Small Business Blog Best Practices for the New Year

The New Year is upon us. For small business owners, it’s time to think about where you’ll go in the next 12 months—and (hopefully) that means you’ve focused part of your customer engagement plans on blogging.

Or maybe you’re thinking it’s time to put the kibosh on your small business blog.

Our professional copywriters work with business bloggers who used to think about ending their blogs. After all, before they came to us, their blogs weren’t getting much traction.

Through the years, we’ve learned what constitutes successful blogs, and what causes them to float around invisible in the digital cosmos. Take note of these small business blog best practices, and you’ll be set to attract and engage an audience who can’t get enough of your insight.

Answer Questions from Your Market. Tough Questions

If there’s one thing more valuable than money, it’s time. When you write a blog, make sure it’s highly relevant and helpful for your target market. In other words, don’t spew a bunch of facts and opinions.

Instead, think of the toughest challenges your customers face, and answer their questions with helpful, step-by-step, and honest advice. After all, when prospects check out your small business blog, they’re making an investment, even though no money exchanges hands.

Be extra critical with your own small business blog edits. If the marketing content wastes the readers’ time, then cut it out.

Write About Yourself, Lose a Blog Reader

This blog has explained this self-evident truth time and time again: people like to hear about themselves. But at the same time, human beings also like to talk about themselves. For the small business blogger, that’s a nasty habit you’ve got to break.

But what do we mean when we say “talk about yourself.” In your case, I’m making reference to talking about your business, and not your target market. Your blog audience is the sole focus—every syllable you read should shine the spotlight on what they need to hear.

But there’s a caveat, which is don’t be afraid to be yourself, even though you’re not writing about yourself. That means, it’s important to write without fear, state your opinions, and explain why you feel a certain way about an issue that impacts your blog audience.

Take a Stand Every Now and Then

This is a tough one. In the New Year, it’s important that your blog takes a stand on important issue. Especially for small business owners, there’s a natural fear that comes with controversy. The last thing you want is to alienate your target market in a way that prompts them to unsubscribe from your list, jump to a competitor, or feel angry with you.

Keep this in mind: having an opinion will earn respect. When it comes to helping your target market thrive through blog content, you don’t have to get political, socioeconomic, or even all that controversial.

When you have an opinion, it’s always debatable. And with that quality, you increase reader engagement through a conversation.

Dedicate Time to Write Your Blogs

There’s nothing worse in the blogosphere than landing on a relevant blog…

That last saw an update in 2012.

When you dedicate time to your blog, that’s when you get returning readers who come back to devour more of your content. The biggest problem that small business owners face with blog writing is finding that time to do it.

If you’re scrambling to find the hours it takes to create a compelling, helpful, relevant, and business-building blog…

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