In Part One we discussed blog basics, promotion and whether or not it was a worthwhile endeavour.
Continuing along those lines, and equally important to your website, a blog will also require a bit of SEO (search engine optimization), carefully chosen keywords and tags, as well as, listings with directories and indexes such as Technorati, StumbleUpon, or Digg, just to mention a few. Reading and responding to other people’s blogs is also a big part of the bogging community. However, to gain a wide readership you either have to have something reasonably spectacular to offer or a lot of time to spend on promotion.
Blogging Hazards
Blogging has been found to get people into trouble. Blogging about work regularly opens the door to disaster. The award-winning police blogger known as Nightjack was outed by the press and subjected to disciplinary proceedings. In another case, insults about a model led to the disclosure of the blogger’s identity and legal action. Exposing your personal life can be dangerous, even if you remain anonymous.
So Why Blog?
If you’re able to walk the walk and talk the talk, blogging can propel your career or become a satisfying pastime. Used as a business tool, in tandem with other social media marketing, a blog can help expand your reach and help to promote your product, service or views. A blog allows you to show the ‘human’ side of your business and keep your search engine rankings high with what they highly value, FRESH content.
A hundred million people regularly follow blogs. The blogosphere may not be what it used to be, but when used in the business arena, as a part of a larger marketing effort, it can be a powerful tool for getting your message out to the masses. It can be as versatile as a website without any added expense.
As long as you consider both sides of the equation, having a blog is a great way to express yourself and build a following. So make a little history of your own, take your business to the next level by utilizing a blog.
So, share your blogging experiences. How have you been using your blog and what can we think of to take it up a notch? BAM!! 
Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.
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The Internet provides an incredible opportunity for businesses to reach their target audiences in a wide variety of ways. One of the growing areas of Internet marketing is the use of social media and social
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January 7th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Jeannine –
Thanks for this information. You inspired me to go ahead and start a blog (on wp.com, not .org, my current budget for this is 0.) I figure I can port it fairly easily when I get a website, and I’ll have some material available in addition to the bigger projects I’m working on (a couple of e-books, and a series of linked articles.)
Wendy
January 7th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Great, Wendy – glad you feel inspired!
Actually, one of my upcoming topics (for my group VA coaching) is on how you can take your blog posts and turn them into books – so, that’s a great option.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
oh, heavens, you just gave me yet another book idea, and for this one, it doesn’t matter whether I do the book first, or the post. Actually, if I do the book first, I can use pieces of it as blog posts, and get triple duty out of each piece. Part of the book, a stand alone blog post, AND marketing to get people interested in the book. I actually already have a couple of things written that I could use, too. I wish I didn’t have to go to work now, I’m wound and want to get started.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
In my circles we call it repurposing the articles…too funny! Don’t forget, when you’re rich and famous, I do accept affiliate commissions! (LOL) Keep that excitement going – you can do it!