Tips to Help You Start, Maintain and Grow a Business Blog

Blogging has literally exploded over the last few years.  In fact, even back in 2005, BusinessWeek proclaimed that Blogs Will Change Your Business – and the publication was right.  If you’ve been holding off with the belief that blogs are a fad, it’s time to realize they’re here to stay and your business needs one.

Why are blogs important for business growth?

Blogs reach and engage large audiences in a way that traditional one-way information doesn’t have the capability to do.  At the same time, blogs put a face to your business name while highlighting your expertise and passion for your industry.  Another bonus: blogs are collaborative and they encourage interactions.  Soliciting comments from readers is a great way to engage with customers.

Here are some tips to help you start, maintain and grow a small business blog:

Identify a goal and blog intention

While you want to promote your business, don’t make the plugs too obvious in your content strategy.  Decide what your purpose is and allow it to drive your content.  Most blogs are centered on sharing information that their readers find useful.  Define your goal, and adhere to it.

Start your blog with the right software

Once you decide you want a business blog, consider your hosting software options.  Free blogging software can be a simple and cost-effective solution for small businesses.  If your blog takes off, you may consider integrations with existing business Wed domains (and remember to communicate to your readers of the host changes).  Remember to make sure your blog is simple for users to navigate.

Dedicate yourself to regular and relevant blogging

Two signs a blog has lost its way are when there are no active posts for more than two weeks, and

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when blog content is off topic from previous posts.  Blog inactivity and irrelevant posts give an unfavorable impression of your business.  Keep your posts consistent with the use of a calendar and research current issues so your blog is compelling and relevant.

Develop a traffic-generating plan

Last, but far from least, is finding a way to move visitors to your business blog.  There are a number of ways to generate traffic to your blog, both non-traditional and traditional in nature.  Add built in RSS feeds and remember that your email signature and main business Website and great places to link your blog.


Your blog is worth the time and effort it takes to start and sustain. By sharing content via your blog with your visitors, you’ll establish a strong reputation for your business within your industry.  Happy blogging!

What has helped you maintain and grow your blog following?

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom to two young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling.

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Ways to Find New Ideas for Blog Topics

After writing blog post after blog post, you may find yourself struggling to come up with fresh and relevant topics to elaborate on.  However, to keep your audience engaged, you need to continually generate simple yet powerful new content.  Here are some easy ways to find new ideas for your business blog.

Answer customer questions.

Your customers come to you with questions because they see you as a knowledgeable expert in the industry and value your opinion.  It’s likely lots of other people out there have the same questions as your customer.  Those questions you receive are the perfect starting point for a blog post.  There are a couple benefits to this type of post too.  First, you will establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Second, you’ll increase the chances that others will find your blog when searching for this topic and possibly earn yourself some new readers.

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Read industry related blogs.

While you don’t want to completely steal other people’s blog posts, reading industry blogs can spark a new idea for a post and you can add ideas of your own to complement it.  If you see a post that you like, take the topic and discuss your own thoughts in relation to it.  Don’t forget to rovide references and data to support your thoughts.

Newsjack.

A great way to think of a new blog topic is to write a blog about a recent news story.  When something happens that makes the news, use the event to write a post.  Discuss the possible impact it may have and make a point to add value and provide additional insight to make your post stand out.

Share and discuss Infographics.

Look around for Infographics related to your blog’s focus.  Check sites like Mashable and Pinterest and upload the image, then do a brief write up on it.  You can even create your own Infographic and write a post about it too.  There are lots of reasons why your business should be using Infographics, and this is just one.

Hold an interview.

Instead of scouring online for ideas, seek a customer or thought leader who is willing to help you and discuss industry trends.  Hold a face-to-face interview or send the questions via email and use your response as content for your blog post. Interviews are nice in a lot of ways – they are also a great opportunity to collaborate with others in your industry.

An active blog with fresh content is a great way to boost your business’s bottom line.  Consider these tactics to generate more topics for content.

What techniques do you use to think of new ideas for blog content?

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Four Components to a Great Blog Post

According to Hubspot, websites with a blog get nearly 55 percent more viewers than websites that don’t.  But if your blog is lacking, it can be a big waste of your time.  So what is a great blog post?  It’s one that keeps people interested in your content. It encourages, informs, educates and entertains your reader.  Consider these tips to make your posts more attractive, generate more visitors and get more shares.

Select a strong title.

Think along the lines of relevant and descriptive when you choose your title.  It’s considered the most important part of any post.  Think of the most common words and phrases that people use when they may refer to your product or service and use those keywords in your title.  While cute titles are interesting, you may lose your readers if they have to think of what the post may be about.  Focus on a title that’s clear and interesting to invite readers to check out your post. 

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Add images or videos. 

Relevant multimedia content can turn a blog article into a memorable and fun article to read.  It breaks up text, making it more visually appealing to readers at the same time.  Remember to always link back and give credit to the originator when applicable.  A little eye candy on your blog goes a long way.

Write high quality content.

