Business Blogging

Your small business can benefit from using blogs to raise awareness, increase customer loyalty, and boast sales.

For most small-business owners and managers, that whirlwind of Internet communication tools - blogging, pod casting, and so on - seems a bit overwhelming. When faced with unfamiliar technology, most people simply avoid it, writing it off as not essential to the health of their business. I'm here to tell you that online visibility is critical for business.

In today's wired society, people regularly turn to the Internet instead of phone books, newspapers, or TV to find the vendors they are looking for. A blog bridges the wide gap between sexy advertising copy and dry mission statements, connecting Web site visitors with your company via content that's easy for employees to update whenever the spirit moves them.

WHAT IS A BLOG?

A blog is a form of online diary, often focused on a particular topic or theme. For your small business, your blog might discuss company culture, industry trends, or even simply news items you find interesting.

Your blog is a window into your business's people, culture, and values. You want your customers to connect to your brand in a way that encourages community, trust, and of course, repeat sales. In today's crowded marketplace, you want to embrace any opportunity to attract consumers loyalty.

Blogging software makes updating site content remarkably quick and easy. This means that a blog can also serve as a crisis communication tool, providing your customers with your opinion or defense-instantly.

HOW TO CREATE BLOG

Creating your own blog is simple. Online hosting services such as Typepad (http://www.typepad.com/) and Blogger (http://www.blogger.com/) let you set up a simple blog in 10 to 15 minutes and add a link to it from your company's Web site (plus a link from your new blog to your site!)

Another way to go (a bit more complicated and expensive) is to host your blog directly on your company's site. Your service provider can help with the necessary resources and software. A blog on your site may repay its higher setup fees by mirroring your site's branding and giving you more control over the design.

How will people find their way to your blog? One of the best ways to increase your readership is to link to other blogs. This enable quick access to link-minded people who could become customers. To build your network, use the Technorati Website (http://www.technorati.com/) to find similar businesses or industry blogs, then comment on entries in those blogs. By contributing thoughtfully, you can engender respect for yourself and encourage a community to form. But don't expect to be noticed just for existing. If your comments on the blogs are little more than pointers to your own, you'll likely be slapped down, or simply ignored.

BLOG ETIQUETTE

As in any area of business, follow the commonly observed rules. In the blog sphere, it's absolutely critical to maintain communication. It's worse to have a static blog that's rarely updated than not to have one call at all. Once you make the commitment to produce online communication, stick to it or you'll lose credibility. And just as you would at a business conference, network, network, network. The more people who link to your blog, the more your Web traffic will grow, and the better your results will be.