What your Reasons to Start a Blog for Your Business

…and Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Start
©2007 Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. & Denise Wakeman, The Blog Squad

Unless you’ve just come online and are new to the way business is done on the Internet, you know how important blogs are… or do you? Here are five reasons you should start a blog for your business now – or maybe they are a reminder of why it's important for you to take your business blog seriously.

1. A business blog is a sure-fire way to get found by people searching for your type of product or service.
2. Search engines index blogs more frequently than static websites.
3. A blog shows your personality, your expertise, and your character; people will hire or buy from you when they feel they trust and like you.

4. A blog expands your global reach, pulling in qualified prospects you would never have reached before.
5. A blog allows you to interact with readers, get feedback, introduce them to your ideas, and builds relationships, creating customer evangelists who will spread the word about you.

In spite of these great marketing advantages that can result when starting a blog, many business owners and entrepreneurs hesitate and procrastinate.

Why? Here are some common reasons:
• I won’t know what to write about
• I don’t want to share my personal life
• I don’t have time to learn another web application
• My children use blogs; my colleagues don’t
• Why would anyone want to read about my business?
• I’m not sure it will bring a sufficient return on investment

Many are mislead into thinking a blog is primarily a personal online diary, or for political rants, or for young adults and kids.

What we're advocating is a Business Blog: one used for creating relationships with prospects, showcasing your expertise, and making it easy for customers and clients to find you and your business.

When used by savvy professionals a business blog increases the likelihood of getting found on the Internet, and helps create credibility and trust like no other online tool.

Blogs are easy to learn, do not require tech skills, and cost only a few dollars a month. Most professionals can learn to set one up in a couple of hours. Writing and finding material to write about requires 20-40 minutes a day. Or, you can hire a professional to set a blog up for you and train you how to use it effectively for your business Then you spend your time and energy writing short posts, or articles.

World-wide, there are over a billion people using the Internet and that number is growing rapidly. In the US, blog readers are more educated and spend more money online than do non-blog readers. Are you ready to capture some of that market?