A lot of times, people start a blog for their business and they they either abandon or lose interest in it because it was totally not what they had expected. A common complaint is, there’s little return on investment or it’s a lot harder than I thought. If you haven’t started your blog yet and wondering if it might be a good move, here’s what you need to know so that you go in with your eyes wide open.
Always, Always Use Your Own Domain
Too many people start their business blog with a Blogspot.com or even WordPress.com address. Bad move. Don’t get me wrong, these are fantastic services and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using the Blogger or WordPress.com but if you do, at the very least, spend $10 to register a domain for it. Your blog is part of your brand, your business’ identity. Preserve and control it.
A Blog Is Not A Set It And Forget It Project
Don’t think you can use automated tools to fill your blog or load it up on PLR alone and you’ll be raking in the business. You can use a little bit of that, but generally, the human part has to come through. You or someone in your organization has to be assigned to update the blog with quality content regularly, promote the content and also connect with your readers. That can be a lot of work on the other hand it can also be very rewarding but you need to enter this with your eyes wide open and expect that the blog is pretty much, never ending.
Focus
Your blog should have a focus. It is absolutely OK to break the rules a little here and there and post a little personal tidbit on your business blog, especially if it can be tied into the overall focus or message of the blog. But if you are consistently all over the map, that’s not very compelling reason for someone to want to follow you. Think about what is the focus/reason/purpose. It will help you in the long term to come up with content that satisfies.
You’ll Have To Promote It
This is often confusing because many businesses figure, if I’m going to have to promote the blog, why not just forget the blog and concentrate on promoting the web site? Good question. Fact is, content is a lot easier to ‘sell’. People get online to read, research, communicate. You’re a lot more likely to get someone to come to visit you if you offer them free or valuable content (like this) than getting them to a page that offers them a product to buy. So, promoting content is like pre-selling to your leads.
You Don’t Have To Do It Alone
By now, you’re probably thinking if this whole blogging thing is worth it because it sure sounds like a lot of work on top of your existing business obligations. It definitely is and the good news is you don’t have to be the only one doing all the work. You can always invite guests to contribute posts. Seek out fellow business owners who have products and services that compliment yours. They’d love to gain the exposure to your audience and customers. Invite your loyal customers to contribute. These double up as good content and testimonials too. Invite people to be interviewed. That’s content that is easy and quick to create too and of course, you can always outsource it.
Every project has its challenges. As a business owner, you know that owning your business sometimes seems like a huge obstacle course but you wouldn’t trade it for a thing. Blogging is no different. If you understand all these, and can’t wait to get started, you should also know that there is help available – learning on your own is a good thing but sometimes, groping around in the dark too much leads too a lot of bumps and bruises and that’s no fun either. If you’d much rather have someone walk you through, the Blogging Starter Pack will do just that.
