No, a blog is not for everyone. Does the house cleaner who runs a very simple and full local business need an on-line presence? Maybe not, but MAYBE. I would say a blog is for those who want to increase their ability to be found on the internet, to be contacted by your local market or beyond. As I understand blogging there are several objectives people can have. Blogs evolved out of WEB LOGS which were a place to capture resource information for quick and consolidated reference. The popular purpose in recent years seems to have been on-line personal musings of thoughts, ideas and individual updates. It was at this stage that I was not interested in blogging either, writing it off as something that was useful for some, but something I did not have time for.
Today however, blogging has evolved into several additional purposes that can benefit every business owner.
1) It helps with SEO. Frequent and regular postings in your blog with key words that you want to be found by can be more effective than buying Google Ad Words and “SEOing” your website. The regular activity on your blog will help to keep your page fresh and at the top of the NEW and RECENT information on the web (each entry is like a NEW website).
2) It is the new website. I have heard that some techies are recommending if you are going to start a website, create a blog site instead of a website. Because of the way things are published, a blog site will optimize every entry you put on your site, but a website will only host the information and it will not be optimized in internet searches.
3) It is an opportunity to give to others. Information is growing and changing quickly. Why not share what you know. It is a blessing to others and we know what we give we receive. So let go and be willing to give.
4) Build creditably. It is a way to show that you know what you are talking about (teach what you know) which builds credibility for your business and separates you from the “want to be’s”.
5) Maximize your spokes on-line. It can be an easy hub of the wheel for your social media updating, release of audio and video clips and a channel to help market or inform your audience of who you are and what you do. The blog is a relevant and live “hub” to funnel your most recent things that can auto update all your other sites that you are working to network and keep in touch with the world.
These are some of the key reasons I think it is savvy for a business owner to have a blog. For the reasons above, I do think it is wise for a business owner to consider it for themselves. They will have to figure out their purpose, target and system to work their blog, but that can be fun. Realistically, if every business owner were blogging, it might lose some of its effectiveness, however, taking the prosperity perspective, everyone has something to contribute and will benefit others. Just set up your blog in a way that is reasonable and natural for you to manage, YES, having a blog, can be beneficial for most business owners.
Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN
