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The Three Reasons Your Small Business Needs A Blog
ust a few short years ago Promotion Tool for Your Small
hardly anyone knew what a Business
blog was, but now, because
they are so easy to set up and Small business internet marketing
maintain, their popularity has seems easy at first glance, but
blossomed beyond all many have tried it and failed.
expectations. Blogs are not just Others have persevered,
for ordinary people who wish to perfecting search engine
expound on their hobby or area of optimization techniques, keyword
special interest. Blogs are for density and linking strategies,
the smart small businessperson which work for some but not
who understands the power of the always for others. They have
published word online. followed the advice of every
"guru," only to be more mystified
A blog can provide a low cost at the end of the process than
means of marketing online, a when they started out. They
feedback mechanism for invariably end up thinking that
establishing your side of the there has to be a better way, and
story against someone spreading there is - a blog.
negative and potentially damaging
things about you and your The search engines love blogs.
business, and a means of Yes, a little optimization with
connecting and communicating with careful keyword placement and
existing clients and potential some back links will never go
clients. The purpose of this amiss, but even the complete
article is to explain these three novice knowing nothing whatsoever
main positive reasons why your can enjoy good results simply by
small business needs a blog. regularly maintaining a blog. All
it takes is a simple strategy,
1. A Blog as a Marketing and perhaps focusing on a particular
product line and posting just medical doctor who practices on
once a day, to get results that her own in California. She
will make a difference. treated two patients whose poor
health situation was largely of
With time and as your their own making. She told them
understanding of blogging that they needed to take some
techniques improve, your small responsibility for their own
business internet marketing health. This was not at all what
efforts will bear significant they wanted to hear. Feeling
fruit. And remember, the cost of insulted, they started to blog
all this is negligible compared about it online, giving only
to newspaper advertising, for their side of the story and
example. Of course, this is not painting a very damaging picture
the only reason why your small of the doctor in the process.
business needs a blog. What if
someone is "badmouthing" you by If you were to go to Google or
blogging all over the Internet, any of the major search engines
perhaps because they didn't like now and do a search for her name,
something about the way you do the only information you would
business? How do you defend find are negative, almost
yourself and give your side of libelous, rants created by these
the story? You need a blog! two aggressive individuals who
couldn't face up to the truth
2. A Blog as Feedback Channel to about their own health
Establish a Positive Image for situations.
Your Small Business
However, had this doctor
A real-life example of someone previously considered the
who found themselves dealing with advantages of blogging for local
negative blog posts involves a small businesses to complement
her business activities, she
would have been able to limit at 3. A Blog as a Communication and
least some of the damage caused. Connection Tool for Your Small
Patient confidentiality rules Business
would have prevented her from
posting a positive rebuttal to People love getting free things
the negative blog posts -her side on the Internet. We all do, in
of the story in other words. But fact. And one of the most
she could have built up an successful things to give away
archived library of positive and and help build your business at
factual information about herself the same time is a free
and her practice, automatically newsletter. Traditionally, this
dealing with negative blog posts has taken the form of a specially
at the same time. Anyone then formatted email, but increasingly
using Google to search for her small business owners are turning
name would still have found the to blogs for publishing their
negativity, but they would also newsletters. They still send out
have found the positive balanced an email to the people on their
view. list, but only to send them over
to the blog where the newsletter
This type of situation can happen can be read online.
to anyone running a business, not
just doctors. A blog for your This is a great way to
business offers you the chance of communicate with your existing
great flexibility to promote your clients. You can regularly give
business, publish a positive them useful information, making
image, and to communicate with them realize that your newsletter
all your clients, even those who has real value. And every so
don't know that they have yet to often you can pitch an offer - a
become your clients! special bargain offer perhaps,
and a percentage will make a highly effective method of
purchase that you would not have acquiring new customers with
had otherwise. But it doesn't little effort.
have to stop there. Your blog can
be a tool for getting new There are many more ways to use a
customers too. blog for any small business.
Often it just requires your
If you have carefully built up imagination to come up with new
your business blog with regular ways to use it. And you don't
and useful posts, the search have to limit yourself to only
engines will have noticed and in one blog; you can have several,
time your blog will be ranked each one dealing with a
according to whatever the search particular topic, and all of them
engines deem appropriate. linked together. This can be
Hopefully this will be a extremely powerful if done
favorable placement, and if it properly, and it isn't hard to do
is, people who search for the either.
kind of product information you
provide will find your blog. The three reasons I have offered
you for why your small business
When they are on your blog you needs a blog are indeed important
can ask them to sign up for email ones. But they are not the only
alerts to whenever you make a new reasons. Don't waste time now
post, or whenever your latest trying to think up other reasons.
newsletter is published. Once you Get a blog in place first, and
have them on a list you can make then the ways to use your blog
offers to them and a percentage will become increasingly obvious.
of them will buy. Blogging for You really do owe it to yourself
local small businesses can be a to get your own small business
wonderfully inexpensive and blog in place today!
About the Author:
Entrepreneur and outdoor photography adventurer Caroline Melberg is President and CEO of Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing. She has over 20 years of experience creating marketing communications materials and writing copy for some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. When you subscribe, you'll also get a FREE copy of her e-Book, "Local Small Business Internet Marketing Secrets" - learn insider secrets to marketing your local small business on the Web today! Get your FREE subscription at http://www.SmallBusinessMavericks.com.
Read more articles by: Caroline Melberg
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