Blogging For Business

Our friends at HubSpot have developed this great overview of the power and value of blogging for business.

http://www.hubspot.com/archive/blog-webinar

It is a must read!

Some feedback for your consideration:

  • HubSpot notes that including links to your website in the comment section of other blogs is usually futile, as many blogs tag links within comments with “no follow” – instructing the search engine not to follow the link. The reality is that “no follow” is suggested … and while many search engines honor “no follow”, some don’t. In any case, any links should be relevant, and should not be “spammy”. Respect other people’s blogs as you expect them to respect yours. Also, remember that you should always include your contact information (email, twitter username, etc.), in addition to your thoughtful and valuable comment post. Give readers the ability to follow your future posts!
  • HubSpot recommends always hosting the blog on your own server (not using third party services). While they do have a point (it is almost always best to own as much of your proprietary business property as possible), it isn’t as mandatory as the video makes it sound. Most third party blogging software solutions allow you to export your content, so that you can start with an inexpensive third party blogging solution, and then migrate to an internal solution when you have the financial and human resources to support it. That said, you should use your own domain name for your blog. This is critical, as this is where all of your inbound links and natural online traffic will be directed.
  • I often recommend, especially in situations where budgets are limited and / or the business case has not been fully vetted, that clients start with a blog rather than investing in an expensive website. Build your blog (and following) first, then build the website around the blog. Doing this is very cost effective, and also gives your followers a sense of ownership in the future of your website.