More Than WE Know

Recently I wrote two posts about the pros and cons of blogging for small business:

Why Your Business Might Benefit from a Blog

Why Your Business Might Not Benefit from a Blog

So, when I came across this example of a small business using a blog to connect with its customers, I wanted to share it with you as an example.

The Houston Online Furniture Store  has a great inventory, in a populous area with a strong online and offline presence.  It does have one challenge: the store sells modern, contemporary furniture in…Texas….an area of the country not usually equated with sleek, Danish, modern furniture.

That’s why the blog is such a great idea for this small business.  The store owner is using it as an opportunity to educate his potential customers about the exciting possibilities of a different type of interior design.

Recent blog entries:

• highlighted the design beauty and practical characteristics of cement floors
• provided tips on where to get the increasingly popular mid-century classic furniture
• disclosed the hottest new color trend in Houston

Even if you are not in the market for bar stools, dining chairs or leather couches, it’s worthwhile checking out Houston Online’s  blog for some ideas on how you could incorporate this low-cost technique into your own marketing strategy.  

What do you think? How could a blog help you educate your customers and create a bigger demand?

(Sponsored Review)

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In yesterday’s post I told you several reasons why your business might benefit from a blog.  While it might have sounded like a great idea, I want to remind you that no strategy fits every business. Before you start blogging, you should look at your overall marketing strategy and your goals for your business to determine whether a blog is right for you.

A blog might not be right for your business if:

• You don’t like to write and don’t have any employees who like to write
• You really don’t like computers or even slightly technical tasks
• You are already strapped for time and don’t have anyone to delegate to
• Your business doesn’t lend itself to repeat business or customer loyalty
• You sell a commodity that is interchangeable with your competitors

Hmmm… there must be other reasons a business wouldn’t benefit from a blog.  Since I’m really not the best person to list the reasons for Not Blogging, I’ll refer you to this article on Small Business Essentials and this conversation at Start Up Nation. 

Both of these were written in response to my assertion that most businesses should at least consider starting a blog before they decide it is not for them.

One thing I know for certain, don’t miss out on writing a blog for the following reaons:

• you think it is expensive
• you think it is difficult
• you think you have to be technical
• you think it is an irreversible commitment
• you think it is a big time investment
• you think you don’t have anything to say

All of those are myths that I will dispel next week.

In the meantime, tell me -what did I miss? - what are the reasons that a blog is not right for you and your business?

photo credit: Rochelle, et al

As many of you know,  Laura Spencer and I co-author another blog, BusinessandBlogging. Lately we’ve found ourselves having a lot of discussions with readers and other bloggers about whether or not most small businesses would benefit from a blog. 

It’s been rather lively. Another blogger has taken a pretty strong stance that most small businesses don’t need a blog, which is also what some blogging experts also say.  On the other hand, I maintain that blogging  is a low-cost marketing tool with a high potential for return.  In my opinion all businesses should at least consider it as part of their overall marketing strategy.

I thought I would share some of this discussion with you, as you might find it beneficial in deciding your marketing strategy for 2008.

So, for a start, I’d like to explain some of the reasons you might want your own blog:

• It’s a quick and low-cost way to begin a presence on the internet
• It helps to establish you as an expert
• As a consultant it demonstrates some of your skills
• It brings people “behind the scenes” of your business, making them feel connected
• It builds a relationship with potential clients
• It is a great networking tool both online and offline
• It is a great icebreaker
• It helps you to find your voice and unique selling proposition
• It can get your site greater SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• It’s more dynamic than a static website

What other benefits do you see? Which would you like to know more about? Let me know.

In my next post, I’ll discuss some of the reasons why you wouldn’t want a blog.

As we move into 2008, I’m planning ahead for the topics to cover. I’d like to ensure that I include more of what you would like to see. I could review my stats, look at which articles got the most views and the most comments, and try to make some guesses based on that.

But, I thought it might be easier to ask you straight out. What topics would you like to see covered in more detail in 2008?

You can vote for as many answers as you want, but you can only vote once. So, pick all that apply.

And if there is something you would like to see covered that is not on the list - then please add it in a comment below.

Thanks for your time.

Liz

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I’m pleased to say, More Than WE Know has achieved a milestone - 3 months in existence. While 3 months may not seem that long, Nate Whitehill says that according to statistics, most blogs disappear within the first three months.  Bloggers get discouraged, start posting less and less and eventually give up. 

In contrast, More Than WE Know is going strong - in less than 3 months, we’ve been included in the Top 100 Business Blogs,  and been read over 4000 times by readers like you. I’ve been selected to do guest posts, published 14 articles and have begun distributing my own ezine.

The best part is that along the way I’ve met a lot of great people through social networking sites like MyWomanOwned Business and IrishBusinessWomens forum, carnivals and from reader’s comments.

So, what can you , as a reader, do to encourage this blog, or any of your favorite blogs to continue to grow and provide interesting content for you to read?

1) Subscribe to the blog’s ezine or newsletter. Often bloggers will offer a free gift to do so (I offer my 10 page report Getting Out of Your Own Way: 7 Keys to Sustainable Success for Women Entrepreneurs.)  By subscribing, you give the blogger an opportunity to reach out to you periodically and remind you about their great blog and encourage you to come back.  (see the form at the top of this page to subscribe)

2) Subscribe to the blog’s feed in a reader.  The big orange button on the top right corner of the site enables you to subscribe to this blog in any reader that you choose - google, bloglines, yahoo, etc.  Subscribing enables you to read all your favorite blogs in one place without having to surf all over the internet.  Subscribing helps the blogger because just like with  a magazine, the more subscribers a blog has, the more credibility it has.

3) Stumble, Digg or Technorati favorite an article.  By taking a moment to mark an article as interesting through one of these tools, you increase the number of people who read it by an incredible amount.  Every time someone stumbles an article of mine, my readership increases dramatically.  Some of those people then become fans who subscribe to my reader or ezine or come back on a regular basis.  (see the bottom of this post)

4) Leave a comment.  Bloggers are starved for conversation, encouragement and support. If you like what you read, say so. If you have a different opinion, say so.  If you’d like to read more or less about a topic, or about a different topic - say so.  The point is to get involved - the more you participate, the more you and the blogger are both going to get out of it.

5) Send an email. Most bloggers have their contact info on the blog - either their direct email address or a contact form.  Go ahead and write - tell us what you want to see more of, less of, questions you have, topics you want covered, etc.  Most bloggers love to hear from people - I know I do - you can write me at Liz AT morethanweknow DOT com.

6) Tell your friends. If you like the blog, tell your friends, co-workers and acquaintances. Send them a link. Forward them the newsletter. Talk about it on a coffee break.  Do what you can to help the blogger increase the traffic to their site.

7) Buy a book.  My site doesn’t sell anything yet, but I do give book recommendations about once a week.  This is mainly because I love to read and love to share what I read. If you are interested enough in the books I recommend to want to purchase them, go ahead and click through from my site.  It doesn’t cost you any more than going to Amazon directly, but whenever ten people or so buy books from my site, I get a coupon for a discount at Amazon, which feeds my own book addiction.

7) Click on ads or buy things from the site.  I don’t have ads or items for sale on my site. That doesn’t mean I never will, just that it isn’t my focus at the moment. But, when you are on blogs that have those features, consider using them.  These are a source of revenue for the blogger that helps compensate them for the time they put into researching and writing your content.  

So, what are you going to do today to support your favorite blogs?  Leave a comment below and give me feedback on this blog - what do you like, dislike, want to see more or less of? Tell me hi, tell me who you are, tell me what you think!  I’d love to know!