Photo by Sillygwailo.

There are a number of great guides for writing blog posts ( ProBlogger and Dennis A. Mahoney at AListApart.com) but not all types of blog posts are appropriate for small businesses. In this tutorial we explore creating a blog post that is in the best interests of both your business and your customers. For each blog post, we are going to validate its success by seeing how it measures up to the following three questions: 1.) Does it benefit someone other than the business? 2.) Does it increase your online presence? 3.) Does it help establish your authority in your chosen niche?

STEP 1: Choose a topic that matters to your customers.

In step one you are going to focus on problems that your customers or clients are currently facing. The more timely the focus (ie. Gift Ideas for Dad around Fathers Day) and the larger the problem, the better the topic is. Brainstorm for several minutes on some problems that you are aware of. If you have a retail storefront, has there been a product that people are asking about? If you have a service operation, what complementary services could you offer advice on? Choose one of the problems for this blog post.

STEP 2: Choose keywords.

In step two you are going to choose keywords that will help search engines find your post when people look for solutions to the problem you are addressing. You can find tools using Google’s Keyword tool or Trellion. Type in the phrase that you feel is most appropriate to your topic. Look at the suggestions offered and how many people have Googled that term. Choose three terms for possible inclusion in your blog post.

STEP 3: Choose a format to solve the problem.

Once you know what the problem is that you want to solve for your customers, spend some time figuring out the format that is going to work best. Some popular examples are How-To, List, Tips and Tricks, History, Reviews or Interviews.

STEP 4: Solve the problem.

Once you have the format and the subject of your blog post you can sit down to write! Be sure that the body of your blog post answers the customers need. End your blog post with a call to action or a solicitation for comments or feedback. Invite your users to add their own suggestions or ask more questions. It is through this solicitation of your guests that you begin to build a robust blogging community.

STEP 5: Edit your blog post.

Blog posts look best to the writer moments after they’ve been finished. But don’t press that “publish” button just yet! Editing your post for clarity and conciseness is important. Your blog is an extension of your business and misplaced words, incorrect assumptions and poor grammar can lead to negatives for your business. I suggest that you sleep on your post, and in the morning, after a good cup of coffee take a quick read of the post. After it passes a morning inspection, post it to the blog and see what happens