Basic Blogging for Small Businesses
Blogging is no longer an option for companies in the 21st century. If a company wants to build their brand, be easily found on the search engines, and appeal to their customers, they have to blog.
The same is true for small businesses. If you want to build your personal brand, be found on search engines, and appeal to potential customers, you have to blog.
Blogging is more than just an online diary that people write so their friends and family can read what they've been up to. I call these the "I had salad for lunch today" blogs. A lot of people think this is all there is to blogging, and compare them to a teenager's diary. These are people who think there's a Web site called FaceSpace, and believe that e-mail is just a fad. You can ignore these people.
Corporate, expert, and issue blogging has become more important in the last couple of years, as it's a way for companies to be found on search engines, communicate with customers, and improve their relationships with them.
You should write a blog if:
- You want to establish credibility.
- You want to be found on search engines.
- You want customers to see you as an expert in your field.
If you're trying to sell a product or service, focus on expert and issue blogging, rather than a "We sell this product" type of blog. Those get boring, and people don't read them.
Where Do I Start Blogging?
The great thing about blogging is that you don't need special software on your computer. There are Web sites that have their own blogging software, and you just use theirs.
There are two big blog platforms, Blogger and WordPress. (There are actually more than 40, but I like these two.) I use Blogger for my personal blog (www.ErikDeckers.com), and WordPress for my work blog (www.ProBlogService.com). There are pros and cons to each, but there is no one best platform to use.
Blogger.com is a good platform because it's easy to use, however, it can be a little simplistic. Still, if you're not technically savvy, this is a great place to start.
WordPress.com is another free platform, and is a little more advanced than Blogger (not by much, it's still easy to use).
WordPress.org is the high-end choice of the three. While the other two are hosted platforms (your blog lives on their servers), WP.org is a self-hosted platform, which means you put your blog on your server. This is where you should hire someone to help you if you don't have the ability to do it.
When Should I Blog?
Once a day would be perfect. Two or three times a week is pretty good. But once a week is the bare minimum. Anything less than that, and the search engines will quit paying attention because you're not doing enough. Plus, it looks like you can't stick with anything long-term. What would a customer think if she saw your last blog entry was nine months ago?
The important thing is to be consistent. If you decide to post every Tuesday and Friday at 8 a.m., make sure you always post at that time. Even if you have to write your posts a few weeks in advance to make sure you stick to that schedule, do it. Your readers will come to expect it, and if you slack off, they may question whether you have the same attitude about your business.
How Long Should a Post Be?
The average post should run between 200 – 400 words, longer posts should be 500 words, about the length of the average newspaper column. Just don't write 5,000 word manifestos that take three hours to read. You can say a lot in just 300 words.
What Should I Write About?
Since you're trying to sell products or services that solve problems for people, write about those problems. Don't write about your product, because that will seem too salesy, and your readers will be turned off.
- If you're a handyman, write about fixing things around the house. People will see you know what you're doing, and hire you.
- If you're a financial planner, don't talk about your services. Talk about how families can save money for college, finance a house, and plan for retirement. People will learn from you, and realize that while they could muddle their way through it, you've got all the answers.
- If you're a realtor, write about your community, and why you love it. Potential home buyers will see your passion, and want to be a part of your community.
Blogging has been one of the greatest marketing tools for small businesses in the last several years. It's a Web site, a brochure, and a newsletter, all at once. It's a great way to share your knowledge with a lot of people all at once, and increase your sales doing it.
Erik is the VP of Operations & Creative Services for Pro Blog Service. He has been blogging since 1999, and has been a published writer for more than 20 years. He has written newspaper humor columns, business articles, and several stage and radio theatre plays. He helped write Twitter Marketing for Dummies, and is currently two writing other social media books on personal branding and networking. Erik frequently speaks on blogging and social media, especially as it relates to small business promotion and crisis communication.
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