5 reasons blogging rocks for small business

by on May 24, 2011

Small business blogIt seems that everyone is talking about blogging and you’re thinking that it might be time to start a blog for your small business.  But you’re not really sure if it’s the right internet marketing strategy for you.

Adding a new task to that ever growing to-do list is always something to think about carefully as a busy entrepreneur. You need to be sure that it’s what your business needs.

I personally am pretty convinced that nearly any small business can benefit from having a blog. Here’s why…

SEO (Search Engine Optimization, or Google “juice”)

If your small business relies on search engine traffic to get new customers, you absolutely need to get on the blogging bandwagon, if you aren’t already.

A blog is a gold mine of SEO friendly goodies. Not only can you create content that’s keyword rich, but blog posts give you lots of additional areas to reinforce your key terms. Categories, tags, descriptions… all these blog bits give you extra fuel for your search engine fire.

Search engines also highly value websites that have refreshing, updating content. Blog posts give you just that.

Email marketing content

Blog posts don’t just have to stay on your blog. You can use your posts as content for your email marketing campaigns and e-newsletters. That sure makes your email strategy alot easier!

If you need an email marketing provider, I highly recommend Aweber (yup, this is an affiliate link, but I use them and love them. I only recommend what I stand behind).

If you’re not fully ready to execute an email marketing strategy, start with the simple tactic of automatically emailing blog posts. It’s never too early to start building a database! (Just remember that you actually have to commit to blogging and delivering quality email content. There’s nothing worse than plunking in your email, and then receiving absolutely nothing from the company in return. Major email marketing faux pas!)

A new communications channel

Good customer service is all about good communications. A blog, with its comments section, offers a perfect avenue for reaching out to your customers, and giving them the opportunity to reach right back. Just make sure that you are responding to your blog comments!

A blog also gives you the perfect opportunity to answer some common customer questions. It’s a great way to educate, and you can always email out a link to the post when you inevitably get that same question again.

A quick and easy way to post updates

Your blog is a terrific place to share updates and news about your small business. No need to wait on your web master or web designer to get new information on your site. With your own blog, you can do it yourself quickly and easily.

Food for social media

Share your blog content to maximize exposure and boost your brand. Blogs posts that are interesting and offer valuable information are perfect to use for your social media accounts. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn… a blog gives you stuff to say and share. Don’t forget to include social media share buttons on all your blog posts, so that your readers can help you out by sharing your content.

3 cheers for small biz blogging! If I’ve convinced you, but you don’t have a clue what to blog about, check out this post for some small business blogging ideas.

Do you blog for your small business? How has it helped you? Feel free to share links to your own small business blogs – your examples will help other readers and give you a lovely link back to your website (and hopefully some traffic!).

Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?

Image source: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Related Posts with Thumbnails

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

SteveK May 25, 2011 at 10:49 am

“your examples will help other readers and give you a lovely link back to your website (more Google juice!)”

Just a minor point, but an important one – most links on blogs (and in particular the comment section) are “no-followed” links. This directive in the underlying HTML code tells Google not to pass “link juice” to the linked-to page. In other words, not all links are created equal. 🙂

But otherwise, you’re pretty much spot on – a blog can be a wonderful way to communicate to your customers and potentials about you and is a great means to engage them if done correctly and well.

Reply

Martina May 26, 2011 at 10:57 am

Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for stepping in with your expertise! You’re bang-on with the “no-follow” point, and you’re right that many blogs use it, especially with the gobs of spammers out there trying anything to get links back to their sites. My comment was misleading based on this, so I’ve adjusted it. Appreciate you calling me out 🙂

If anyone out there is interested in learning more about this no-follow thing, here are a couple of articles that could be of some help:
– Lisa Irby’s take on why she uses no follow
– 3 SEO experts weigh in on whether no follow links still do provide value

In a nutshell, commenting on blogs may or may not give you link juice depending on the blog, but you’re definitely gaining exposure for yourself or your business, and you can potentially get some traffic back to your website.

