I’ve been struggling over the last few months on how I should alter my business blogging style. I’ve primarily been more of a “scribe,” writing longer how-to articles and series. But that takes quite a bit of time and can get on your nerves some weeks. (That’s why there was a sort of “lull” in my posting frequency over the last week or two. ) In sharing a bit of the personal journey I’ve been on lately, I’m sure you’ll take away insights that will help you with your own business blogging development.

My struggle in the past has been my obsession with sharing tons of actionable information. I’m passionate about business ownership. And helping other small business owners restructure their companies so they enjoy the same quality of lifestyle Deb and I have created for ourselves is one of my main focuses. So the my thought of what I incorrectly perceived as “just slapping up some links” was in my mind short changing our clients and subscribers.

But I must emphasize — that was MY incorrect perception.

I find link references from people I trust a great time saver. Deb and I are busy business owners, running our real estate investment company here in Hawaii, and RPM Success Group Inc. (where we’re constantly creating and managing new products/services to help small business owners boost their growth.) So having help from other bloggers who have similar interests, but a different way of surfing the net is a tremendous asset.

(This is especially if I want to make my way out of the office to the beach. Here’s what Lanikai beach looks like on a weekday.)

Anyway … back to work. The bottom line is that having these trusted blogs to refer to is like having what I consider a “link filtering team.” Visiting these blogs on a regular basis is a high-leverage use of my time.

The reality and value of blending blogging styles hits home

It just hit me today that if I find links “filtered” by trusted business bloggers and research junkies so valuable in terms of time-savings, why shouldn’t I incorporate more short posts with links too? Duhhhh… and I coach people on this stuff.

Now I am NOT planning on taking on the full persona of a “link researcher” and posting nothing but link references. Nor am I suggesting that you use that as your primary style for your business blog.

There are plenty of blogs out there that dump links into their postings every day, and frankly — if that’s all that blogger ever does — I’ll probably dump them from my FeedDemon list. An “all link reference” blog is fine for a personal blog, but when you’re trying to build a relationships and your brand with your target audience, it’s a definite no-no.

That’s why I’m going to make a conscious effort to incorporate the “researcher” posting style with my primary “scribe” style both here at Advanced Business Blogging and over at www.Biz-OwnersBlog.com behind the Business Owner’s Coaching Club site. I’ll only link to content I feel is important for small business owners to keep up to date on.

I come across tons of valuable links each and every week that often just go under-utilized because of time constraints. And from now on rather than letting them languish in a follow-up list, I’ll be passing along the ones I see as most valuable.

Getting over the concern of “rehashing” material covered by other bloggers

I don’t like to focus on a lot of new items, so that alone is a big help in avoiding redundancy. I do prefer to look a changes in the marketplace, highlight what I perceive the impact of those changes to be on small business owners, and share some ideas on how to ride the wave of impending change. But even with that approach you’re bound to have some overlap with other bloggers.

Instead of letting this stall you and slow you from moving ahead with a new business blogging style that others may be using, that’s when it’s time to (as Don Henley says) — get over it!

The fact that there are other serious bloggers out there researching the same niches and industries is fine. We all have different experiences, philosophies, and vantage points — so the content we link to will almost always be different. And if it’s not, then our interpretations, take-aways, and summaries will be. Keep that in mind as you develop your own business blogging style.

The four main business blogging styles

Both the “scribe” and the “researcher” fit with my personality and strengths, so those are the two primary business blogging styles that I’m choosing to focus on. When you’re choosing your own blend of business blogging styles, analyze your natural gifts, talents, and strengths. Use Socratic methods to determine what your audience is looking for. Then chose a blending of two of the four main blogging styles that will best incorporate your natural style with your audience’s desires.

The four main business blogging styles are:

The Researcher — loves online and off-line research
The Journal Keeper - is drawn to keeping a regular record of activity
The Scribe — is a naturally prolific writer
The Image Maker — is in the business of image making, or love to use images to convey their point

We cover all these styles in detail (plus two styles you should stay away from when blogging for business purposes) in our How to Master Business Blogging course. If you’re serious about business blogging and you want to give yourself a substantial jump-start — you should consider this multi-media course. We’ve dedicated over 400 hours to coaching groups of small business owners in this course and in creating a truly “masters level” program for you to follow.

A note of encouragement

Whether you decide to get coaching, purchase a multi-media product, or do it all on your own — stick with it! Developing a long-lasting business blogging strategy that has a substantial impact on your bottom line is something worth working towards. And finding the right blend of styles to create your own unique business blogging style is a big part of that journey.

It takes some trial and error, but you can find a really comfortable business blogging style for yourself that will boost your Search Engine Rankings and build long-term relationships with your ideal clients. With a firm foundation and thorough understanding of how the blogsphere works, you’ll find a blending that makes your business blogging fun. And that’s what will pull you to the top the heap in your industry of niche over the long haul!

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

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