Wyoming Business Tips for July 12

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Bruce Morse, WSBDC Region II director

“Should I write a blog as part of my online strategy?” Connie, Riverton

As those of you who follow the Wyoming Entrepreneur blog probably realize, we take turns writing about various topics that are either timely or which we have received questions about. This, at least, gives us a place to start in terms of a topic.

Over the years, we have blogged about many things, so if you have specific questions for us, you might find it answered in a previous dialogue. Of course, you are always free to give us a call or send a quick email (people still do that, right?).

So, why should you consider having a blog? A number of articles have been written that answer this question, and also some that suggest why you should not have one. Let me start there. Reasons you should not write a blog:

-- If you are doing it strictly to make money. Some people do; most do not.

-- You hope to become famous. Same reason as above.

-- You really aren’t into it, you don’t see the point, but someone told you that it is needed. You will probably start, quickly forget about it, and then your online presence will look outdated.

Reasons you should start a blog -- a few are mentioned here:

-- It’s a simple and inexpensive way to connect and share relevant information with customers.

-- It fuels search engine optimization. Search engines love valuable content and reward your results position for it.

-- It allows you to become known as an expert on your business or subject area. A blog can help you sharpen your focus and tell your business story.

What about customer engagement? A good blog creates a two-way conversation. It encourages interaction, comments and feedback from your readers. Make sure you keep the conversation going by replying promptly.

The benefits of blogging are very real, but make sure you do it well and devote the necessary time to this task, just like other important parts of your business.

A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments are available at http://wyen.biz/blog1/.

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, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.