Hey – I’m in Florida at the moment, soaking up the sun, so this will be short and sweet. I was asked the other day (while in the swimming pool no less) why a business owner should be blogging. Here’s my quick response:
great value – can’t beat the price
expand your reach – take your business global
find new markets – take advantage of the long tail to do what you really love
turn customers into evangelists
create dialog with your clients
find hidden opportunities – see find new markets above
force you to think about your business – an often overlooked benefit of writing about your stuff regulary
build relationships with your most vocal customers
replace yellow pages – know anyone under 30 who uses the yellow pages?
spread buzz
humanizing – puts a face and personality to the business
create top of mind awareness
build trust-based relationships
build time-based relationships
tap into strong branding power
take advantage of virtual word of mouth marketing
This list is woefully incomplete. What else should I add?