Usage of Blogging in Businesses

The Increasing Popularity of Business Blogs

In 1997, Jorn Barger coined the term weblogs which became shortened to blogs. Over the next few years blogs increased in popularity as software developers created blogging tools and software. Today, blogs are sweeping across the Internet as business owners realize the positive effects blogs can have on their future.

Not Just for Small Business

Business blogs are not just for small businesses. Any size business, from a one-person company to a large corporation, can benefit from having a blog. As of December 2007, almost 10 percent of all Fortune 500 companies are blogging. Many large corporations often have public blogs as well as internal blogs.

The Benefits of a Business Blog

There are many benefits to creating a business blog, including:

• You will create a Web presence for your company or business that will be search engine friendly making your company much more visible. Search Engine Optimization is a great way to market online.
• A business blog is a fast, easy and for the most part free way to update company news.
• Think of your blog as a communication line to your customers. Both you and your company will seem much more accessible to potential clients or customers. It is a very good idea to have a section in your blog where readers can leave comments or questions. By having a comment section you will gain insight and knowledge about your customers.
• Your blog will help you attract new customers and build your business.
• A business blog gives you the opportunity to act as an authority in your field or on a particular subject.
• A sense of brand awareness can be created by mentioning your company name in your blog posts.
• It is relatively inexpensive and easy to create a business blog.

Humanize Your Business Blog

Aside from promoting your business, many online business advisers feel it is essential to promote yourself on your business blog. Promoting yourself is called humanizing yourself on your blog. It lets your readers know the person behind the blog.

The professional networking site LinkedIn humanizes its company blog by adding a small picture of each blogger at the top of each post. Adding a picture to your blog is a simple and effective way to personalize your blog.

Other methods used by business bloggers to humanize their blogs include:

• Adding a link to a biography
• Linking to their social and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter
• Adding a link to a page about their hobbies and interests
• Including their contact e-mail address
• Including a comment box

Directories of Small Business Blogs

Small business blog directories help to make it easier to find the type of blog that you are looking for. Several of these directories include:

• Blog Flux Directory
• Blogs: Small Business
• I Blog Business
• Yahoo news and Media Business Blogs
• Blog Catalog - Business Blogs
• Emarketing Blogs

Business Blogs Consulting Services

As the usage of blogging in businesses continues to increase companies are being established to help businesses establish a Web presence in the form of a company blog. Services these company provide include blog consulting, coaching and advice on how to start a blog. Several of these companies include:

• Business Blog Consulting
• The Language Artist
• Business Blogging Pros
• Remarkablogger - Remarkable Blog Consulting and Coaching
• Blog Savvy
• Blog Business World

The Importance of the Usage of Blogging in Businesses

Whether you are an independent consultant, small business owner, coach, freelancer or president of a large corporation, a business blog is an effective tool to grow your business to its maximum potential.