Reply

A Website Designer May 25, 2011 at 6:59 pm

Great post, I also love the model of putting 90% of your effort into your blog (which is helping build your online presence – SEO etc) and put 10% in your newsletter (which doesn’t build your presence online) by starting with stories from your blog and then adding in the news bits on top.
A Website Designer recently posted..The value of professional web design

Reply

Martina May 26, 2011 at 10:29 am

Thanks Dan! Yes, I think that alot of people shy away from email marketing because they are overwhelmed by producing original content. But I really think that having strictly email only content is not necessary. Using blog posts as the foundation of your newsletter is a great place to get started, and it definitely makes things easier.

Reply

Deb Soromenho August 17, 2011 at 11:16 am

That’s awesome. I struggle every month with my newsletter, wanting to include new, interesting info (sometimes even being late on my newsletter because of not wanting to tackle the content) and it never occurred to me that it would be better to write up blog entries (which I really don’t do enough now and is actually more important, I see now) and including that in my newsletter. Thank you!!!
Deb Soromenho recently posted..Artist Bio

Reply

Martina August 18, 2011 at 1:06 pm

This is one of my favourite small business email marketing tips. It really does make things easier, killing several birds with one stone, without in any way diluting the quality you give your audience. Thanks for your comments Deb 🙂

Reply

SEM Services May 26, 2011 at 7:51 am

All great points!

Reply

Martina May 26, 2011 at 10:23 am

Thanks Brock!

Reply

abu bakar May 29, 2011 at 9:54 am

hi martina Agreed, It’s hard at first — especially for writers because most work is edited. But practice and the realization it helps you become a better writer eases the “personalizing” of things. It’s a great business skill.I hope you will check out my site maybe not so much for content. My review blog is a launching pad.My other blog is
http://businessplustips.com

Reply

Martina May 31, 2011 at 9:48 am

You’re so right that blogging takes alot of practice Abu! It takes time to develop your style and get comfortable with creating content. But as with any new skill, you will get better and better (and hopefully start to enjoy it :))

Reply

Deb Soromenho August 17, 2011 at 11:19 am

I also have trouble with “my voice” for my blog. I’ve been told by a friend that I sound totally different in my online posts than I do in person (I’m much more sarcastic and a bit cynical in real life) but I can’t bring myself to write the way I talk. Is that really important, will it actually help me find an audience once I get used to reading my “real” self online? Such a tricky thing for me. Thanks! 🙂
Deb Soromenho recently posted..Artist Bio

Reply

Martina August 18, 2011 at 1:04 pm

This is an issue that all of us struggle with Deb! I know that it took me a while to find that voice. Just keep on practicing and you will get it. Perhaps give your next post a small dose of your sarcasm. See how that feels. I personally found that when I found my voice, it felt good and fun. Writing became less of a chore. And your audience will pick up on the enthusiasm.

Reply

Alison Dias-Laverty October 7, 2011 at 4:02 pm

I’ve struggle with my blog as in what to write only because I do not get any feedback from anyone. So I took a step up out of the box and started writing about what I think would help others. It worked and now I’ve found my groove.

Again great post Martina! I somehow feel very connected with you on many things. Even though I haven’t met you.

Reply

Martina October 11, 2011 at 9:30 am

Good for you Alison! It does take time to figure out what works and what doesn’t in blogging. But I know that you’re not afraid of trying new things, which is great 🙂 Really appreciate all your feedback and support. It’s been a pleasure connecting with you and having you as a part of the community here!!

Reply

Andrew May 15, 2012 at 8:33 pm

One thing I would add is that just having a blog isn’t enough anymore. There’s so much content on the web it’s important that your blog stand out. At http://ContentSpree.com we’ve been advising clients to be different and controversial. By doing this many have seen a huge jump in traffic to their blogs.

Reply

Martina May 17, 2012 at 8:39 am

That’s a great tip Andrew! Don’t be afraid to do something a little different on your blog. It could just help your post break through all the online clutter and get noticed. Thanks for the comment!

Reply

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv badge

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

{ 3 trackbacks }

Previous post:

Next post: