Why Small Businesses Blog

Will, the owner of Eclipse Chocolate, located at 2121 El Cajon Boulevard is enamored with the blog he started two months ago with the opening of his new café. The blog is a form of advertising which allows him to speak directly to visitors and offers a sense of personality to his business. Take a look at Will’s blog: http://eclipsechocolat.blogspot.com/

A blog (short for web log) is an online journal. It’s usually in chronological order and can include photos and other types of files. Creating and maintaining a blog is much easier than creating a full website. It’s also very easy to monitor the number of people who read your blog daily. There are several companies that will host your blog for free.

A blog can provide your business with a powerful way to stand out from the hundreds of other companies on the internet. The benefit is that it gives you a platform to speak about your business and your products, and allows you to connect with your customers and build brand loyalty.

For example, if you own a scooter shop a blog entry can be posted about how to replace parts or an update on upcoming scooter events. After time, someone searching scooters online will come across your blog and see what you have to say. This is a great opportunity to showcase new merchandise or current specials being offered. Readers can subscribe to your blog and links to your site can also be advertised to your current customers.

The most important thing to do is start the conversation. Feed the community with information and provide visitors with a reason to read your blog. Personalize the communication to avoid sounding like a salesman. Starting small is a good approach. Once your blogging skills are refined, and people start to read your blog, you will have created a community of readers that like your product and look forward to your frequent updates.

Listed are three Free Blog Hosting sites. Get started now!
www.blogger.com
http://blogsavy.com
http://blog.com