According to Wikipedia: A blog (a contraction of the term “web log”)[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Blogging has become incredibly popular online as a form of communication. Blogging has also has evolved into a marketing tool employed by businesses of all sizes including, home based business, to advertise their products and attract new customers. As a marketing tool it can, and does, offer several advantages for your home business.
First of all Blogs are quick and easy to create which is a big benefit to someone just starting a home business. There are many free services available and by following their step by step set up instructions it makes it very easy for even the most technologically challenged. You can have your home business Blog up and running in a couple of hours.
Another important advantage offered to home business owners is Blogs are very search engine friendly. Every time you update your Blog you add another page to your website with another unique url. If you make sure this new page relates to your business and is key word rich then more often than not your new entry will be indexed by the major search engines and you may become ranked on the first page of search results. Which should be the goal of all home business owners.
Blogs are also very inexpensive to set up which is another important consideration for someone just starting a home business. As I mentioned, there are many free services out there and there is virtually no maintenance involved except for updating it on a regular basis so the search engines don’t for get about you.
A Blog can also turn you into an expert in the eyes of your visitors or potential customers. If you concentrate on learning all you can about a certain home business related topic and write articles related to this subject on a continuous basis, then your readers will soon begin to see you as an expert in this field. This respect can soon translate into profit for your business.
Blogs also offer home business people the opportunity to advertise their product in various ways including: audio, video and pictures. Links included can serve as jump off points to your sales page where your visitors may decide to purchase your offerings.
Updating your Blog on a regular basis by including excerpts from your day and any unusual happenings can help you establish relationships with your regular visitors. People begin to believe they know you and these relationships help build trust which improve the odds that someone may click on the link to your website and decide to become a customer.
Blogs also provide an avenue for getting any news about your home business out to the masses. It is much more convenient than a newsletter with less work involved.
Blogging is here to stay and with so many people taking advantage of its availability it would be unfair to your bottom line not to employ it as a marketing tool for your home based business.