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Blog Design & Business Blog Consulting

Ready for a Business Blog?

You’ve heard the terms thrown around loosely…blog, blogging, blogger, bloggin.  The names raise vague images in your mind.  An online diary.  A personal soapbox.  A public discourse. Although these ideas may describe a personal blog, a business blog is much, much  more.  Should you consider one for your business?  Maybe, maybe not.  As a professional blog consultant, let me share a few ideas on what a business blog is and what it can do for your business.

What Exactly is a Blog?

Technically, a blog is a website, but in a special form.  It’s structured like a website, but  constructed through a different type of programming that frees you from Html and web design.  Essentially, a blog is a publishing tool that uses publishing software.  Personally, I prefer the software, Word Press.  Although a blog acts like a traditional website in that it’s web-based, it has greater flexibility and is easier for a blogger to manage.  

What distinguishes it from a traditional websites is its powerful content management functionality, which makes it more dynamic.  An experienced blog consultant will custom design your blog with a selection of functions called plug-ins to achieve a solution that is tailored to your needs.  Ultimately, a blog increases your ability to communicate quickly, easily and effectively to your customers and potential customers. 

What's the Big Deal About Blogs?

Here is a great 3 minute video produced by Common Craft that explains the importance of blogs.

Who Needs a Business Blog?

Blogs are hot and growing even hotter.  That doesn’t mean they’re for everyone so don’t jump in simply to follow the crowd. There are still many other forms of technology available that can be used to advance your business.  However, with that said, here are some reasons to consider a blog. 

• You have something of value to say
• You want to improve communication to customers and potential customers
• You’d like to gain higher visibility and ranking in search engines
• You want to produce a revenue stream
• You want to drive more traffic to your website

Keep in mind that a blog requires an investment of time.  It’s a customer relationship-building tool that must build momentum before it yields results.  Patience and persistence are important for success.  And either you or someone else will need to consistently write and post new content on your blog. That’s the down side.  On the up side, blogs have the potential to generate incredible business opportunities.

The Benefits of Business Blogging

RSS Feed—Your Way Around E-mail Prevention

Your best e-mail marketing campaign often runs up against a wall—a firewall that is.  Spam blockers and spam filters prevent your message from ever reaching your target audience.  Blogs eliminate that because they take another avenue. 

Most people understand blogs like they do a website.  Your audience enters for a visit and leaves.  But blogs also provide two-way communication similar to e-mails.  Similar, but not the same because a blog communicates through the Internet by way of an RSS Feeder and Reader. 

Watch this 3 minute video that explains RSS and shows how to use them.

Your blog contains the Feeder and your visitor acquires the Reader. It works something like your “Favorites” button in collecting websites you visit regularly into your Internet browser.  Whenever you enter a new post on your blog, your Feeder automatically sends it to their Reader.  Your message completely bypasses e-mail and its guardians for 100% delivery.

Organized by recent rather than relevant

Blogs are organized in chronological order rather than relevance of content.  Your last post is always the first one visitors see.  How much you write is completely up to you.  If you’re in the muse you can enter a long post.  If time is of essence, something short, sweet and to the point can still serve your purpose.  They’re also structured by category, which allows visitors to look up previous posts.  But last is always first.  And that saves everyone time.

Revenue Generating

Blogs can include features like Google AdSense.  You get paid every time a visitor to your blog clicks on the Google AdSense link.  The more visitors you attract who then click on the link, the more revenue you produce. 

Plug-ins customize for customer convenience

Plug-ins included on your blog like an event calendar, keyword search capability, RSS Reader and many others create a customized, user-friendly environment.  Whenever you make people feel welcome or help them in some way, they tend to hang around longer.

Higher visibility

Using SEO keywords in your blog attracts the Internet spiders that grab it and place it in the free area of search engines.  That’s where customers conducting internet searches will find their way to your blog, which in turn, directs them to your website. Write more posts…receive more visits…gain higher visibility…increase your business.  Pretty cool, huh? 

Another Universe

The growth of blogging has created a parallel communication universe that’s exclusive to blogs called Technorati.   In website language, it’s the Google of blogs.  A blog opens the door to a whole new opportunity for exposure that a website alone won’t provide.   

Rent or Own?

If you’d like to explore blogging before jumping in all the way, there are sites (like Blogger.com) that let you create a blog on their domain for free. 

It’s great for trying it out, but I don’t recommend it for long-term business blogging.  It’s simply the difference between renting and buying. 

Buying a home requires an upfront investment, but the long-term benefits pay off in equity.  The same is true in blogs.  When you create a blog somewhere like Blogger.com, most of the benefits go to that domain.  And when you do decide to buy your own blog, you can’t take anything from your rental site with you.

Build as you go

A blog doesn’t to be created all at once.  You can start small, add plug-ins as needed, and expand as you go.  Your blog grows with your business.  The important thing is to get started and take advantage of this unique opportunity to improve your business.

Choose Wisely

As you’ve probably learned by now, there are many website designers and developers to choose from.  And like everything else, you get what you pay for. 

The same is true with blogs.  To achieve maximize results, you need to work with someone:

• who knows what they’re doing
• who understands how all the blog technology works and can make it work for your business

Do it right the first time and you’ll avoid the frustration and expense of having to go back and do it again.  

Think a business blog is right for you?  Let’s talk about what you want to accomplish and consider the best approach to get you there.  I’ll tell you how it’s making a difference in my business.  I’m confident it will also make a difference in yours. 

Serious About Getting Started?   Give Me a Call

Web It Up to the Next Level

When you call, you'll talk directly with me.  

Expect to spend some quality time so I can learn a little about your business goals.  Then we can talk about what solutions make sense for your business. 

You'll be excited to know that there are new and innovative technologies to get you where you want to go.  Together, we can make it happen.