The Blog -an Opportunity to Market Your Online Business

A Home Business Article Contributed by Sharon Hill

Using a Blog As an Opportunity to Get the Word out about Your Online Business

So, just what is a blog - this opportunity for your online business? Well, the word itself is a shortened version of web log. It is defined as a frequent chronological online publication of Web links and personal thoughts. Quite often it appears as someone's thoughts about what's going on on the Web as well as what's going on in her or his own life. You might call it an online personal diary.

It could be a group blog, as well - a business group, a family, association members or any group of folks with a common interest.

There are several handy features of a blog. You can post to a blog by e-mail, which seems pretty obvious. But you can also do so by phone (it's shown as an MP3 audio file.) You can include photos. You can also use a space bar feature called "Blog this." If, for instance, you were reading a news story on the CNN or other news site that you wanted to share with other, you would click on Blog This and the story would be added to the blog for the group to view.

Millions of folks are participating in blogs. The number of blogs increases by approximately 1000 each day. The total of blogs at this point is around 500, 000.

A business blog may be a great online marketing opportunity for your firm.

How Do I Use This Opportunity to Blog about My Online Business?

There's at least one site out there that allows you to create your very own blog for free (what an opportunity to market your online business! - and isn't the price just right! ) - it claims it will take less than five minutes. It's blogger.com

However you create it, the blog can do several things for your business. You could, for instance, put yourself or other company managers in the forefront of business discussions, offering advice and, of course, happening to mention your wonderful products and services. Not only would you be marketing your products but you would soon make your firm's "experts" the folks people think of and turn to when they need expertise.

You could also set up your blog so that your customers and potential customers can talk to each other. Just think of the testimonial possibilities - assuming, of course, that you are keeping your customers happy.

The Tipping Blog - the Opportunity to Give Stuff Away but Still Get Money for Your Online Business

Anyone with any online business marketing opportunity expertise will advise you to give something away on your site. Generally, that's information - downloadable or viewable articles or white papers. The beauty of the tipping blog is that you can still give this information or other stuff away and at the same time have an opportunity to make money instantaneously as a result of it.

It's called the tipping blog. It's a link that you place on your site's home page, and ideally on the page of each free article, paper, product or service. The tipping blog simply states something like, "Donate." Or perhaps something like, "If this information is helpful, please help us keep it coming - and free of charge. click here to donate."

To grow your online business, create a blog today.