I run across business owners that have great businesses. They sell quality products/services. They keep expenses low. They have enough funding. They even have a solid business plan. However, even with these characteristics, they are apprehensive about business blogging.
If I get an extended time to talk to them, I give them these 4 reasons why they would make a great blogger.
1. They’re well informed.
Many bloggers spout their own opinion without much practical experience to back up what they’re saying. However, business owners are different. They have the practical experience, the expertise, and the unique insights into their industry that the average blogger doesn’t have. So, what they say usually carries more value.
Think about this way. If a professional photographer and an amateur blogger both have a blog, which one will be more informative? Yes, there are some amateur photographers that know more than most pros, but those kind of amateurs are rare.
2. They’re passionate.
Passion is definitely a characteristic of successful bloggers and most business owners are passionate about their industry.
You can see this passion whenever they talk about their business and their industry. They love to talk about these things for hours. Also, you can see their passion in the long hours that they choose to work. Almost all the business people I know work more hours per week than the typical worker.
3. They’re good conversationalists.
I like what John Battelle says:
…your site needs to be a reflection of you. You’re a great conversationalist, or you wouldn’t be running a business.
With the internet being more social than ever before, blogging is more about starting or joining a conversation than just getting information out there. If you can start or join a conversation in real life about your industry, you can blog successfully for your business.
4. They don’t have to be experts in writing.
One of the most common misconceptions about business blogging is that you have to have serious writing chops or you won’t be successful. I’ve written about this before. Basically, you don’t have to be Shakespeare to make your blog a success. In fact, most of the popular bloggers would be long shots to win a writing contest.
Here’s the big principle:
If you can talk, you can write.
By and large, the internet is an informal communication channel. This means an authentic, conversational tone is going to work better than a formal, corporate tone. In fact, I bet that the top blogs in your industry are written in a conversational tone. So, pretend you’re speaking to someone as you blog, just write down your words, and you’ll be fine.
If you still don’t think you have the writing skill to succeed, you can hire an editor or a ghostwriter. Or you can record yourself speaking and then get your posts transcribed. Also, try voice recognition software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking. That works for many bloggers.