Have your customers in mind to make writing quality content a simpler task. What exactly is quality content?  High quality content is information that helps your audience, gives information or advice and provides a few laughs.  Write your blog posts in a manner that addresses the kind of customers you like to serve.  This will separate you from boring stuff people find on the Web and allow you to build a community of followers who look at you and your blog as their go-to spot.

Don’t forget blog links.

Links are an essential component to a blog for a lot of reasons.  They add value to your blog by pointing readers in the direction of useful information and enhance your blog.  As you link, don’t forget to double check and make sure they work before making your blog go live.

Anyone who writes a blog likely has the goal to make it one that readers follow, bookmark for later and share with their friends.  The right mix of components can make your blog powerful.  Utilize these tips to make your blog one that readers flock to for advice and tips, and the first blog your readers recommend to their friends.

                                             

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom totwo young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.

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How Blogging Benefits Your Business

Not sure if you should bother blogging?  Consider it again.  The use of blogs is spreading like wildfire as small business owners realize the power of a blog and what it can do for their business.  Essentially, blogging has turned into a marketing tool that strengthens a business’ brand in a big way.  Here is what blogging can do for you:

Establish your business.

If you want to let your customers know all about your business, and what products and services you offer,

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get blogging.  Blogs are the perfect way to establish your business and show your current and prospective customers that you’re an expert in your field.  Not to mention, blogging allows you to reach thousands upon thousands of people.

Increase traffic to business sites.

Blogs are an affordable and key platform that attracts new customers to your business website.  When people type keywords into a search engine, a long list of blogs will show up as a result.  However, if they type in the very words your blog used, the person will learn about your business.

Create a network of followers.

If you regularly post relevant and accurate information on your business blog, you’ll likely wind up with a large number of followers.  These followers will become customers and use your business to fulfill their needs.  Followers also churn out more followers through positive word of month that can lead to increase business opportunities and revenue for your business.

Provide Customer Support

If you seem to have the same question come up time and again, go ahead and blog about it.  Blogs are a great resource for customers as a form of additional customer support.  Write out the solutions of common problems so customers can get the answers they need directly from your blog.

Share more with your customers.

Often times, there is more to tell your customers than what is on your website.  Your blog is a great place to elaborate on specific subjects for your customers.   Instead of overloading your customers with an abundance of information on your website, use your blog to speak to clients and tell them all the extra’s.

Promote your business events.

Use your blog as a way to directly promote your upcoming events and sales.  Blogs are the perfect marketing tool for your business and serve as an avenue to inform your customers of news such as changes in your company or new products and service your business is offering.

Blogging is an affordable and simple way to benefit your business.  Just remember that building a successful blog takes persistence and patience, and that the hard work you put into your blog will pay off.

Lori is a work-at-home mom living in Noblesville, a suburb of Indianapolis.  She is mom totwo young children and enjoys spending time watching them grow.  Lori enjoys shopping, spending time with her husband and kids, reading, and traveling. Feel free to leave her a comment.

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Five Reasons Your Company Needs a Blog

Blogging has become a household word, continuing to grow in popularity and likely extremely beneficial to your company. Even if it doesn’t seem like having a blog is necessary or even appropriate for your website, you may be happily surprised with the results. With some writing skills and the knowledge of what your company offers consumers, you could create daily, weekly or even monthly blog posts. And if writing isn’t your forte, you can hire someone to do it for you. What are some top reasons a blog is important to the success of your website?

 

 

 

1.   Provide Company Information and Updates: Blogging relevant industry or business information is helpful to your customers. And this benefit can be two-fold; not only are you keeping your public informed, but they will also reach out to you when in need of products or services. Customers will appreciate learning more about your company and establishing you as a good resource for their needs.

2.   Boost Results of Internet Searches: SEO- we have all heard it, but what does it mean? Search Engine Optimization is defined as the “process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid search results” and is invaluable to finding success with your company website. Blog posts can feature key words and topics that will help people find you. By maintaining a blog your name will continue to rise in the ranks when someone does a relatable internet search.

3.   Provide Hard Tracking Number Data: Blogs offer analytics that help you to see how many people are tuning in and checking out the content you are sharing on your site. This can give you a real picture of when your posts are having the most impact and also help you see if you are reaching your target audience. The data is very specific and will help you tailor your blogging for maximum impact.

4.   Maximize Your Marketing Dollars: Blogging is a relatively easy and affordable way to drive potential customers and business to your company web page. Linking key words and adding other appropriate web addresses will bring views to your site. And having archived posts means that you could see ongoing returns; an older blog entry can be accessed for years to come without needing to make any modifications.

5.   Utilize Public Relations Opportunities: Getting your company name out to the public is a top priority when building towards success. As a business blogger you will be viewed as an industry leader to many and you may be contacted for interviews. Public relations opportunities like this would help bring recognition and potential financial gains to your business.

In the end, blogging can be a fun experience, not to mention a great way to stay informed with current events and remain an expert for your product or service. How would a blog impact your business?

 

 

 

 

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