It seems many of my posts lately have been about blogging. Maybe I am spending too much time with Kyle Lacy, Doug Karr, and Erik Deckers, or maybe this is just the most important thing small business owners have to understand right now.
The more I read on the subject, the more I believe it is the latter. Business, even traditional B to C business is going on line. Blogs create a forum for an on-going conversation with your customers and prospects, a platform to help you share your knowledge, and establish yourself as a subject matter expert.
With the availability of great free blog software platforms, cost is no longer an issue. And the simple user interfaces have removed the skill barrier as well.
If When you add your blog here are a few rules to keep in mind:
- Post often – short frequent posts (at least several times a week) give readers a reason to return –
- This doesn’t have to be a chore divide the workload, invite your employees to blog.
- Don’t make each post an advertisement for your services – If the blog provides valuable content, your readers will associate the expertise with you
- Link to others – – In today’s Web 2.0 world, you are judged by the company you keep. I read The Church of the Customer Blog by Ben McConnell almost daily and frequently quote his ideas because they are worth sharing.
- Invite others to participate – Ask questions, even send links to friends, peers and customers inviting them to participate.
- Don’t give up -Even if you have few or no comments, the fresh content is attracting visitors. Many people will remain spectators. It doesn’t mean they don’t like what they see, they just don’t feel the need to comment. Keep writing
So no more delays – it is time to start writing – and when you do… invite me to post!