March 16, 2011
OPEN Forum Message
Company Culture
Can you recognize signs that your company's culture isn't working? Get advice from the experts on what to look for–and how to fix it.
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James Maier
You may have thought about blogging but then asked yourself, “What would I write about?” “Who would read it?” Or, “Is this the best use of my time?” If you’re a business owner who already wears a hundred hats, the latter may be what keeps you from starting.
While only you can decide if it’s the best use of time, consider these benefits. A small-business blog demonstrates your industry expertise, puts a human face to your business and engages with your customers. It may even help you gain some perspective, as Matt Rodela describes in his “Four Ways Blogging Helped Me Start My Business.”
So, if you’ve decided to start blogging, here are some tips from the OPEN Forum editorial team.
Find Your Voice
Before thinking about what to write, think about who you are. Even if the goal is to drive awareness for your business, your blog doesn’t have to be all about your business–and it shouldn’t sound like an advertisement.
Writing about your own company may be too limiting, but writing about an industry or topic you follow opens up possibilities. You’ll be writing on an ongoing basis, so make sure the theme is one that excites you and can produce more than a few posts. Make a list of the topics for your first 10 blog posts to see how quickly the ideas flow.
Once you choose a theme, think about the unique perspective you can bring to it. In her “5 Tips for How to Start and Grow a Successful Blog,” Jill Fehrenbacher recommends studying other blogs. Review blogs you admire, want to emulate, and/or compete against. What works? What doesn’t? As she says, “The more you know what works and why, the more you can tweak your blog and shape it into an ultimate success story.”
Develop Your Style
One challenge many new bloggers face is developing a consistent style. One word to keep in mind? Authenticity. Write in a voice that’s your own, and it will be both more authentic to your readers and easier for you to write.
Also, blogging isn’t writing a white paper, press release or a piece of direct mail; it’s more conversational. Josh Catone, in his “Top-Five Business Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,” includes treating your blog like a press center, not blogging regularly, and not being conversational. He says, “It's true that blog comments can open you up to criticism, but blogging is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with your customers. You'll get a lot more out of blogging if you enable -- and even encourage -- your customers to respond to what you write.”
Want more blogging tips? Check these out:
Where you can, make your post “scannable.” Readers want to absorb content quickly and move on. So make copy concise and break it up with subheads and bulleted or numbered lists.
There is no hard and fast rule on length. OPEN Forum blog posts tend to be between 500 and 700 words (and no more than 1,000 words). But while some writers say a lot in fewer words, others need more to cover a complex topic. Write enough to make a clear and informative point. Then wherever you can cut, do. (For more tips on style, see Guy Kawasaki’s “British Blogging: The Elements of Guyle.”)
Choose a Format
Ever notice on blogs you read that not every post is the same? One way to keep up the ideas – and the interest – is to create some variety, which may also help you get started. On OPEN Forum, the authors write within quite a few formats.
- Review: Review a new book, product, or service, like Matt May’s review of Guy Kawasaki’s book in “Guru Review: Enchantment.”
- Tips: Share your business insights and experiences, as Chris Brogan does in “Seek Out Less Traveled Roads.” Josh Catone, in his “Five Winning Post Ideas for Your Small Business Blog,” says, “It may seem counterintuitive to share your business acumen with readers who might also be your competitors, but in the long run, establishing yourself as a leader in your field among your peers will help you sell more of your product or service and lead to opportunities in the press...”
There are other types, of course, and not all blog posts fit squarely into one type or another. Take “6 Social Media Tips from a Smart Lawyer,” which obviously offers tips, but is also a profile. Use what works best for you; don’t feel restricted to one format. Your readers will appreciate the variety.
Edit Yourself
As you get comfortable with your topics and style, you can look for ways to continue to improve your blog and build your audience.
- The Opening: Again, early impressions matter most, so reinforce what’s in it for the reader. Your first sentence or paragraph may appear in sharing and search, so make it work. Establish your premise or credibility and how this article will help them. In “Presentation Tune-Ups," Chris Brogan says, “I’ve given close to a thousand presentations.” You know from that statement that you’re getting tips from an expert. And include the keywords or phrase that sums up the point.
- Make a Point: Three “Es” that help drive readership: 1) education, 2) entertainment and 3) engagement. Readers want to feel informed, amused or connected to a topic. And in each case, your post needs to make a point, whether it’s presenting a way to accomplish a task, a humorous look at a situation (done well, humor makes a point), or an argument that others can discuss and debate. Re-read your post and see if you can easily identify the point.
One last thing to keep in mind: Give it time. Don’t set expectations too high, too soon. It can take a while to build your audience, so be patient. And, again, you might find that writing helps clarify your thinking around what you’re trying to do. So even if you’re the main reader at first, it could be worth it.
If you have additional tips, questions, or want to add a note about your own blogging experience, please share below.
Image credit: KatieKrueger
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James Maier 3 months ago
I think it's very important to start a small business blog, as you are able to tell the people about new products and tell them of special deals. But before you start a small business blog- you need to start your business. I was able to easily secure financing from Connexx- they helped me accomplish my dream of starting my fishing tackle business. They help with all other forms of financing as well, including invoice factoring. http://www.connexx.com/cashflownotes.html