CT Biz Blogs

A blog is a collection of commentary and links on a web page, arranged in reverse chronological order. That’s the short answer. But that only tells you what a blog looks like, not what it is, or what it can do for you. A blog is also:

• a type of web site that allows you to quickly and easily create new pages: something web novices can use with a minimum of learning.
• a personal publishing system for the web: a public or private place where you can connect to people by writing small articles (posts) and publishing them on the internet.
• a site businesses can use to expand how they comunicate with their new and existing customers and clients, as well as with vendors, partners, colleagues, and other interested folks.
• a way to reach people looking for your services by providing a findable site full of resources and information on your business.

This site is a blog. It has some features most websites have, such as sidebars with links. It’s got a home page and sub-pages with info. But the main content section is organized a bit differently from regular websites — it’s arranged chronologically. That’s because the main feature of a blog is that it allows you to publish, on a regular basis, posts with news, thoughts, resources, info.

On a regular website, this would be buried somewhere, and the articles would be more formal, longer, and less frequent. That’s good for reference, but not for freqent conversations. And that’s the power of blogs — they are a way to converse with readers on a regular basis. And for businesses, conversations are a much more powerful way to connect with clients and customers than static websites can easily handle.

All the things regular websites can do, you can do with a blog, and vice versa. But blogs are designed for conversations, and markets are conversations.

Here is an article on blogs from a free, online web encyclopedia.

Here is a list of more articles from CTBizBlogs on the basics of blogs and blogging.

Enjoy, explore, engage!

In a nutshell, you should link to other blogs (and websites) because:
• it offers your readers more information or examples.
• it adds your voice to the conversation.
• it extends your network, which helps readers and search engines find you.

I touched on the first in the previous post on reasons for linking to other blogs.

Adding your voice to the conversation is important. It helps establish your expertise. When you write about other resources, examples, or even just fun stuff, you’re demonstrating your knowledge, personality, or both. This helps your customers and clients know who you are.

For example, I was very pleased by the feedback I got from the posts I wrote on examples of small business blogs. (more…)

Sending readers to other blogs.

You may be wondering, “How will linking to other blogs bring users to my blog? Aren’t I sending them away?”

The answer is yes, you are sending readers to other blogs. This is a good thing! Think of it as part of the service you provide to your readers. You’re not just blathering on about something, but showing them examples, or linking them to resources or more information that they might find useful. You’re saying in words and actions that the needs of the customer are paramount. (more…)

When you ask “Why do I need a blog?” the ultimate answer is “to build your business.”

Blogs build your business through sharing your expertise and connecting with your customers. When you post on your blog, maybe not daily, but on a regular basis, you start to build a relationship with your readers.

They might already be customers or clients who heard about your blog through your newsletter, flyer, email, business card, link from your main website, or even a sign in your shop by the cash register. They might be people who haven’t used your services yet, but are looking for information. They find you through a search engine or link from another blog, see that you are knowledgeable and friendly, and then become customers or clients.

To build your business through your blog, you need to bring people to it, and help them find it. You need to build traffic. (more…)

Some businesses, such as Eie Flud, (first mentioned in this post) have a website as well as a blog. But for some, such as CT BizBlogs, the blog is their website.

Here’s a very nice example of that. The Aldo Coffee Company has been blogging for almost a year now, and their site is very well-designed. (more…)

From my dining room window I can see grazing, the very cows that within minutes provide the milk for these soaps - still warm and frothy and completely natural. We toddle over with our basin, and toddle back to make the soap. Our thanks to the Farmers Meakin (Freeby) for providing the milk and Carl the herdsman for not even so much as blinking at our reasons for wanting it.

During my blog surfing, I found a relatively new small business blog from the UK, all about a company that makes soap. Heather Platts, of the company Eie Flud, has been blogging about their experiences setting up a shop, packaging their products, and creating soaps and perfumes. She’s also been blogging about her blog and her experiences in the blogosphere. (more…)

How do people keep up with all these blogging conversations going on all over the place? That’s where webfeeds come in. Also called RSS or syndication, webfeeds represent a convenient way to:

• gather a list of the blogs you’d like to read regularly.
• be notified when new blog posts are created.
• read the new posts in one place.

Without webfeeds, the amount of activity in the “blogosphere” would be impossible to keep up with. Well, it is already impossible to totally keep up with, although some bloggers come close — monitoring over 400 blogs daily. (more…)

You may be wondering why you should bother with a weblog, especially if you’re coming to this blog for the first time. You’ve never heard of blogs before, or you’ve only just heard of them, but never had the time to see what the fuss was all about. Who reads these things, anyway? (more…)

It seems I missed the most gripping blog of all from New Orleans, yesterday. If you want to see what one blogger is doing there, check out The Interdictor. He is using his Live Journal blog to post frequent updates on what is happening in the central business district and environs.

It’s amazing reading.