{"id":32633,"date":"2019-10-11T13:54:37","date_gmt":"2019-10-11T11:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/?p=32633"},"modified":"2023-02-01T16:55:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T15:55:17","slug":"how-to-create-a-blog-for-your-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-create-a-blog-for-your-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Blog for Your Small Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

It’s no secret that your small business’s web presence plays an important part in its success.<\/p>\n

Having a website is a given, but if you’re looking to further your online visibility, then creating a blog is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n

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This article will tackle the reasons why it makes sense for your small business to have a blog and includes a step-by-step guide on how to create one.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why Your Small Business Needs a Blog<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Short for \u201c<\/span>weblog<\/span><\/a>\u201d, a blog is an online platform that provides information on a specific topic. The information is shown in reverse chronological order where the most recent piece is always first. It can either be written by one or more contributors. <\/span><\/p>\n

A blog for your small business is a crucial digital marketing tool<\/a>. It can help with audience outreach and steer traffic to your website. According to <\/span>WordPress<\/span><\/a>, over 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages each month – that\u2019s a whole lotta readers!<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a blog for your small business can increase brand awareness as they’re a great communication tool. They can help keep customers and potential customers updated on the ongoings of your business, and they’re an ideal platform for making announcements and updates, and also teaching your audience about your product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another great reason why having a blog for your small business is worthwhile is that it can widen your social media presence, help your business to engage with its community, and separate you from your competitors.<\/p>\n

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Questions to Ask Yourself Before Creating Your Small Business Blog<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Why are you blogging?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are several reasons why you might have decided to take the plunge and create a small business blog. Maybe you wanted to drive more traffic to your website or perhaps you wanted to boost your brand’s visibility. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The reason for doing so can determine the kind of blog you will write. <\/span>It will help you decide on which topics to write about, the style and language of the articles, and how to visually represent all the information.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. What will your blog offer?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Your blog needs to provide some kind of value to your readers or else no one will read it. Whether it\u2019s tips and tutorials on a popular topic or covering a niche market, you have to ensure that what you publish offers something to an audience. Speaking of audiences…<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Who is your target audience?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Your small business blog needs to have a target audience. Doing so can help determine what kind of content you will write about and how you will write it. For instance, a blog whose target audience is corporate Generation X will read differently from a blog that is aimed at university students.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        1. What is your call-to-action?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          A call-to-action (CTA) helps you to achieve the goals you have for your blog. It brings your reader\u2019s attention to an action you want them to take. <\/span>To optimize the effectiveness of your CTA you need to pinpoint exactly what it is and what purpose it will serve. It can be anything from promoting an upcoming event and boosting sign-ups to directing the reader to a partner\u2019s page.<\/span><\/p>\n

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          5 Steps to Create Your Small Business Blog<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          Step 1: Select a platform<\/h3>\n

          The very first step is to select a platform to create your blog in. There are lots of blogging platforms to choose from and deciding on which to go for can get a little overwhelming. However, it’s always worth the effort of doing a bit of research and comparing the platforms so you end up with the one most suited for your small business. Many platforms have a free plan option, but these are often limited in the features they offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Your best bet is to go for a platform that is simple to set up and easy to use. Something that doesn’t require any coding skills and is easy to customize. Even if you have a web developer whizz at your disposal, using something uncomplicated to start off with is recommended. If you think you want to eventually grow your blog into something bigger, then select a platform that is flexible enough to meet future requirements.<\/p>\n

          Step 2: Get it online<\/h3>\n

          Your next step is to get your blog online. To do this, you need to register a domain name and purchase web hosting.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The domain name is your blog\u2019s online identity. You can have your own domain name or you can have a subdomain of a provider company. The former looks more professional but it usually comes at a cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

          To have a blog up and running, you need to have a blog host. A blog host is a company that equips you with space on its servers which allows you to store files and deliver them to users online. Some blog host providers give you a discount on domains.<\/span><\/p>\n

          Step 3: Plan a blog strategy<\/h3>\n

          Having a blog strategy <\/span>is essential for any small business looking to start one. To be successful, or at least keep up with your competitors, you need to be able to publish content regularly and strategize on how you’re going to do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

          An editorial calendar<\/a> can help you stay on track. <\/span>It can monitor what you want to write, who will write it, when it will be published, and where the content will be shared. <\/span>Here\u2019s how to create an editorial calendar in Zenkit:<\/span><\/p>\n

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          1. Sign up to Zenkit<\/span><\/a> and create a free account.<\/span><\/li>\n
          2. Once you\u2019ve signed in and customized your profile, click on New Collection, give your collection a name, and hit create.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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            1. You will see that it automatically takes you to the Kanban board<\/a> view – which is perfect for the editorial calendar. Following the Kanban method<\/a> of labelling columns as \u201cto-do\u201d, \u201cdoing\u201d, and \u201cdone\u201d is the ideal structure you want for an editorial calendar. It visualizes the progress of each piece of content from coming up with the idea all the way \u2018til it\u2019s published online.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Label the first column \u201cIdeas\u201d, then the next one \u201cTo Do\u201d, the third column should be titled \u201cIn Progress\u201d, and then finally, create a fourth column and label it \u201cOnline\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

              (Of course, you can label your columns whatever you\u2019d like and you can add\/remove however many columns you see fit – this is just a general guideline.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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              1. What makes Zenkit great for building an editorial calendar for your small business blog is our custom fields. <\/span>Custom fields<\/span><\/a> add more context to a task and can optimize your workflow. Every field in Zenkit is a custom field that comes with <\/span>12 options<\/span><\/a> that allow you to include additional information such as deadlines and contributor names at no extra cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                To add a custom field to a task click on a task to open it. Click on the \u201c+\u201d sign located on top of the comment section, then select \u201ccustom field\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Give it a name, select its type, and fill in the other details.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Tip: Use the Description to explain to team members how that particular field should be used. It\u2019s a great way to get your message across and ensures the field is being used correctly.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

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                Recommended fields you should include:<\/span><\/p>\n