Even today, there are those new businesses and entrepreneurs that consider the "blogosphere" an unknown entity. But the writing is on the wall, and according to Social Media Today all stats point to blogging as the driving force of online marketing. In fact, those businesses with an eye for the prime demo of 21-35-year-olds should know that some 53% of bloggers are in this age group.
That makes for a large sphere of online influence. On the marketing end, the data is just as ironclad,with 67% of B2B marketers using blogs to increase their leads. All these stats serveto buttress one point: blogging today is integral to small businesses and large.
Those on the smaller end - startups and their ilk - are likely still finding their footing when it comes to that perfect marketing strategy. Now that it's established just how crucial blogging is in today's world of commerce, the next step is implementing it properly in an overall plan of attack.
To this end, here are a few things every small business owner should know about blogging.
Be in it to win it
Blogging for business is not hobby, and therefore it can't be treated as such. Google,that most giant of search engines, won't waste precious algorithm time on a blog with less then 50 posts.
And even after hitting that number, the page rank will still likely be low for some time. That's why business owners need to commit for the long haul. That means publishing at least two posts a week - preferably more.
Hire out (when necessary)
Those starting a muffler shop or small health food store, for example, may rightly feel some apprehension about undertaking a task that doesn't fit in their wheelhouse. That's okay. Those who don't have the stomach for clacking away on the keyboard for hours a day can enlist content writing services from outside.
There are plenty of pro guest bloggers and SEO firms out there who will be happy to compose professional blog posts tailored to a specific audience, for a fee. Again,those who are apprehensive about shelling out this extra cash should remember this particular stat: 77% of all Internet users read blogs.
Publish first at home
Social media is great, and it is inexorably linked to blogging and business. However,social sites serve a specific purpose and should never be the launching pad for content. The goal should always be for business owners and marketers to first publish at home, on the business' website, with a goal to getting folks to share it across social platforms.
Be personable and useful
Especially useful. Blogging is not the appropriate medium for the hard sell. This is a brave new marketing world, and in this realm folks want their content to be of some use in their daily lives.
The aforementioned health food store, for example,can publish blogs detailing low-calorie recipes that readers can prepare quickly at home. And if these blogs can offer a personal touch, such as writing in the voice of an employee or even the owner, then all the better.
Conclusion
The above four tips should provide a decent roadmap to those business owners new to blogging on how to cultivate success in that world. Above all else, diligence is the most important thing. Setting a regular, weekly blog schedule and adhering to it is paramount. Only then will the blogging strategy pay dividends.
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