When I mention to a business client that their new website can have a blog, I'm often asked, "what would I use a blog for?" Most of us have seen how individuals might use a blog as an online journal of their lives - a place to vent and talk about what's important to them - but how does a business use a blog to actually benefit the business? Here, in no particular order, are a variety of ways that a business can make great use of a blog format.

1. S
6 Business Uses
for a Blog
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

2. S When I mention to a business client that their new
website can have a blog, I'm often asked, "what would I
use a blog for?" Most of us have seen how individuals
might use a blog as an online journal of their lives - a
place to vent and talk about what's important to them -
but how does a business use a blog to actually benefit
the business?
S Here, in no particular order, are a variety of ways that a
business can make great use of a blog format.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

3. 1. Answer Questions
S If you ever receive questions about your business or industry, either direct
or implied, you can answer those questions in your blog. You simply start
by posting the question, leaving out who asked it of course, and then
answer it.
S This is particularly effective since most people end up asking themselves
the same questions, so it's likely that you will be providing valuable
information to many people. In fact, you should fully expect that eventually
people will be using a search engine like Google and will type in your
exact question and your blog post, with the answer, will come up as a
result.
S If you have an FAQ system or page, you can discuss the same questions
and topics - the format of the blog post is simply more casual and
conversational, while an FAQ entry should generally be more formal and
to the point.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

4. 2. Client Spotlight
S If you just completed a large or interesting project, or
simply have something nice or compelling to say
regarding a specific client, use your blog to share. It's a
great way to illustrate how you might handle a specific
project or even a challenge. Be sure to get the client's
permission before you post your entry.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

5. 3. Reviews
S If you read an article in the newspaper or some other
online source that you think your customers should read,
post a link to it in a blog entry and explain why you think
it's relevant to your clients. Conversely, you could also
use this method to respond to negative press your
business or industry may receive online.
S You can also review a new product or service.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

6. 4. Teach
S Regularly take a topic or issue from your industry and teach your
clients all about it. This method involves a little more work on your
part, but is eventually even more rewarding and compelling than
others.
S First, do your homework. Make sure that everything you state is
correct and verifiable. Use statistics if you can and cite your
source.
S Second, create your blog entry in a Word file and see how long it
is. Break it up into smaller sections if its lengthy and label them
Part I, Part II, and so on. You now have not only several blog
posts, but a series that will entice readers to come back for the
next part. The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

7. 5. Lists
S A particularly common technique is to make lists. You can list
anything you want, anything that might be interesting to your
clients, and talk about each list item for a moment before moving
on to the next. An easy topic might be Do's and Dont's for your
clients as I'm sure nearly every business has common pitfalls that
their clients struggle with, as well as things every new client
should be doing.
S Do not feel forced to come up with a specific number, like "Top
Ten", as that will simply frustrate you when you can only think of 8
items. It's your blog, so list 5 or 50 if you want to. One free tool to
create and curate lists you may want to consider is List.ly. You can
even crowdsource lists there and let others add more items, and
embed the list on your blog.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

8. 6. Events & Conferences
S Use your blog to talk about and announce upcoming
events and conferences, if it's something you think some
of your clients may want to attend or be interested in. If
it's a conference for vendors like yourself, then talk about
it afterwards and share some of the things you learned
that might prove valuable to your customers.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com

9. Regardless of which method you use, always make sure that you re-read your
entry for correct grammar, spelling, and factual information. Also, whenever
possible, make sure that you're using your targeted keywords. If you can,
refer to older blog entries or articles you may have written and link back to
them (that's referred to as deep linking).
Of course, the beauty of a blog is that there are no rules or regulations. Your
posts can be as long or as short as you want, and on any schedule you like
(though the more regular you post, the better). Furthermore, there's no reason
why you can't utilize each and every one of the techniques above, and
anything else you might find or invent. Your blog doesn't have to be the same
each and every week, as long as the overall topic remains the same - your
business and your industry. Continue to write interesting and helpful
information and your blog will become a great sales tool for you and your
website.
The Social Media Hat
http://www.TheSocialMediaHat.com