What's the real value of Blogging for small businesses?

[cssoh]

I have just started blogging: http://cssoh.blogspot.com

...BUT I am still pondering over the value of blogging for small business owners.

I have read a lot about big companies blog as a competitive advantage, but as a small business owner, does blogging carry the same value in building a brand, promote a product, etc? I mean, when you put up a blog, say on e-Blogger or your own site that is not ranked in the top 20, it's not like you gain 'exposure' just by blogging. So, what's the catch?

Are there ways to achieve higher visbility for one's blog? And how does a small business owner go about EFFECTIVELY promoting their business via blogging (without blatantly advertising themselves)?

Your thoughts and opinions will be appreciated.

[marstoni]

I've found blogging for small businesses to be especially powerful. I see this question asked alot, its more of a long term, relationship development investment for a company. It (*can) bring a more personal touch to any business and help develope a relationship with customers on a level unmatched by traditional methods. Of course this is depending on how you market your blog, what content you provide with it and the mood in which you present it. It could also of course just be used to post new updates for business plans.

With alot of the clients I've worked with we've suggest them integrating a blog with their site (depending on their business) to establish a deeper and interactive relationship with their customers when developing their websites. Those who do find that it does strengthen the relationship with existing clients and new clients find a better source of information to base their opinion of the company.

Now with all this said, it really does depend on your market. Most people don't know about blogging and even in one of the recent reports they said only 8% of Americans use RSS. So if your customers don't know about it, it won't be much good to them. At the same time though, one powerful thing about blogs is they are so custom, configurable and 90% of the time, (atleast in the websites we develope) integrate cleanly with the rest of the site and look nothing like the "traditional blog".

Even though it has to be tailored to what you're doing (like everything), I think it can be a great asset to a business.

[cssoh]

Thanks Marstoni. So essentially blogging on a site like e-blogger could be a waste of time, is that right? I know lots of people there use their blogs to blatantly promote their products and services...I don't know if that's my style. I am more agreeable with providing quality content than hard selling, but I have my doubts that I will get much exposure from e-blogger unless there are ways of soft selling there that I may not be aware of? Eg. advertising it on other sites, etc?

[marstoni]

Yeah, it could be a waste especially if you have nothing paticular to say at the moment. It also takes a bit of planning and creativity to set the mood of the blog in a manner that will benefit your business most. For example, it could be disguised as news update page on your set and depending on how you write your updates you can make its sound personal or business formal, whichever you think your web viewers would respond to better. With the addition of things like commenting, they you get an excellent form of feedback. People will ask the questions you didn't think to answer in your posts, they'll give you different perspectives on viewing what you have to offer and give you suggestions (granted you have enough customers visiting your site). Then all of a sudden you have a sort of community and if structured right a community based on your company, band and products. Thats powerful, or atleast has the potential to.

But definitely if there is nothing to be said there will be no one to listen to it you know? Maybe at another time you'd be ready to have a blog in a time when it will benefit you better. Also its best to have the blog directly implemented into your main site as opposed to on a side blogger site.

But in either case good luck on your business and possible blogging ventures!

[cssoh]

Thanks again Marstoni. You are quite right. If one doesn't have anything to say, it's better to not say it...my belief exactly. Looks like I'd better blog personal stuff on Blogger at this stage...at least my family and friends will listen to it (or so I hope).

[Ian J]

Not wishing to get left too far behind in the fast moving world of cyber space I thought that I had better find out a bit about blogging.

I have a vague idea of what they are supposed to accomplish but no great idea of how to set one up or what should be included on it which is why I chose the easier route of a spot on blogspot rather than something on my own webspace.

My first attempt is at http://factoringsolutions.blogspot.com/ and I just wrote a couple of short diary type notes to see what it would look like ad have included linkls to my main site.

Am I doing it right or am I missing something important ?

[cssoh]

Personally I think you are on the right track. I started mine a few months ago not knowing much about it (hence the original post) but since have gained some insights into it. Consequently my blog became a personal journal more than anything else, which is dying a natural death.

I think if one were to blog for business exposure, it needs to be integrated into the wider marketing plan and a certain amount of time and commitment need to be set aside for it. At this stage, I simply don't think it's something that could add value to my business in a big way.

[adnan278]

Hi Guys,
I too have just started my own blog at [url="http://www.blogtrepreneur.blogspot.com"[URL].
I do think though that blogs for small businesses and individuals can become something and are not a waste of time.
Unless you are blogging on a completely new concept or in a different niche, then you are definitely not going to get readers overnight. During the past 2-3 weeks I have been up and running, my blog has got 3 subscribers (through feeds). If you try to consistently post articles and add information to your blog, it will hopefully become more and more popular.
I have now written 8 articles and my site is now indexed on Google.
Perseverance is the key to blogging.
Also to gain popularity, you must have links to your site. I have shared links with a few sites but I really want to build the database of links as this will encourage visitors to browse between blogs and will give the blog-owners more chance to get returning visitors and traffic.
Anyone out here want to swap links, Ian, Cssoh?
Anyway good luck all, I hope we can all make it big!!!
Thanks,
adnan

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

In the great majority of cases, blogs are an utter waste of time for small & microbusinesses.

First, you need someone who can just toss off a thousand words a week. Most entrepreneurs aren't very good at off-the-cuff verbiage.

And these words have to be entertaining, informative, &/or thought-provoking. Most entrepreneurs are either asocial geeks or too blunt to be allowed out without a handler. (Not being mean: I'm often accused of both!)

By that point, you've scraped away maybe 90% of all bloggers.

After you get those basic skills together, you then have to have enough content from Day Zero that readers give you a little buzz.

You can't simply stroll away when you get busy, or bored, or ill. If you do, there are 23 million (literally!) other blogs waiting to trample you into the dust. Once you've come up craps, that audience will probably never remember to return.

Some bloggers create a "zine" for this purpose, so that each writer can build a bit of backlog, & have an article or three on the spike.

Smart bloggers don't just trade links -- they refer to each other. This can get very silly, yet "silly" doesn't at all preclude traffic. Two well-matched opponents, for instance, can build a big audience by carefully orchestrating a mud-slinging feud -- a little e-mail, & they can plan out their "fight" for weeks ahead of time. On a less-exciting note, a well-thought blog brings in manufacturers, distributors, retailers, & customers, who then have a forum in which they can share what they learn, to everyone's benefit.

It only takes lots of effort, unflagging determination, & a bit of skill.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Anthony Ravenscroft

It only takes lots of effort, unflagging determination, & a bit of skill.

Ah well, that rules me out