Written by Jon Bergan on the 16/07/2009
You're sitting at your desk, pen in hand, viciously trying to think of new ways to expose your business. You wish there was a cost effective way of staying in touch with your existing clients, reinforcing your knowledge and experience to potential clients and of course, we all like to think we're big enough to go global overnight so achieving that would be a big plus! Well, with a huge thank you to the Internet and a few smart web developers, you can now do this with almost zero overheads. The answer is a simple business blog.
For the uninitiated, a blog (or web log) is an internet site branded to your business where you can post articles, news, tips, tricks and other advice to further promote your organization or even yourself. To date, most bloggers have used blogs for personal means – blogging about their life, their passions or their pastimes; however it's now becoming popular in the business world. Why? Because it's cheap, it's easy to implement and best of all, it's effective.
Business blogging is great because it allows you to build both your business and personal brand. It allows you to become an authority on any topic (providing you know what you're talking about!), create a community around your business, generate sales leads, build a resource of information and most importantly, is absolutely fantastic for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). All these bells and whistles might sound great, but nothing comes without a price and with blogging you end up paying in time, sweat and perseverance. Still, even if you only invest one hour a day or a few hours a week into your blog, you're already onto a winner.
There are a few small steps you will need to take before you'll get anywhere. Establishing and maintaining a blog isn't something that happens overnight, however with the right approach, you'll soon have people commenting on your posts and users taking interest.
Before a blog can go anywhere, it needs to have focus. Think of it as if you were starting a new magazine and you were trying to decide who the magazine would be targeting. Is the blog primarily for business men or women? Maybe you're focusing your blog posts on taxation and accounting? Is it aimed at other professionals in your industry or is it aimed at clients and customers? Whatever it is you're going to focus on, make a clear decision early on and stick with that. This way, people will know to come to your blog for resources on that specific subject.
Blogging is a great way to stay in touch with people and to inform, however you need to be really consistent to even get your blog off the ground. If you're blogging weekly, make sure you blog weekly. If you're blogging monthly, blog monthly. It's important that you blog on a regular basis so people know when to come back for more. Also, the more you blog, the better. Some of the biggest bloggers in the world will blog multiple times a day!
You'll notice that as you start blogging more, users from around the web will visit your blog and comment on your posts. As a blog owner, it's critical that you not only reply to comments on your own blog but also on comments found in other similar blogs.
Commenting on your own blog will show your users that you care and are interested in their feedback. Commenting on other blogs will provide you with exposure and you'll get to know some of the great bloggers who are blogging in the same space as you. Each time you comment, this will also create a backlink to your own website or blog allowed people to jump straight to your site.
Creating complex link structures is a fantastic way of improving Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), building a better blog site for yourself and a better blogging experience for your readers. If your latest blog post relates to an earlier post you made or to another blog you've recently read, link to it! This will allow the reader to jump to other articles and resources you have available. Don't worry too much about sending a user to another blog. If they like your blog enough – they'll be back!
Just like at university, if you're caught plagiarising, you'll cop a nice smack on the back of the hand. When it comes to blogging, it's important to try not to repeat content. Readers want to soak up new content and new information and hate finding the same article on multiple blogs. If you are quoting another blogger or pulling content/resources from another site, send a link their way. Give credit where credit is due and then everyone will be happy.
As a business blogger, you want your blog to really be part of your online presence. Having a separate site for your blog is great if you're trying to build your personal brand equity, however if you're blogging for your business, it is best if you incorporate your blog design into your existing website layout and structure. This way users who read your blog won't feel like they've left your website when they jump across to your blog. Just like anything in business, consistency is your key to success!
Everyone is ranting and raving about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the many other social networking sites out there. So, if everyone is talking about them, you should probably be using them! Blogs can be easily integrated with these sites using plugins and other services to simplify the way you spread your content over the social media landscape. As a first step, consider adding a link on your website or blog to your Twitter or Facebook page and updating these sites when you post something new. Remember, though, that social media sites are about interacting - not just flooding posts with links back to your site!
Although there are a huge number of great blogs and bloggers out there, there are also some bad bloggers who simply don't know right from wrong. Here are a few simple suggestions on what you shouldn't do when it comes to business blogging.
I've mentioned it once in this article and I'll say it again – never plagiarise. It is the one and only sure fire way you'll go down as far as blogging is concerned. Other bloggers hate it, every user detests it and sooner or later, rumour will get out that you simply copy everyone else and never have anything fresh to say. Stay clear of it! If you do feel the need to quote another blog, reference them with a link.
If another blog links to you or someone on another blog comments about you, make sure you respond. Comment back on that blog as a way of saying thanks. Its important that you become part of the blogging community for your respective subject matter. Bloggers work together by linking to one another and suggesting sites to other users. Just like business networking, networking with other bloggers will have a positive impact on both your blog and your business.
Everyone hates spam even when it comes to blogs. Just don't do it. If you need to market your blog, market it to users who are already on your website or in your email marketing database. If you're a part of a blogging community simply sharing your thoughts on other blogs.
So, now that we all know what to do and what not to do, how can we get started? It's really quite easy. There are a few approaches you can take depending on your budget and ultimately your goals and what you hope to get out of your blog.
For a quick and easy solution, take a look at some of the following sites. These sites will allow you to get a blog up and running in zero time with virtually zero costs.
If you're after something that truly resembles your brand, seamlessly integrates with your website and is targeted specially to a certain market, a customized solution may be best for you. Custom solutions involve the development and implementation of unique blog designs, plugins, enhancements and more.
Have you started writing on that piece of paper yet? If not, why not? You now have all the ammunition you need to get a fabulous new business blog up and running today. Decide on a topic, come up with a few draft articles, visit WordPress, TypePad or Blogger and blink – you're on your way. Before you know it, you'll have users commenting on your blog, raving about your business and wanting to get to know you and your team even better! Blogging isn't just a pastime; it's a part of the future and should be a part of every business.
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