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Writing, marketing, small business issues

As a Business Owner, Should I Blog?

Everybody has something that they are passionate about and have a carrier load of knowledge about. Instead of leaving it locked up in your mind, release it into blog-space with an easily set up blog (such as Blogger.com).

Luckily, to create web logs, you don’t even have to be a great writer. As people are searching for specific, helpful content, they are looking for ideas in plain English.

With blogging, you must remember that is not like advertising; first you must build your credibility and this means focussing on giving readers good value. That said, a blog can be a great way to gain more traffic to your site, and get people talking about issues in your industry.

So, remember to add your URL (main link) to your website and, if the blog is a separate entity, fill out the ‘About’ information section with a summary of your background.

How Often Should I Write?

This depends on your time, but if you put aside half an hour per week, this should be enough to write a good post. Prior to writing, you should read a few business magazines and/or content rich websites, so that you are up-to-date on today’s talked about issues. The latest Dynamic Business and Nett magazine issues talk about:

  • Beginner’s guide to social media
  • Using Twitter
  • Working from virtually anywhere (virtual offices, PAs, technology)
  • How should importers deal with today’s difficulties
  • Cloud computing and outsourcing of IT
  • Rewarding staff on a shoestring
  • Starting your own social network
  • How green is my computer? (Environment and IT)
  • Beginner’s guide to content management
  • Business-class service (for B2B)
  • Foreign trade for the small business
As an example, you could write about your ideas on these issues, or how a new technology/media has actually affected how you work. Personal anecdotes are very powerful after you open up a current issue with an overview.

When I first started blogging, I thought a few posts would be enough, then I took a look around other blogs (try Technorati, Stumble Upon, or blogger.com) and realised some popular blogs are very professional, have several writers, and hundreds of posts.

If you are in a niche industry, don’t forget to add the keywords most people would type in the search box throughout your post... if it makes sense, that is!

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