While millions of people are starting blogs, both personal and professional, those who use to blogs to promote small businesses are still very much in the minority. Creating a blog, and keeping it updated allows you to stand out as an informational resource in your field, a powerful perception in your customers’ eyes.

Here are some strategies for using blogs as a promotional platform for virtually any business.

1. If you’re hosting an upcoming sale or special promotion, gather the details, and post them to your blog. This lets customers know when to take advantage of the discounts.


2. If you want to move a specific product, post a tip on how to use it, or include a picture of a completed project. Then let customers know they can get that product from you.


3. If you’re interested in enticing more teens into your store, give a teen “guest blogging” privileges, and have her post her top five favorite products each month.


4. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.


5. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.


6. Advise
   Growing Pains - Signs For Change
   If you've ever bought shoes for a teenager, then you know first-hand about the pains associated with fast growth. Just when one pair seems barely broken in, it's time for a bigger size! Similar to a parent who can't ignore the urgency of meeting the changing needs of a constantly growing child, the leader of a business in transition also n
   l potential.

   While millions of people are starting blogs, both personal and professional, those who use to blogs to promote small businesses are still very much in the minority. Creating a blog, and keeping it updated allows you to stand out as an informational resource in your field, a powerful perception in your customers’ eyes.

   Here are some strategies for using blogs as a promotional platform for virtually any business.

   1. If you’re hosting an upcoming sale or special promotion, gather the details, and post them to your blog. This lets customers know when to take advantage of the discounts.
   
   
   2. If you want to move a specific product, post a tip on how to use it, or include a picture of a completed project. Then let customers know they can get that product from you.
   
   
   3. If you’re interested in enticing more teens into your store, give a teen “guest blogging” privileges, and have her post her top five favorite products each month.
   
   
   4. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.
   
   
   5. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.
   
   
   6. Advise
      Small Business Marketing Strategy - White Space and the Customer Purchase
      This article is inspired by a concept in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink.Have you ever liked a business and their product, been just about ready to buy, and then been turned off by an overly pushy salesperson? Maybe you ended up buying from someplace else, just because the salesperson treated you like a walking credit card rat
      ers’ eyes.

      Here are some strategies for using blogs as a promotional platform for virtually any business.

      1. If you’re hosting an upcoming sale or special promotion, gather the details, and post them to your blog. This lets customers know when to take advantage of the discounts.
      
      
      2. If you want to move a specific product, post a tip on how to use it, or include a picture of a completed project. Then let customers know they can get that product from you.
      
      
      3. If you’re interested in enticing more teens into your store, give a teen “guest blogging” privileges, and have her post her top five favorite products each month.
      
      
      4. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.
      
      
      5. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.
      
      
      6. Advise
         10 Creativity Tips for Writing Your Speech
         “Creativity is the ability to see beyond the obvious, shift perspectives, and explore ideas in new ways.” Joan C. King, Ph.D, author of Cellular WisdomThe worst speaking experience I ever had was in front of 450 witnesses. What made it memorable, for all the wrong reasons, was that I was out of control. It took me forty
         move a specific product, post a tip on how to use it, or include a picture of a completed project. Then let customers know they can get that product from you.
      
      
      7. If you’re interested in enticing more teens into your store, give a teen “guest blogging” privileges, and have her post her top five favorite products each month.
      
      
      8. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.
      
      
      9. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.
      
      
      10. Advise
          Lessons I Learned From A Ground Hog
          The lowly groundhog, often called a woodchuck, is the only mammal to have a day named in his honor. The groundhog's day is February 2. Granted, it’s not a federal holiday and nobody gets off work. However, we all know about it and most of us check the news to see if the groundhog has seen his shadow. Consider how many of you recognize the
          month.
      
      
      11. Keep your content fresh with timely announcements, such as when the new service is available, or when a new employee has been added to your staff.
      
      
      12. Offer reminders: when class registrations start, and end; holiday countdowns; and saving items for an upcoming charity drive.
      
      
      13. Advise customers when products sell out, or are backordered
      
      
      14. Tempt customers with listings of new product arrivals.
      15. Report on the latest scoop from trade shows (these can even be blogged while on the road!)
      
      
      16. Educate your customers with links to helpful informational websites and project instructions.
      
      
      17. Open a discussion: ask customers to post their favorite organizational tips in the Comments section, for instance. Or offer a question of the week, and encourage customers to respond online.

      Many small business owners struggle with too much to do, and not enough time. Although creating and maintaining a blog is easy, many professionals don’t have the time to dedicate to researching the how-to. For these situations, consider seeking out a marketing consultant who can walk you through the steps of setting up a blog. Setting up a blog is an easy task that takes 15 minutes to complete. From there, a blog marketing consultant can help you better understand how to use the blog to most effectively market your business.