What is Business Blogging?

People ask me all the time, WHAT EXACTLY IS A BLOG?

Is building a business website enough to build your business? 

So let’s talk…

I realize that we should try to clear up some basic questions… and perhaps get things straight in our heads before we even write our first blog post for our business.

What is a blog?

A blog is an active space on your website. It refreshes when you add content and keeps your website current on google searches. Here you can place a written post (content), or perhaps a photo (with a brief description) and it stays in reverse chronological order. The newest is always first, and it tells your readers something associated with your website.

What is the difference between a hobby blog and a business blog? 

What is a hobby blog?

These blogs are usually created when a person has an interest that others might find useful; a mother might shares her experiences while her children are young, a man might share his passion for motorbikes and start a personal riding forum for information exchanges.

The prime reason is not about making money, although I am sure many think they will generate enough interest to be discovered by the masses and perhaps become a paid writer. Generally speaking, a personal blog or a hobby blog, they generate some money through an ad space.

My blog <My Expat Life – THAT’s HAMORI> is a primary example of a hobby blog, created to share our story; here I give information on a specific topic; an expatriate family living in between France and Hungary. Our blog talks about why and how we moved to Europe from Canada but I am not selling anything concrete; like a tactile product, or travel flights. I make a little off advertisements, but mostly I earn an income through indirect ads placed along side of our other businesses that actually earn us a living; Le Petit Platane our B&B, Daily English our homestay booking agent, and Vin en Vacance where Alfonz does wine tours.

After 5 years of writing my blog, of course occasional I get lucky and I do get paid writing projects and production gigs but it is not enough to live off. Perhaps one day it will be. I guess that is always the hope, but there are so many bloggers out there now, that it really would be a challenge.

What is a business blog?

A business blog keeps the primary function of your blog as the sales of what you are selling and the secondary function is to be an expert in your field. Your entire website would function as a way for clients and customers to buy what you are selling.

The reason the blog is so important to you as a business owner with a website, is because when you have a business page with all your information on it without a blog, it is now more like a glorified online business card that becomes stagnant unless you physically send the link to someone. So you are not generating hits outside your initial set up page, you are not enticing clients to view your page, gather information or buy your products.

When you have an information blog on your business website, it keeps your page moving. They get to know who the person is behind the business facade. Even when you have SEO (search engine optimizers) built into your business site- over time it grows quiet when you do not refresh your information.

A post is a short article on content related to your website. It keeps potential clients interacting with you on those subjects that relate back to your business. And now they know who you are and what you do. Customer service is always about building relationships and with a blog that is exactly what you are able to do.

BENEFITS? Imagine, a person is far more inclined to buy your product if they feel they already have a connection to what your are selling. Especially if you are giving them information for free!

You are now viewed as the expert. Eh voila! 

So for a company selling, let us say Indian food and spices, they could have a weekly post on certain ingredients, where they find them, post speciality recipes utilizing them, or maybe even restaurant reviews and bring the recipes home to you. Then they become the go to person for information in the area that relates to their Indian food!

You can post anything related to your genre that potential clients would want to know relating to what you are  selling.

Then when they crave Indian food made at home, they will be far more inclined to order your food stuff!

Does that make sense?

A specialty item food store could write about the different vendors they buy their local products from and the different ways to enjoy them.

A local wine tour company could talk about wines and the restaurants that serve them. By talking about global wines and how they compare to local wines you entice people with your common interest to listen to what you write. You can give new information to wine lovers, start conversations and if they come to the region, of course they will be far more inclined to go on your tours and not someone else’s.

Google loves new information, and with every page you add to your website, the more the bots and people will find you, bringing your ranking higher and higher on the search engines.

In short, Blogs are good for business!