Small Business Tips Blog

What can a blog do for your business?

"I decided to leave South Georgia about December 5, and in the intervals of final preparation scanned again the plans for the voyage to winter quarters. What welcome was the Weddell Sea preparing for us? The whaling captains at South Georgia were generously ready to share with me their knowledge of the waters, and they were able to give advice that was worth attention.”--The Story of Shackleton’s Last Expedition 1914-1917

Like countless other explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton recorded his polar expeditions in journals. Journals capture experiences first-hand, and from the outside looking in, we see what it takes to overcome internal struggle, environmental roadblocks, expedition catastrophes, and moral dilemma to bring the crew “back to shore.”

If you ran your business like an ongoing expedition, how would your journal read? A blog can take the conversation circling inside, outside, and about your business to a new level.  

Blog post frequency keeps your company’s message fresh. (It is good practice to post at least once a week). Above all, a blog can give your business a voice that speaks beyond (and sometimes louder) than your advertising campaign, or networking lingo. The intimate, conversational exchange, is a medium in which to tell stories about lessons learned, make observations, leave behind professional commentaries, and divulge new “how tos” and “whys” of your industry. If executed well, a blog will reveal a candid, open, honest voice that clients and potential customers can trust.

Like sneaking a peak at someone’s journal, blogs can also give you an idea of what your competitors are up. Learn what they learned from events that you attended or missed, and what new business best practices are being adopted.

What can a blog do for you?

• Create multiple avenues for people to find you. Write the blog, post it on your website and on your company’s Twitter or Facebook account. If your employees did the writing they might be keen to post it to their own Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts.
• Create company transparency. By being candid about the latest best practices, philosophies, industry trends, etc., you can become a trusted advisor, whether you are selling oil field equipment or managing wealth portfolios.
• Create a following: In time, if you write regularly of your business mistakes and lessons learned, struggles and overarching solutions, you become a trusted source of information in your industry.
• Engage your multi-talented team: Assemble a team of bloggers internally. Stories can spread farther than the lunch room if an internal dialogue is shared through a blog, and a new-found respect can build between colleagues. Some companies also hire contractors/freelancers to do the research and writing for their blog.
• See your business’ transformation: An archive of blog entries is a great way to keep a log of your business’ activities and see what technologies, products, philosophies, and best practices influence your business and industry over time. When compiled, a blog can tell your story and reveal your business’ transformation.

How will you tell the story of your business’ expedition?