Work At Home

Does Your Small Business Need a Blog?

Blog is both a noun and a verb. A Web log or blog is an instant publishing tool that anyone can use to create a Web presence free or inexpensively. Blogging is a quick way to communicate and get feedback from your target market and to market your company’s products or services by positioning your company as a thought leader.

Who is blogging for business? Companies of all shapes and sizes with lots of marketing savvy. They know that blogging lends a human voice to their marketing efforts and helps build a business culture. They know that Web search engines love blogs. Why? By posting regularly and consistently to your blog, you tag your content as continually changing which increases hits on your site.

You may ask, “Aren’t my newsletter or e-mail marketing campaigns enough? Why should I add a blog?” Think about it: how many newsletters and e-mails do you receive? Do you read every one of them? Are you frustrated with spam cluttering your inbox? A blog may be a perfect accompaniment to your existing marketing efforts. Because blogs are not delivered to your inbox, you won’t deal with clutter and spam filters. You can subscribe to a blog using an RSS (usually defined as Really Simple Syndication) which delivers updates to your inbox or you can view a blog simply by visiting its URL.

Why blog? Here are 3 good reasons:

-We small business owners often have vast knowledge and resources rattling around in our heads.

-Blogging allows us to share a running history of our business and knowledge in diary format. Blogging helps customers see and understand the real value of your business.

-You can post: newsletter archives, samples of your work, testimonials, and case studies to your blog.

If you think that blogging is right for you, the following tips will get you started:

-Learn more by reading business blogs and think about the look and feel you want to create for your own blog.

-Check out free blog sites such as http://blogger.com or http://typepad.com (not free, but they offer a free trial period).

-Begin to comment on other business blogs – it’s what makes the blog world tick.

-Promote your blog. List it on your business card or your e-mail signature.

My business philosophy is all about attracting perfect customers and vendors to my business; it's about everyone getting what they want and need and practicing social responsibility. So, I'm jumping on the blogging train to see if it will help me to reach my business destination. I am the first to admit, much of the jargon flies right through my head, but my experience as a technical writer tells me, "I don't have to understand everything. I don't have to know all the answers. I'll figure out what I need to figure out when the time is right."

For this entrepreneur, blogging satisfies the desire to create and to collaborate. And as an entrepreneur, isn't that what's all about?

Ann Zuccardy is a freelance writer and gourmet food entrepreneur with 17 years of industry experience in marketing and technical communication and 10 years of experience baking handcrafted shortbread gifts in her Vermont kitchen. For engaging copy, blog consulting, or article ghostwriting with heart, soul, passion, vision, and humor, Ann's your gal. Visit Ann’s blog for more writing samples at Vermont Shortbread Company.