It's a Bloggers World

In recent years blogging has not only become a well-known term, but an everyday resource for news and information. There are blogs on just about every topic available to anyone interested in anything, run by "amateur journalists" who are positioning themselves as key tastemakers in the market. Even I admit to reading certain blogs relative to media news and personal interest on a weekly, or daily, basis.

So what do blogs mean to you? Well, I've discussed the importance of embracing non-traditional media, and this is a reason why. These ordinary, everyday individuals could be a key factor in communicating directly to your audience; they are committed to distributing news and information to their audiences and that includes your business.

The hardest part is breaking through to this group of burgeoning thought leaders. With the growing influence of "mommy bloggers", for example, it is becoming more difficult to achieve pure PR on their blogs. They understand their position and prefer, for the most part, to seek your advertising dollars. And for the most part if your business fits in a category like this, it is more than worth your time to consider it. Other bloggers are more interested in content, but the real key is this: You must understand the blog, it's content and what the goal of the blogger is.

"Small Business Daily" , a blog I recently started with several other small business experts, is dedicated to providing tips and real information to entrepreneurs and small business owners. We're not looking for editorial or PR pitches, but to share our knowledge. I can't tell you how many PR pitches we get in a week. These people simply don't take the time to understand the blog and it's purpose, which is stated clearly at the top of the page.

Take some time to research the blogs that are relevant to your business and subscribe to them. Become familiar with them and determine how you might be able to pitch a story to them that they would be interested in. One, more importantly, that their readers will be interested in.

Finaly, consider starting your own blog, if relative to your business. BUT you have to commit to posting at least three times a week. Now, even I get behind.... but having a blog can boost the search engine optimization of your website and reinforce how your customers perceive you and your business, as well as enhancing the perception of potential customers.