We’ve been extolling the virtues of blogging for quite a while. But just to prove that we’re not alone, here are examples of others talking about the usefulness and profitability of small business blogging.
A summary of Wayne Hurlbert’s Business blogs: small business secret weapon
Business blogs are a secret weapon for the small business owner. The power of a business blog is that it is global.
Startup entrepreneurs used to be confined by geography and limited cash flow to a very localized area, which was often insufficient to develop a viable customer base. Opportunities for minor niche markets were simply not possible.
The introduction of the internet removed those distance barriers and entrepreneurs began to add an online component to their business. However, often, their internet activity started and ended with activating a web site and dreams of customers surf magically to the site, were soon dashed.
The business blog is the great equalizer for small business. With a blog, and its built in search engine optimization ranking power, the lone entrepreneur can compete on a level playing field with the giant corporations.
Bill Slawski of Searchengineland talks about the positive impact encountered by the first business blog he worked on.
In the years that it has been operating, the blog has had a very positive impact upon his business:
1. Repeated mentions in local newspapers and magazines
2. Profiled in national publications like USA Today
3. Appeared as an example in a book on blogging as a way of enhancing a professional reputation
4. Attracted business from local customers as well as national and international clients
5. Ranked high in search engines for a wide variety of keyword phrases, ahead of much larger competitors
6. Engaged other practitioners in the same field to discuss and enter into consultation on a variety of topics
7. Suggested other services that he might provide to his clients
Finally, at Pajama Market, 101 reasons for small businesses to have a blog. Here are 10 of them:
- tons of repeat traffic
- receive testimonials through the comments
- gets links from tons of other websites
- your posts can be emailed easily
- create a user poll
- you will become connected to your audience (i.e. your customers)
- angry customers will leave comments, but
- you will be able to respond publicly and fairly, and
- other customers, good customers, will defend you
- your company will be more transparent, more accountable, and more honest, and your customers will respond to that
[...] How can blogging help a business? Carol: “Often people opt to get a website and it’s not necessarily the best way for them to go.” They might be better served by a having a “dynamic and easy-to-update blog.” And it can be far less expensive. The duo feel that blogs can be advantageous to small/service-oriented businesses and that posting can be just as useful for the 20s-30s set (for which blogging is becoming intrinsic) as for baby boomers, a demographic that is sometimes hesitant and often fearful about the practice. [...]