Most of us have heard about blogs, and many of us may have even begun to use them personally. However, blogging offers a great opportunity to newtork, inform and grow businesses too, if used properly.
Blogging is a big buzzword these days. It seems like everyone's doing it, but why? I get inquiries every day about assistance with blogs as they relate to business, because people recognize it as a powerful tool with great potential, but few know how to put it to best use.
The word "Blog" comes from "Web log," a sort of web-based diary that's available to the world. People can browse your entries, comment on them, and even forward them to others unless you limit your readership to select subscribers. It's truly amazing how much some people disclose about themselves in their blogs. They'll talk openly about things they would never share with a close friend over coffee.
What started as a tool for personal expression now is being effectively employed as a business marketing tool. The problem is that there's so much out there in cyberspace, we owe it to our readers to offer them useful, compelling content if they're going to invest the time to read what we have to say.
Here are a few tips about what to do - and what not to do - when blogging.
DO keep it brief: We're all stretched for time, so respect your readers' attention by getting to the point.
DO lead people to useful resources: instead of trying to cover everything about a topic in one blog, direct people to other places where they can read more if they're curious. For example, if you want to know more about blogging, feel free to email me at cpiatt@mywordtree.com, or visit a site like WordPress to see examples of blogs, how to set one up, and how to connect them to your website.
DON'T expect miracles: I've been doing blogs about two of my books and other topics for about two years. Though I now have more than 10,000 "clicks" (people who have read my columns), it was slow going. I'd have a few here and there at first, and in time, it grew to as many as 200-250 hits a week.
DON'T just advertise: People look at blogs as resources for information they need. If you only try to hard-sell people, they won't come back. That's not to say you can't inform people about what you do, but it should not be the only focus. This is a chance for you to share your expertise, and at the same time, establish yourself as a credible source for information. When someone needs what you have to offer, they're more likely to think of you, but don't expect the sales to come pouring in because you posted a couple of articles.
DO keep it professional, but not too professional: A blog is a relatively casual forum, and depending on the context, you can use varying degrees of casual language. Though blogs should never read like a business letter, you also should avoid slang, explicit language and typos. Read over your post, aloud if necessary, before you post it to make sure you're saying what you mean to say. Remember, the more you respect your audience, the more likely they are to come back.
Learn more about the author, Christian Piatt.
Really helpful ... thanks!
What do you see as the 'rules' for leaving comments (like I'm doing here) on other people's (related) blogs?
Obviously, one of the things that I'm trying to achieve is driving traffic back to my new/first blog [ which-I-will-not-name-here-in-case-it-is-against-protocol-:) ]
Hi Adrian:
I think the key is remaining relevant to the content of the piece. Blatant self-promotion is frowned upon, and just making a comment to have an excuse to get your name out there is not good.
But if you have a relevant question or comment to add to the conversation, it can be a great opportunity to network.
Thanks for your question!
I think your last point is very important and often overlooked. Especially for small business owners, a blog is a great chance to come across as human, and not just as a publisher (of course, finding your own unique voice while not being too cute or irritating is also important) of business know-how.
Contradictions abound here, I know: On one hand your posts need to be succinct yet contain something of real value, and you need to come across as professional yet informal or even casual.
I started a blog just recently, but am only actively publicizing it to a small audience as I develop it and see if i can commit to posting something roughly once a week. More importantly, I'm tuning my "voice." As a graphic design professional, I haven't written anything yet about design, let alone my own business. Sure, that'll come, but above all, I want to be genuine and shine a [little] light on my interests and observations to help define me as an intelligent and creative individual who runs a business worthy of consideration.
Great discussion here. Your point about persistence is well taken, Christian. We launched our new biz last month and have had our blog up and running for less than a month. It can get discouraging posting when you feel like you are just talking to yourself. But it takes time to get readers. (Our stats show readers but very few posters so far.).
Thanks, Christian. This was helpful.
Thank you for your advice. I'm looking to start my own blog soon, and want to do it right. . . .
That typo in the last paragraph (you know, the paragraph in which you warned about typos) was there on purpose, right? I think it was a very effective way to make your point :-)
Hey here's a quick head's up to those of you who are blogging and looking to build an audience: We are working on a new feature for Biznik that is a page that shows the most recent blog posts from Supporting members of Biznik. This will help get your posts in front of more readers, if you choose to participate, and drive traffic to your blog. Supporting members can already have their blog headlines displayed on their profile - this is yet another way for Biznik to actively promote your efforts to the rest of the community here.
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