1. New Year’s Resolution: Start a Blog
Posted on January 4, 2012 by Maya Pillai
“A leader that has nobody following him is just someone taking a walk.” John C. Maxwell
(Leadership Expert)
The year 2012 has started with a bang. By now, you as a SMB owner, would have taken stock of
the success and failures of the previous year. Goals and milestones should already be outlined for
this year, all geared up to meet the challenges and adventures of what’s to come. Have you given
a thought about starting your business blog? Or if you already have one, will you be updating it
frequently to maximize its reach? If you have not added blogging to your list of goals and
challenges yet, make it a priority to do so this year.
© 2011 Apptivo Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Why should you Blog?
Internet has leveled the ground for small business owners and today they can compete with
corporate giants. Business blogs are corporate communication tools that are used to
communicate with your loyal clients and potential customers. You can showcase your expertise,
knowledge and also add additional web traffic using this wonderful tool. Here are a few reasons
why you should blog.
Creates online branding – When you write about your product/services, you take up the
responsibility of marketing them online. Small business blogs generate leads by creating
awareness about your products/services. When someone reads your blog, he gets an insight into
your personal opinion and knowledge about your business. To put it simply, potential customers
will get the feel for brand value, ethics and your mode of operation. In brief, blogging will
establish a rapport between you and your future prospects.
Great way to promote your products/services – When writing simple and engaging content, it
provides information pertaining to your products and services. In addition to that, you are also
providing information about the industry that your business represents. When writing about the
industry you are in, the voice of your blog will show passion, which is contagious and will
further be passed on to your customers. This will spark interest among your customers who will
later want to buy your services/products.
Staying up-to-date and bench-marking made easier – Blogging about your business helps you
stay in touch with your industry. When you showcase your expertise by writing about your core
area, you are actually opening up communication lines to other experts in the field. Here,
knowledge sharing takes place. You will get new ideas and strategies for product development
and marketing. If you are lucky, you may even find investors or a mentor for your business.
Blogging is considered to be one of the tools for measuring marketing prowess and effectiveness.
You can keep track of the number of visitors each day and provide readers with a subscription
option to received daily, weekly, or monthly emails from your company. With the help of good
search engine optimization (SEO) you can plan your future marketing goals.
© 2011 Apptivo Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Blogging helps makes you a good business communicator. When you blog about your niche
area, you do it with a certain amount of passion with a unique voice and expression. It will instill
in you a sense of confidence, establishment and create an online presence for you and your
business. Over a period of time, blogging will be become second nature. You can also use the
space on your blog to advertise your products/services by displaying banners or call-to-action
buttons. Remember to encourages two-way communication with your prospects as this will help
you understand the needs of your customers. Top 25 Upcoming Small Business Blogs to follow
for 2012 will give a fair idea why small businesses should start blogging in 2012.
Do you blog? Has it helped your business grow and get business?
© 2011 Apptivo Inc. All rights reserved.