Freethinking and free-speaking bloggers can boost your small business, or sink it. It’s true whether you’re online, offline, or a true Click-an-Mortar 21st Century business owner. Bloggers can help to put your business on top of a word-of-mouth pedestal, or torpedo your greatest efforts and sink you to bottom of the sea.

Blogging is no longer something that you as an effective entrepreneur can afford to avoid, ignore, or excuse as a passing fad. Being active in the blogosphere — both on the posting side, and the research side — is going to become more and more important for the success of your business.

Up till now, the vast majority of business owners have been simply ignoring blogs, RSS, and everything that comes with it. After all, it’s kind of tough to take a movement seriously when a casual glance makes it seem it look like it’s mostly parents bragging about their kids, kids talking about their dates, or conservatives holding the main stream media in check.

But whatever the topic, the discussion of business isn’t usually too far behind. From bad experiences with a product to good customer service somewhere else. Suddenly anyone with even a moderate amount of Internet know-how is an instant publisher voicing his or her opinions, valid or not.

Taking the time to monitor what others are saying about you and your company is important. By regularly monitoring the net and watching for your name, or the name of your company, you can nip some costly problems in the bud. You can simply Google your terms, or use one of the blog-specific search engines like Technorati or Feedster.

This is not something for most small business owners to be overly concerned with. It’s more something to be aware of. As powerful as blogging can be, most bloggers have their posts disappear into the virtual void never to be seen again. Good and bad, positive and negative – it takes more than simple blog and some words to make a big impact.

For the proactive Click-and-Mortar small business owner, the best defense is definitely a good offense. Having something to say in your own business blog.

When you maintain your own business blog, keep your updates pertinent and regular, and know how to promote your blog effectively – you’ll be building the trust and rapport that will make it tough for the casual critic to sink your ship.

Always remember that blogging is just a communication tool. It’s the people you need to focus on, not the technology. It’s the people whom you educate, edify, and serve that will determine your success. Your business blog is just a way to make it happen faster.

John-Paul Micek
Click-and-Mortar Coach
Business Owners Coaching Club
http:/www.AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com

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Why Blogs Are Hot