Like many small business owners, you’ve probably been intrigued by the concept of blogging at one time or another. However, at the same time, you’ve never been sure exactly how blogging would specifically benefit you or your business.
One of the main attractions of blogging is the simplicity behind it. You don’t need to have innate technical abilities or well-developed computer skills to tap into the power of blogging. A blog is nothing more than a simple website in which you “post” an entry that is published immediately. In addition, each post is displayed in reverse chronological order so that the newest posts are always at the top of the blog.
Basically, a blog is an individual’s commentary on a particular niche topic such as wine, gardening or marketing strategies. Blogs generally consist of text, images and links to other blogs, web pages and media that relate to its topic.
One of the main reasons that blogging has become a phenomenon in recent years is that it gives individuals the ability to communicate to a mass audience whenever and wherever they want. In addition, the blogger can easily update their blog at a moment’s notice.
Blogging is quickly becoming essential to small business success. Here are a few reasons why your small business needs a blog.
1. Simple to create. Building a website can be a technical nightmare while blogs can literally be created in minutes. In addition, there are free blog services such as www.blogger.com that allow anyone to start and maintain a blog.
2. Provide dialogue with prospects and customers. Blogs are now being used as a communication vehicle to share important information with customers. Because blogs can be updated in real time, businesses owners are finding blogs to be one of the quickest and most accurate ways to distribute their message.
3. Here to stay. According to study conducted by Pew Internet and American Life Survey, there are over 12 million creators of blogs and 57 million Americans who read blogs. Obviously, blogs are a staple for the small business owner and should be embraced wholeheartedly.
4. Drive traffic to your website. When small business owners use blogs to educate their target market and communicate with their customers, they can drive additional traffic to their website. This is essential for anyone seeking new leads for their business or interested in generating online sales.
5. Flexibility to post whenever, wherever, 24/7. When authoring a blog, all you need is access to the Internet. This level of flexibility removes many of the barriers associated with traditional forms of communication. Some blogs even allow you to post via email.
6. Establish yourself as an expert. By keeping a blog up-to-date and contributing in an area where you have experience, you quickly build your reputation as an expert. Once you’ve established yourself as having knowledge in a particular subject area, you can begin contributing to other sources such as news articles and interviews.
7. Generate ad revenue. The beauty of a blog is that you can attract those interested in a very specific subject area. This is an ideal market for online pay-per-click advertising like Google Adsense. This is a perfect way to provide value to your readers while generating revenue for your business.
So, the next time you’re debating if your small business needs a blog, consider these seven reasons. And, once your blog is up and running, you’ll find it to be an irreplaceable platform for getting the word out about your products and services.
Is blogging a tool only available to the gifted and talented writers of this world? Absolutely not!
