Small Business Marketing Guide - DIY (do-it-yourself) BRAND MARKETING STRATEGIES to HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS

A blog can be a great tool for marketing your business and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. However, like anything you do to promote your business, it is important to make sure your blog is consistent with the brand you’ve built for your small business.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’ve decided to start a blog for your business:

1. Your domain is part of your brand: There are a lot of free blog-hosting options out there, such as Typepad, WordPress.com and Blogger. However, they tack their name on to your web address in exchange for the free hosting. So if you are Janey Smith, CPA and start a Blogger blog, your blog address becomes “janeysmithcpa.blogspot.com.” For just a few dollars a year, you can own your own domain — one that rolls off the tongue, sticks in the customer’s mind and looks great printed on a business card. Choose a domain you would still want when you have a loyal following and are interviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
2. Remain true to your branding: While the word “brand” makes us think of large, internationally known companies like Pepsi or FedEx, even the tiniest small business is a brand. Your business name, logo, business card design and the messages you convey to your customers are all a part of your brand. Take the professional identity you established offline and stick with it online.
3. Avoid flashy distractions: Since it is relatively cheap to make a blog, there is the temptation to use every bell and whistle out there. Stay away from too many colors, hard-to-read fonts, flashing graphics, pop-up messages, multiple widgets and other things that would distract from the main attraction — your message.
4. Emphasize education and your expertise: The purpose of the blog is to serve your customers and educate them on your area of expertise. Read John Jantsch’s tips for creating marketing materials that emphasize education rather than a sales pitch and apply those principles to your blog posts. These posts represent your company, so think of them as a part of your marketing image. If your company sells gift baskets, writing a bunch of posts about politics isn’t going to enhance your marketing. However, posts about corporate gift-giving tips will.
5. Publish consistently: Make a publishing schedule and stick to it. Why would anyone read your blog regularly if the latest post is from 6 months ago and there are only 2 posts to begin with? If you post at least once a week, readers will know that fresh content is always coming and that your blog is a consistent source of information. It will give them a reason to come back.
6. Follow online ettiquette: Leaving comments on blogs that your customers are already reading is one way to bring your blog to their attention. However, don’t be a spammer. If your comment isn’t contributing to the conversation, don’t leave one just to promote your own blog. If you leave insightful comments, readers will see your value and the blog owner may see it as well and link to your blog in the future. And when you quote material from another source, be sure to link to the original source.

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The Small Business Marketing Guide, brought to you by HP, will feature more advice and resources to help you bring your brand online. Check out free blog templates and professional web design available at the HP Creative Studio.