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Guide to Blogging for Small Business Owners
Increase Your Visibility Through Blogging
By Chris Maxcer
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Blogs may have started as a way for individuals to share personal thoughts, but today businesses of all sizes are publishing blogs with easy-to-use Web-based software and reaping the benefits. For small business owners, blogs: - Can streamline the creation of a Web site through easy-to-use tools
- Can help customers find you
- Are a way to establish yourself as an authority
- Can help with marketing and promotion
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
 Check out the competition
Spend some time reading blogs about your business niche. You'll gain an understanding of how the best bogs work for readers, as well as see blog formats that you like and can emulate.
I recommend: Search for blogs at BlogSearchEngine.com, Google Blog Search or Feedster.
Choose a free blog solution
You can create a free blog, but you might have to put up with advertising on your blog, plus you won't have a dedicated domain name.
I recommend: Check out Blogger or WordPress.
Choose a dedicated URL and blog solution
A dedicated URL and a more robust blogging solution, which usually comes with a monthly fee, is often your best bet for a small business.
I recommend: Check out SixApart's TypePad or Moveable Type, GoDaddy.com's Quick Blog, Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting and Wordpress combination or Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting and Movable Type combination.
Promote your blog
It's easy to get yourself listed on blog directories. Rising to the top of directories is another thing – that's based on how many other blogs link to yours, and that's ultimately a measure of how interesting other bloggers find your blog. It helps to link your blog to theirs to see if they'll reciprocate.
I recommend: Get your blog listed through the sign-up page on Technorati.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Blogs are meant to be updated on a regular basis, which helps develop a consistent readership.
- Keep your tone informal, as if you were talking to a friend, but your content should always be useful to your customers.
- Offer an RSS service so your readers can be automatically notified when you post new content.
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 Recommended Solution Providers | Back to top |
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Register to set up a free blog.
Service for hosting and publishing weblogs and photo albums.
Free, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP.
Blog host service with free and paid plans available.
Combines multiple weblogs, syndicated guest weblogs, and automatically maintained public briefing channels.
Power a business web site with blog software.
The turnkey solution to start a customized network of blogs.
Experts on Internet marketing and blogging.
Blogging software with the needs of the business blogger in mind.
Cerado helps organizations get closer to their customers.
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 Best Sites to Learn More | Back to top |
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All about business blogging for small business, consultants, coaches, and free agents.
Collection of how-to and help documents to help you become comfortable with blogging.
Guide to creating and maintaining a business weblog for small business.
Informative blogging articles.
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 Best Blogs and Forums | Back to top |
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Three forums on blogging for beginners, blog promotion, and making money from blogs.
Posts on Internet marketing and why to blog.
Training to help become an expert blogger.
Various blogging discussions.
A discussion offering business blogging news, corporate blog reviews, and tips for business bloggers.
A resource for companies interested in creating a business weblog.
All about practical business blogging.
Everything needed to set up, develop and promote a successful corporate blog or business blog.
Information on business blogging.
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