Peer group pressure is getting to many of my clients. They know that it’s great for a business when its owner is a known pundit with lots of people linking to their site.  Besides, all the cool kids are blogging. Friends say that you have to blog, too!

Keyboard KeysMaybe.  But blogging requires a substantial time commitment which may not yield more visibility for you or get more clients for your business.  In fact, blogging can be a sterile time sink.

Moreover, even if you start a successful blog, blogging may not be a good use of your time.  You’re an expert accountant or an expert inn keeper or home builder.  Blogging is time spent away from your core business.

Of course, when clients come to me and ask me about adding a blog to their site I try not to be too much of a wet blanket.  Not only is the customer always right, the customer has  a project in mind which includes spending money on Ozdachs services.  How can I kill enthusiasm for that?

So, when a client asks me to help them start I blog, I encourage them to start one on WordPress.com , maintain it for a couple of months, and then see if they want the blog to be integrated into their marketing plan and their site.

Here’s why:

  1. WordPress.com is free.  Most of my small business clients have limited resources, and free is the right price for trying something out.
  2. WordPress.com does not require my assistance to start up and play with.  Another “free” cost.
  3. WordPress.com has a manageable number of options.  Most of my clients are not geeks and the marginal benefit of the full-range of blog widgets and options available with other services is outweighed by the confusion these choices cause.
  4. A trial blog allows a business owner to see if they can devote the regular attention to writing that a blog requires.
    Obtaining content for web pages is usually the toughest part of creating a new website.  In my experience, clients know their business cold.  But, they often don’t have collateral that describes the business, themselves, or why someone should choose them.  Regular feeding of a business blog is an even more difficult task.  It’s an ongoing burden for most small business people.
  5. A trial blog will also let an owner gauge the interest others have in their words.  If a business owner finds their muse and blogs daily nuggets, if no one reads or comments on the blog, is there really a business benefit?

So, if you think you need a business blog… go for it.  But, don’t start off by spending a lot of money to make your blog part of your website or even look exactly like the pages of your website.  Don’t spend money on third-party tools and developers. No, no, no!

Instead, sign up at WordPress.com for a free blog. Look over the theme options and spend no more than 4 hours choosing the styles and options you want.

Mark a day 30 days in the future to analyze your blogging status.

Then go for it. Start blogging.  Blog, blog, blog!