Blogging for Business Basics
Blogging has been around for about a decade now. And while blogging was once simply another form of staying connected with friends and family, it has (like many social networking sites) taken a turn toward the work side of life. If you haven’t participated in a business blog, you’ve probably heard business associates discussing posts they’ve read or contributed. If jumping on the blogging bandwagon has still been giving you pause, here are a few tips that can help get you started.
Sound Relationships are Built on Sound Writing
Building relationships is the primary goal of blogging for business. And although there is a certain informality associated with posting business-related pearls of wisdom, in order to make blogging really work for your company, consider your blog post as a mini-article with the same rules applying as any other marketing piece.
An important aspect of building lasting client relationships is establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Make sure each post provides value to the reader by making sure that there is a reader-centric WIFM statement (what’s in it for me) at the core of your writing. And to keep from losing readers during an especially lengthy post, break up long posts with bullet points or sub-heads.
Narrowing the post focus by emphasizing key words and precise word choice not only enhances your message, it also helps in attracting search engines that will drive more traffic to your site. Fresh content is paramount in maintaining a following. Update posts regularly—at least a few times a week. And be sure to tie the blog back to your company’s Web site.
Although it’s a business blog, give it a personal edge by providing a blogger name for the writer and as much personal information about the writer that you think is pertinent to building the business relationship.
Finally, always run a spell-check before publishing a post.
Resources for Getting Started
There is a multitude of resources available to get you set up with your business blog with relatively low or no cost. And setting up the blog is easy. Many blog sites offer tutorials on creating a blog, but you can actually learn as you go. Some of the sites available for hosting your blog are wordpress.com and blogger.com.
Once you get started, you’ll find numerous ways of making the blog work even more for you, such as adding links like Facebook and LinkedIN that can drive even more visitors to your site.
With most businesses today looking for ways to stretch their marketing dollars as far as they can possibly go, business blogs are one of the most cost-effective solutions out there for increasing your customer base.
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