Category: Business Blog

How An Editorial Calendar Will Change Your Blogging Life

blogging-with-an-editorial-calendarThis is my fourth and last post this week on blogging for business. I have covered many topics, from finding inspiration to writing tips to business blog rules. I hope you’ve learned.

But there’s something I haven’t really touched on that I truly believe will change your blogging life. It’s not illegal, it’s not hard to do, and it won’t wake you up in the middle of the night screaming. So what is it you ask? (hint: it’s in the headline). It’s an editorial calendar.

You run a small business. Your life is as full as it can be. There is always something to do, something you should be doing, something you just half-assed in order to accomplish a different task.…

How To Write Content For A Business Blog

business-blog-content-101When researching the art of blogging, one will often read this rule: Write with your ideal customer in mind. It is a powerful tip, one that comes second to my most sacred blogging rule: Provide value to your reader.

I am going to take my own advice and write for my ideal customer. Who is my ideal customer? It’s a small business owner who is just dipping their toe in social media. If I had a roomful of these people, what blogging advice would I give? What do I think would be the most helpful to learn and remember?

Do Not Forgo Personality

Many business bloggers write like they would write a memo.…

6 Ways To Alleviate The Pressure of Being Awesome

alleviate-the-pressures-of-being-awesomeAfter my post yesterday on social media scaring people to the point where they are paralyzed, I began to think of ways to alleviate this pressure that many people seem to feel. In fact, I feel it myself sometimes.  The other day, after feeling frustrated trying to update my own About page on my blog, I put this into the Twitersphere: Why is it I can write great copy for others but I get writers block for myself? I got a response back from @CristinaFugaru who told me: It’s the pressure of being awesome. And something clicked. That’s why I have trouble writing for myself, that’s why so many people are scared to dive into social media.…

Blogging for Business: Four Important Questions

four-thought-provoking-questionsIf you are considering starting a blog for your business, make sure to put in the thought it requires.  I don’t believe it should be a question of if you want to start a blog (I tell you why you should here), but what will the goals of the blog be?  In order to get the most from your blog, it is important to know what you are starting with and what you are working toward.  Below are four questions I think are important to ask yourself when launching your business blog.

1.) Do you want to make money through blogging?

Five Ways To Engage Your Customers

Excited-Customers-Coming-Back-For-MoreIf you want your blog read on a consistent basis, you need to provide your readers with value.  Assuming you started your blog as an extension of your business, your blog is a way to keep customers informed of your comings and goings and also to grow your online presence.  If you are using your blog as a platform for your business, you want to get as many return readers as possible.  This will grow your online presence and your clientele.  How can you do that?  Listed below are five ways:

1. Tell a story

If you have a new product or service to roll out, turn it into a story. …

What Belongs On Your Company Website

Do you have a website?  If you are a small business owner, the answer should be YES.  In fact, I would argue that you should put more time and money into your website than any printed materials besides for packaging.  Your website is your home base.  It’s where most of your customers will look before deciding to buy your product, whether it is your time or an actual physical object.  It will be well worth your while to have a beautiful website.

So what should be on this website you ask?  I will tell you.

The first page is a welcome. …

Why Your Company Needs a Business Blog

This blog is intended to show how as a small business owner you can utilize social media tools to grow your clientele, get your word out, and thrive.  An important part of the social media equation is blogging.  You may believe everyone and their mother is out to start a blog in order to keep you posted on which cereal they ate for breakfast, if their cat got over that nasty stomach flu, and if they can balance cherries on their dog’s head.  But there is so much more to it than that.  Business blogging is a completely different beast, and is one of the most effective ways to add content to your website, build brand awareness, and turn readers of your blog into real-life customers.…