspapers, radio, magazines or online news portals? Most of you probably use at least one or more of these resources.
And what do you do when a commercial or ad comes into view or hearing? You ignore it or go make a sandwich or day dream or whatever. And you ignore them for the very good reason that you know it’s an ad and you are bored or annoyed with ads and commercials (except for the funny ones we enjoy but we still don’t buy their product just because they made us laugh).
This isn't ad copy. This is real communication...
Well, most people view the “usual” copy on websites the same way they do commercials. There’s nothing but “our products” or “our services” or “we, we, we” on your web pages. No helpful or useful article-style information to draw people in and get them interested. However, your blog is like your very own interactive news program. People want to read it.
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Fresh information and content goes on it regularly. And if you’re smart, most of it is helpful articles or interesting stories about the inner-workings of your company, your business, or how you helped a client or the struggles you had trying to give your client the most bang for their buck.
(It’s one thing to have a webpage of rah-rah “Success Stories” that maybe people will click on or maybe not. It’s another when you have an honest blog entry explaining how you actually worked on a project, what was difficult, why it was a struggle, and the extra miles you had to go through to give customers or clients more than they paid for, giving readers a view from the inside).
Or you could have entries about the process you’re going through trying to develop new products or services for clients and asking for their feedback. Yes, we’re talking about real, scary, interaction with potential clients or customers.
The real beauty of a blog...
And that’s one of the beauties of a blog. Readers volunteer their feedback, their real wants, through their responses. THEY BECOME INVOLVED with your company. You’re no longer just some company trying to get their money. You become a partner. Someone or something real to them. A resource. And they feel an “ownership” because they were in on the process.
Try to get that from “funny ads.” And in case you missed it the forty-three other times I’ve mentioned it, search engines love blogs. It tells them that this is not a static site but a dynamic source of fresh news and information for their searchers. Blogs are a great way to boost your search engine rankings.
So, should you have a blog? Yes. Do you have to have a blog? No. Will a blog help you grow your business? Definitely!
The following small business blog resources will help you get started:
I’m a big fan of WordPress. I use them myself. You can either open a WordPress blog with them or host it on your own website if your web host has the right WordPress extensions. The beauty of WordPress is that there are all kinds of application developers creating wonderful new programs for WordPress blogs. One of my favorites is All-in-one-SEO. It automatically SEOs each of your blog entries. That is a very valuable tool.
I regularly run into small business owners who don’t start a blog for the simple reason they don’t know how. Not a problem. Lisa at Lyrical Biz can set up a WordPress blog for you and train you in an hour how to manage it and do your own entries. She gives you access to fast and easy "how-to" videos that can answer any question. She can even set your blog up as part of your website if your website host has the capability. And her rates are extremely reasonable.
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Using Blogs, Articles and Newsletters to Dominate Your Niche in the Web
Helpful Tips For Blogging Success
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