How to use a blog to market your business

Many businesses are finding that posting a blog is a very effective marketing tool. Business owners are using their blog to build a stronger customer base and attract new customers to what they business offers. Keep in mind that you can write a business blog separately from your website or you can write it on your website. However, if your business blog is separate it should be linked to your website. You can use your business blog to position your business as the expert in your field and teach your customers about your industry and what you have to offer them. One of the major advantages is that most blogs are free. Here is what you need to know about how to use a blog to market your business-

- Have a plan-Many business owners think all they need to do to have a blog is to just set up and start posting. However, online marketing experts stress that before you post any content you should have a plan as to what you want to accomplish. There are several different factors that you want to consider before you start writing. You want to take the time to decide what the focus of your blog will be. Keep in mind that a business blog can serve many purposes. You can use it to teach your customers about your business and what you offer use it as a forum for discussion, post relevant articles to it, or a combination of the above.By having a plan before you begin you are much more likely to end up with a business blog that is an effective marketing tool.
- Do some research-It can be very helpful to do some research before you start writing your own business blog. You should take the time to see what other business blogs are all about and especially your competition's blogs. This will be especially important so that you can see how you can make your blog stand out from your competition. Keep in mind that you will only have a few seconds to attract and keep the attention of your readers so you will need to know how you can do that.
- Choose a hosting site-It is important to note that you can choose a hosting site for your blog or you can host it on your own. Each type of hosting has its own benefits and drawbacks. You should take the time to carefully consider each. However you choose to host your blog you will need to make sure that it links back to your website so that customers can check out your business and make a purchase from you.
- Give it some personality-One of the most important things that you will need to do is give your blog some personality. Few readers will be interested in a blog that simply gives dry, technical facts. You should determine a tone for your business blog that will attract your readers and keep them coming back. It is important to note that it can be hard to establish a personality for your business blog if you have several different writers each with their own writing style. You may want to assign someone to post the content for your business blog on a regular basis or give a couple of writer's specific sections of the blog to be responsible for. This way your readers will see a specific tone and personality each time they come back to your blog. Finally, it is crucial to understand that you must provide your readers with something of value. If you simply use your blog to push sales your readers will grow tired of that and move on to another blog.