Sometimes in business we know what is the right thing to do but still overlook it or do something else instead. This is never more true than when it comes to using the web to promote a small businesses. Little thought or planning is given to a new web site, copy and graphics are usually the same as those used for printed media and 2 months later the business owner is asking why they are not number 1 in Google for “eating out in London”.
Yet launching online is as crucial a part of a small businesses overall strategy as is competitor analysis.
Which probably explains why people so surprised at the success of Facebook & Twitter and all of the businesses that have grown on the back of them. The principles of these two applications, and the web itself, are perfectly natural to human beings. The desire for knowledge and to communicate, which these provide.
It’s because of this natural tendency I firmly believe that every small business should have a blog. A blogging platform allows you to publish information and enables communication in a very easy and cost effective way, plus it can interact seamlessly with Facebook & Twitter. A blog is a natural extension of you and your business online, it acts as the central point around which lead generation and sales can be won, or lost. It defines your area and level of expertise and allows you to present your product or service to the end user/customer without commitment. There are a few more technical reasons why a blog is the right platform but these will be covered in a future post.
In the coming weeks I will show you how to:
- Set up hosting
- Launch your blog
- Create content – not just copy
- Promote your business
- Reach new customers
And to assure you, you will need no technical knowledge or copywriting skills to do this. The fact that you already run a business and happen to be reading this are all the skills required.
