Start a Blog

blog boardBlogging, like social media, seems to be the hot topic right now.  A blog is a type of a website, with regular entries usually posted in reverse-chronological order – meaning the newest stuff is on top. Blog topics range from  commentaries, to descriptions of events, and uses media like graphics or video.

Some blogs function as personal online diaries – this isn’t the type of blog you want to start if you’re using a blog to build your business.  Most business blogs are topic specific – real estate, photography, gardening, small business marketing.  These blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject.  A typical blog combines text, graphics, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to the topic. One of the key features of a blog is the ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive way.  Readers comments and the blog owner responds.  Everyone can see the comments and the responses so a natural conversation develops.

But how do you know if blogging is for you?  If you like to write, then you should immediately start a blog for your business.  If you don’t like to write – think long and hard about whether a blog is right for you.  Most blogs are primarily text – which means you will have to write it.  However, depending on your business and your style there are still options that involve less writing.  You could create a photoblog, a Video blog, a music blog, or an audio blog – like a podcast.    For example if you wanted to create a video blog, you could record 5 minute segments 1-2 times each week and post them.  This is still a blog in concept, but you’re not writing.

There are a few reasons blogs have become so popular:

1. They are really easy to setup and maintain – unlike traditional websites which required a PhD in computer science.  Blogs are dead easy and most blogging platforms are free.  Check out WordPress or Blogger if you are just starting.

2.  They are completely searchable by Google.  Because blogs are primarily text – they are completely indexed by the search engines making them great at organic search.  There are some tricks to this of course.  Keyword usage is critical – meaning you need use keywords in your content so that the search engines find it and put you in the right category in their search results.  Be careful not to overdo it.  The content has to read naturally and sound like a person actually wrote it. Otherwise, Google can tell you’re trying to stock up on keywords and they don’t like it.

3.  Blogs can scale really well.  Blogs can be 1 page of pure text and very simple functionality. Blogs can be comprehensive websites with amazing features and functionality.  My two primary websites are both created as blogs using WordPress.  Lauralowell.com is a pretty standard blog with 2-3 entries each week, categories of content, specific pages with fixed content, readers can subscribe to my newsletter, offer comments, etc.  One the other hand, 42rules.com is a whole different thing.  It is a complete website with multiple page owners, a backend database, user-based security and tons of other stuff.  The point is – blogs can grow and expand without much effort.