Business Blogging - Is a Blog Right For Your Small Business?

Should my company have a business blog?

This is a big question in the independent business world. Many small business owners are interested in the opportunities business blogging might provide but are unsure how to begin the process. My goal in this article is to shed some light on the benefits blogging can bring to your business.

What is a blog?

Because many people are just beginning to learn about blogging, let's look at exactly what a blog is. Blogs are a form of web-based content management that allow individuals or businesses to post regularly updated articles.

Blogs can be thought of as journals, just like a bedside journal, where, instead of the entries running horizontally as they do in a book, the entries run from top to bottom. These entries, called "Posts," will be displayed on the "Home" page in reverse-chronological order. This means that the newest post will appear at the top of the page while older articles will appear below.

In some instances, the entire post may be read on the "Home" page, but more commonly you select the title of the article that you would like to read and are directed to a "Post" page where the full article is available.

You will have the option to create some static pages, which allows you to present important information about your business. Commonly business blogs will include an About us page, Location page, and some form of a Contact us page.

Blogs are a tool that allow you to communicate your message to your target audience on a regular and ongoing basis. This is the power of the business blog.

What can business blogging do for your company?

The benefits of business blogging are many-fold. Let's look at some of them: 

• Blogs are looked upon favorably by Google. By producing regular content that is unique from any other site on the web, you will receive favorable placement in the Google index. This is the reason blogs have become the powerful tools they are today. Regularity is rewarded, so it works best if you can set aside some time each week to write something for your blog, and once you have a system that works for you, try to stick with it.
• Blogging allows you to communicate your message to a community of individuals who care about and are interested in the subjects you cover. I can't stress enough how powerful this is. Let's take a look at an example: You run a chainsaw repair shop, servicing saws out out of Seattle. The people with whom you would most like to communicate your message are loggers or arborists in the Northwest region. With a blog you can do just that. By posting articles dealing with local logging related topics and with saws or saw maintenance, you will be positioning yourself on the web to reach this very group. Google will scan through your post on Logging equipment for the NW logger, and will pull out keywords that it will use to index the post. The keywords in your article are: chainsaws, logging, rain gear, chain oil, Seattle, and mud. When a logger working in the Cascades east of Seattle gets on the internet to search for chain oil in Seattle, your site pops up at the top of the list. This could quickly turn into a sale.
• Business blogging is one of the least costly advertising opportunities available to the small business. The only expenses are the server costs, and these are almost nothing when spread out over the years.
• Over 1.5 billion people across the world use the internet. That is billion with a B. This alone should make any business owner stop and think.
• The single most powerful benefit of blogging, and also the most elusive, is its ability to lend you credibility. It sounds strange at first, but by taking a risk, and posting your knowledge online, you will become a recognized authority in your field. If you post regularly and provide quality content to your readers, soon those readers will become loyal followers and potential clients.

What platform to use for your business blog?

There are a wide range of blogging platforms available. Nearly all of them are free to download, install, and use. WordPress is the platform we recommend to all independent businesses. It's free, easy to set up and customize, and has a user friendly front and back end.

The newest WordPress updates have added the ability to set a static front page, essentially turning your blog into a static website. We have had wonderful results with this system on several business blog projects.

If you would like to try another blogging platform, some popular ones are: Blogger, TypePad and Squarespace.

Who hosts blogs?

Some blog platform providers also offer free hosting options. These are useful in some instances, but not yours. In my opinion, a business should never blog on a "free hosting" blog. If you are going to travel in Europe, and want a temporary travel blog, then free hosting might be right for you-otherwise, you pay for what you get.

As a business, it is important that you have an owned domain, hosted by a reputable company. This will ensure that your site is secure into the future and that you are presenting your business in a professional light.

When you choose a web hosting company, it is important that you choose a company that is reputable and provides adequate services for the price you are paying. Because you are creating a blog, hopefully a WordPress blog, you will want your web hosting company to provide easy installation for WordPress. Here are some companies that we like and that provide this service: SiteGround, GoDaddy , Bluehost, and Lunarpages. Out of this group, we most strongly recommend GoDaddy or Bluehost, which has a proprietary script called Simple Scripts that is easy to use for blog implementation.

What about customizing the blog?

Using WordPress offers you the opportunity to use any of the thousands of free themes available through the theme directory at WordPress.org. Each of these themes will give your business blog a completely new look with unique navigation, background, and page layout. The only drawback to this approach is that hundreds or even thousands of identical sites will exist.

If you would like a theme that is completely customized to your business, you will want to contact a web development firm or spend some time playing around with the theme files that come with your WordPress installation.

In Summary

Blogging works best when you are able to set aside a few hours a week just to blog. Blog when you are relaxed and can have some fun with your posts. You never know blogging might become your favorite part of the work week.

Evan Scoboria runs Shea Media, a web and graphic design firm, as well as The Book of Blog, a blog about blogging. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evan_Scoboria