Wells Fargo Small Business Roundup

If you're not yet convinced that blogs are here to stay, consider this: According to blog-tracking firm Technorati, Inc., some 112 million blogs now exist, more than double the number a year ago. About 175,000 new blogs are created each day, more than two blogs are created every second of each day and there are about 1.6 million postings per day. And, if used in the right way, they offer tremendous marketing power. "As opposed to a packaged sales pitch, a blog represents a less formal way for prospects and customers to get to know how you operate," adds Denise Wakeman, co-founder of The Blog Squad, a service firm geared toward optimizing blogs. "A blog is another way for you to provide information of real value—information that helps people get to know and trust you—outside the framework of a standard sales tool."

Creating the blog isn't necessarily the hard part, both Wakeman and her partner, Patsi Krakoff, agree. In fact, there are a range of inexpensive and even free tools to help get you started (examples include Blogger, Movable Type, WordPress, but there are many more).

The two offer the following tips for those about to blog or to help improve a blog you may already have in place:

It's the content—"Before you start a blog, make sure you have something say," counsels Wakeman. "If you position it around your expertise and offer solutions to readers problems—solutions your business can solve—your content will have value. You'll also always have something to write about, whether it's about new products or services, changes in the industry that readers may want to know about, new or different uses for your product or service…you won't run out of content. Make it humorous and personal, but always have it relate to your business."
Take advantage of interactivity—Unlike a static web page, direct mail or advertising, blogs give you the opportunity to actively research your community of prospects and customers. Ask readers to rate the work you're doing, comment on your products or services, critique your service, etc. "If you don't have a huge budget, a blog is a great way to conduct anecdotal research," Krakoff notes.
Extend your website—It may seem like common sense, but use a blog service that works with your current web address. A lot of blogs use the web address of the provider, like "www.blog.typepad.com." If you can link the blog address to your existing web page, it's easier to find and lets readers know that it's part of your business. And, if you ever decide to move to a new web host, you can keep your name.
Use your own posts—If content is king, make sure you effectively use what you have. After you've been blogging for a while, you'll have a solid backlog of subject matter, so link to it when appropriate. Linking to your past information within your post using key words is a good way to keep circulating good information and it helps customers and prospects continue to find you. And if you find blogs related to your own that aren't sponsored by direct competitors, link out to their posts using key words, which can add value and objectivity to your post.
The company you keep—Having others link to your blog and use your content, and vice versa, is a great way to enhance your credibility. "In addition, that exchange of linking and acknowledging of sources can really boost your visibility and the awareness that people have of you and your business," observes Wakeman.
Get found—Among the chief benefits blogs offer is that they are extremely search-engine friendly. That's why it's important to highlight the key words that relate to your business in your blog. As opposed to a web search by company name, blogs are about finding you based on the products and services you offer. Key word search tools, like Key Word Discovery, Good Keywords and Google AdWords—and these are just a few examples—can show you what people are searching for, which can help you with the terms you'd want to include.

To learn more about leveraging technology to help your business succeed, view our archived webcast, Technology and Your Business, which features Denise Wakeman and other industry experts.