A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz Network, a partnership of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Debbie Gorski, Social Media Community Manager, WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz Network.
"I want to start a blog for my business, but how do I get started and what are the benefits?" Vickie H., Laramie
Starting a blog for your business is a great idea. There are several benefits:
-- Casual format to interact with customers.
-- Excellent way to build relationships with existing or potential customers.
-- Market your products and services in a no-pressure environment.
-- Gain valuable insight into customer needs.
-- Receive valuable feedback on your product and customer service.
-- Educate customers about your company and products/services.
There is more information on this topic than space for my response. The information would fill a book and there are numerous books available on blogging. If you want to jump right in, there are several blogging hosts or providers. Some popular hosts are: Typepad (http://www.typepad.com), Wordpress (http://wordpress.com/) and Blogger (www.blogger.com). Wordpress and Blogger are free and Typepad offers a 14 day free trial to get started.
You could search on the Internet for starting a business blog and you will find millions of articles (81.9 million on Google). This is overwhelming for a beginner blogger! I recommend you join our social networking community: http://wyendotbiz.ning.com. This is a free social network where Wyoming entrepreneurs and small businesses can interact with business experts from Wyoming Small Business Development Center, Wyoming Market Research Center and GRO-Biz as well as with one another. A blog is included in this community.
This is a great way for beginning bloggers to test their wings. You always have an option to consult with one of our counselors for free. Call 1-888-348-5194 and ask for a counselor near you or e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu.
A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments is available at http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/blog/
The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
Posted on Tuesday, August 11, 2009