You Need to Blog. . . Consider This. . .

First let me just say that if you are in business and plan to stay in business

YOU MUST BLOG

Now let’s talk about it a bit.

In this age of social networking and getting in touch with anyone and everyone that might be interested in you or your business you have a lot to consider.

First before we begin I want you to know that this post is being written from a small business perspective. Since at this point the business side of social networking is of most interest to the people I meet.

Consider this. . . you’re a small business, you started it or work in it for some very specific reasons. Usually it’s to make a difference. Either in your life or the lives of others around you. You have “Mad Skills” and can do things that others can’t.

Here’s the problem. . . cash. You never have enough or you never have enough business to supply you with a surplus. Me too. You dream of the day you can be profitable in spite of yourself. Just ask your friend in Corporate America how much waste they see daily. Don’t get me started.

So what can you do with your lack of budget.

As you know by now marketing is the key. People need to know who you are and what you do and how you’re different. Networking, references and people talking or “Buzz” is all critical to your growth. Reality Check. . . Upset one customer and they tell 10 people you suck. Make one happy and they may tell three people if your lucky. We live for bad news and controversy. Just watch a Go Daddy commercial during the Super Bowl and see what it invokes. Bad press is their angle, they live for it because it drives business to their site.

In steps Blogging. It’s real it’s interactive and it’s powerful. If you say the sky is green on your site no one can contest it. But if you say it in your blog people can tell you your wrong and why. That’s a good thing. It’s dialog, it humanizes the experience. People will gravitate to people and businesses they see as human and to err is human.

It’s my belief that EBay made it big because of the feedback model they started with. When you sell something on EBay and you are not 110% truthful people will call you on it and give you bad feedback. That will kill your sales and people will not deal with you. However if you are above board and honest people will gravitate to you and buy more of what you are selling.

So blogging was made for you. Think of it this way. A blog is your dynamic ever changing marketing package. Working on something new, blog about it. Someone really cool walks in your store, blog about it. Got a new material in or a new process, blog about it. Own a restaurant and want to run a micro special or any special, blog about it. Content is king and your the expert so blog about it.

Blog Defined as Wikipedia sees it

“A blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.”

Consider this model

Website – Brochure – Changes Slowly

Blog – Your Best Sales Person – Changes quickly to meet the current conditions

LinkedIn – Your Professional Network of Contacts that may be interested in your blog

Facebook – Your living room – Invite only those you would invite to your home

Twitter – Your quick “Tell your friends and fellows about something great”

I’m done for this post. We’ll talk more about the details. In the mean time open up your mind and consider your first blog.

Plan on devoting 2 hrs a week on it. I promise it will pay off.

Remember this. . . Don’t worry if your friends don’t get it. Google does and at this point this may ne more important that anything.

Read this link it’s a great post from a person that’s helping lead the way in social networking.

8 Principles for the Modern Blog …at least for 2009