How a Blog Might Help You Grow Your Business

Although they have been around for several years, blogs have become a strong marketing tool even before the explosion of social networks, and now even more so.
However, the idea is not to start a blog without having a clear idea of why, how and who will manage it.
More than half of the blogs are abandoned in their first three months.
Although this is not really important if you are writing a personal diary or political blog, but it is very important if you start a blog for your company or for you as an entrepreneur/freelancer, and you don't keep publishing consistently and with a purpose.
When a possible client comes to a blog that hasn't been updated in months, it's similar to walking into an empty business with broken windows and full of dust.It definitely doesn't look good and it doesn't help your image or your online reputation.

Don't let that happen to you. Start the right way and do things smartly. Let's go over some basics:

Because a blog is an inexpensive and quick way to build an online presence, it's an ideal way for entrepreneurs, techies, consultants, speakers, writers and other professionals to build trust and credibility with the conversation generated by people's comments.

By its very nature, a blog is perfect for busy professionals. Blogs are quick and easy to update. You'll be creating fresh content frequently (two to three times a week is recommended as a minimum) that is useful to your potential and current customers, plus it's loved by the Google SEO. Unlike the static "traditional web", a blog is a dynamic site that encourages your visitors to interact with you through comments so they can get to know you better.
When you create a conversation with your audience (visitors, readers), you build trust. You are building your network and increasing the visibility of your products and services in a natural way.
A blog, in combination with a website for your products, services and/or your company, you will have everything you need to develop and manage your business worldwide from the internet.

1. Before doing anything else, analyze the reasons why you want to publish a blog.

Some people use a blog to build their database, their subscriber list.
Some are looking to build a platform for visibility, while others use the blog to develop content for other purposes, such as books, articles and programs. 

2. What is the purpose of your blog? 

How is the purpose of the blog related to your business objectives? Who is your ideal reader? For most companies and businesses, the ideal reader is similar to your ideal customer. It's important to know your target audience so you can meet their wants and needs and focus on that.

3. How do you want your readers to feel when they read your blog?

This may seem like a strange question, however, it will help you tap into the emotions of your audience. Do you want your reader to be inspired, motivated, and take action?
Remember, tapping into this will help you focus your content on serving your reader.

4. How much time will you dedicate to your blog each week?

This is the essence of blogging. If you can't commit to yourself to write a lot of valuable content, then I recommend you do nothing.
The most effective and successful blogs are those with fresh content available at least two to three times a week. Is that reasonable for you to manage? Are you going to have a team of bloggers?
Remember, there are many, many ways to create content. If it's not your personal blog, it doesn't have to be your own content all the time.

5. What is the core message of your blog?

This relates to the topic of your blog and the niche you focus on. What do you want your readers to learn, why should someone read your blog, and most importantly, why should they subscribe and follow you?

6. Create your editorial calendar.

It's no secret that content rules in a blog, so it's helpful to have a content plan. A key element of a good blog is to have a list of 5-10 keyword-rich categories.
Once you determine your blog categories, you can plan your content calendar. If you plan to post three times a week, make a list of 5 topics from each category. Then, fill in your calendar. Five topics per category, with ten categories: you have 50 blog posts in your calendar.

7. Build your blog.

Now that the research is done, you know your message and your content is ready to go, it's time to get to work and build the blog.
This is where the fun part starts and I don't think it can be covered in this article. You have to think about two things: 1) Are you going to do it on your own or will someone else build the blog for you? and 2) Are you a web technology aficionado or not? There are many blogging platforms, each with pros and cons.
As you can see, there are many more things to consider for business blogging than what may appear at first glance. The more preparation and dedication you put in and especially before you start your blog, the more successful it will be.
Once the prep work is done and the blog is built, you will have a powerful marketing tool to make a presence on the internet, increase your visibility tremendously and attract the right people to your business.