by Seth Simonds
A blog can be a great tool to help build customer loyalty and bring in new business. But before you leap into blogging for your small business, we need to have a conversation. You see, successful blogging isn’t just a matter of setting up a site and writing a few articles about the products or services you offer.
A successful small business blog is a combination of personal insight, community interaction and thoughtful content promoted consistently according to plan.
That might sound like a lot of work. It is. But it’s work that can lead to tremendous long-term rewards if you take the right approach. We’re here to help you craft that right approach and tackle your small business blog with an eye for success.
Before you start looking at blogging platforms or brainstorming snazzy taglines, grab a notepad and a cup of coffee. We’ll walk you through five questions every small business owner should ask and answer before starting a small business blog. Once we’re done, you should have a much better idea of where it is you want to start with your blog. Sound good? Great! Let’s begin.
1. Why will your existing customers read your blog?
What don’t your best customers know about your small business that they could discover through your blog? Consider a mix of the following:
- Advice on how to make better use of your products or services
- Personal updates
- Community involvement
- Local news
- Interaction with other customers and fans of your small business
Take Note: Consider your small business and what you know about your customers. What else could you offer online that they’d find interesting and useful?
2. What will potential customers get from the blog?
Potential customers will typically discover your blog through an online search or referral by existing customers. If you maintain a blog for your small business, those potential customers will quickly and easily be able to view:
- The products or services you offer
- The story of your business
- How your business is involved in your community
- Commentary from existing customers who trust you already
Take Note: Think about your small business and what it is that a potential customer might want to learn before trusting you with money in exchange for providing a product or service. What do you come up with?
3. What do you hope to get in return for your investment?
A healthy small business blog represents a significant investment. What do you hope to get in return for your time and money? Do you want to have more repeat customers, build better relationships with your existing customers or find new customers? You’re probably looking for a combination of all three.
Take Note: Think about what you want in return for your blog investment and note a few different ways by which you can track how much your blog is returning to your business.
4. Who will be tasked with managing the blog?
As a small business owner, you know immediately when one of your employees is failing to do part of his or her job. At the same time, many small businesses suffer because some tasks are never assigned to a specific person and there’s no system of accountability to make sure the job gets done correctly and on time. Sound familiar? You can make sure your blog doesn’t slide off the table by asking one of your employees to help you update it regularly. Training your staff in best business practices for social media is something we’ll discuss in a future article.
Take note: Who knows your business personally and can find an hour each week or so to keep your blog updated and reply to comments? Make a note to chat with that employee about your blog idea and get his or her feedback on the process.
5. How will you share your blog?
When it comes to sharing your blog, you need to return to your creative childhood and get excited about sharing your blog with friends and customers. If you’re putting in the time, effort and creativity needed to create a blog that other people will find useful, why not share it?
Some popular ways to share a small business blog:
- Through social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
- With an e-mail (If you’re not collecting e-mail addresses from your customers, start now)
- In a phone call (If you’re already talking to a customer, invite him or her to your blog)
- By including your blog URL on your business card, letterhead and invoices
Take Note: A small business blog started with a marketing plan is in a great position to grow. Showing immediate results (through comments, visits and new business) is the best way to encourage yourself and your staff to keep up the great work you’ve been doing.
Now that we’ve gone over some questions to ask before starting your small business blog, do you have any thoughts or questions?
Image: Ed Yourdon
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