9 Keys for Successful Business Blogging

It seems that some business owners are reluctant to start business blogs for a variety of reasons. Some are afraid that they'll burn out and lose followers after working hard to get them. Others are afraid that they won't have anything to say. Still others are afraid that the time commitment will be too much to manage. If you're one of these people, stop making excuses and start blogging! Here are 9 keys for successful business blogging.

1. Have a Conversation. The point of a blog is not to lecture, nor is it to push your products and services. Instead, the point of a blog is informal, informational communication in which your readers can learn more about you, your products, and all that your business has to offer them. By engaging potential customers in conversation, you give them the opportunity to learn to trust you, which increases the likelihood that they will purchase your products or services. You don't have to be clever or cute, just honest and open.

2. Know Who's Reading. What kinds of conversations will interest your readers? You need to have this information before you even write your first blog post. It's hard to have a conversation with someone about whom you know nothing, so find out who's reading and what interests them.

3. Regularly Publish. People will stop visiting your blog if you stop publishing. And even if you start back up again, chances are they won't be following you anymore. So update your content regularly-once a week at the very least-and comment at least that often as well. You'll do yourself a favor by publishing daily if you can hack it.

4. Let Them Know Who You Are. People will be more willing to share information about themselves if they know who you are, so include an "About Me" page on your blog. You don't need to tell your whole life story, just a bit of personal background and a summary of your professional experiences.

5. Use Your Voice. Use the conversational style that's most natural for you. If you're naturally sarcastic and clever, throw a bit of that into your writing. But don't force humor if it's not natural for you. Readers want you to be transparent, and that means being true to yourself in your writing.

6. Engage Other Bloggers. Read other blogs and comment on them. This is a great way to keep up with what's going on in your industry and to get fresh content.

7. Don't Get Anyone in Trouble. While it's important for your blog to be conversational in style, it's also important for your blog to be professional. All of your posts should be professional and all of your comments should be professional. Never write something until you've thought through it first. Remember that you're not only representing yourself, but also your entire company.

8. Write Well. You're not in the running for the Nobel Prize for Literature, but you still want your writing to represent your company well within the blogosphere. Use correct grammar and spellcheck everything before you publish. Potential customers will never take you seriously if they perceive that you are unable to communicate in writing.

9. Follow Your Bliss. Don't force yourself to regularly write about things that don't interest you. Of course you'll occasionally need to stretch yourself by writing about industry trends that may not interest you all that much, but try to stick with topics that get you fired up. You need to learn how to convince others to take interest in your industry, your company, and your product, and the best way to do that is to write with passion and integrity.

Stop trying to think of reasons not to blog and just do it. Following these 9 keys will get you off on the right foot.

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