- 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 or Google Blog Search.
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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