What if someone told you that you could have a marketing platform that could reach every one of your customers at any hour of the day, anywhere in the world, and cost you absolutely nothing?  You'd be a fool not to take advantage of it, wouldn't you?  Well, you're not a fool.  And that's exactly why your small business needs to start blogging right now.

Why do you need to blog?  Because there is no other tool that so easily lets you interact with your customers.  Anyone who goes online can look at your blog, read your posts, and get an immediate sense of what your business is. 

Not convinced?  Well, then read on.

Reason 1.  It's free. 

You don't even need a website to start blogging.  You can start a blog and let it serve as your website.  All you have to do is sign up for one of the free blogging platforms like WordPress or Blogger, and you're good to go.  If you already have a website, even better.  You can add blogging software to your site with ease. 

Reason 2.   It's easy. 

You can make your blog look like a million bucks simply by getting a decent template and making regular posts.  Your posts don't have to be that elaborate.  Maybe a brief snippet of what's been going on in your business, a peek into your daily life, or even a photo of you and your employees at the office party.  Anything that's updated regularly and looks like it is half-way interesting is worth it.

Reason 3.  It's forever.

Your blog serves as a never ending billboard.  As long as there is an internet, your blog will be there.  Each post you add, each photo you upload, each link you include will only make it bigger.  Think about it, it's like a permanent advertisement that only gets bigger over time and never goes away.  All you have to do is pop by for a half hour or so a few times a week and you have a simple, effective, permanent advertisement. 

Reason 4:  It's good for your image.

A blog conveys credibility.  It says “We're not a joke. There actually is someone behind the curtain.  Come see for yourself.”  It's open, it's friendly, and most of all, it's fun.  Your blog can foster a sense of community like no other marketing outlet.  For a small business, your blog can be one of the best ways to attract an keep a loyal customer base.

Reason 5:  It's good for your website.

Blogs that get updated frequently are ideal for increasing your search rankings.  The more content you have on your blog, the more you update it, the more you add unique stuff, the better your search results will be.  That means your blog will get more visitors, which will mean more customers, which will mean more sales. 

Honestly, in the time it's taken you to read this article, you could have started a blog for your small business.   What are you waiting for?

Links to great website software for blogging:

• Wordpress (free, open source)
• Typepad (free, open source)
• Blogger (free, open source)
• Adobe Business Catalyst (from $47 pcm, this is the software I use - links to my reseller site)