Should a small business blog?

We are starting to hear all these superstar cases where the business owner simply started a blog to grow a huge business. So, the question becomes is this something that everyone should jump on the band wagon and create a blog. This answer depends on several variables.

1. 1. Your industry- Are you in and industry that people would want to subscribe to your blog? How may plumbers have blogs you would follow? Ask your social network if they would want to follow your blog.
   2. Your customers- Are your customers online? Yes! Everyone is going to the internet to research you and your business prior to using you.
   3. Your reach- Are you service people locally, regionally or nationally? The big the audience the more this makes sense.
   4. Your skills- Are you a numbers person? Sales person? Can you write? That is the most important part of a blog. You need to post several times a month. The owner of the business should be the main contributor to the blog. If you don’t have the skills now, are you willing to learn them?
   5. Your time- You need to make a commitment to blog several times a month or even a week. Really, you need to blog daily. The case studies come out because they did something different. They did it every day. If you want results you need to make the commitment.  

The problem with most online marketing is the lack of consistency and a plan. You need to make a plan before you jump online to all the free sites and start to post. Everyone has the same problems you either don’t post consistently, don’t have an audience or don’t use it. All small business owners have a huge opportunity to leverage social media to increase sales. You do need a strategy.