One of my business partners at Dimension X, Robert McClelland, conducts a small experiment when we meet with new prospective clients. Bob always counts the seconds from when I mention the Social Media Strategy of Blogging and when he sees them get glazed over eyes & agitated... This experiment has become very entertaining for us. :-)

Even though Blogging has become a very important part of the advertising & marketing process these days, it appears that there is still a lot of uncertainty and skepticism of how effective it is.

Well, let's see if I can help build some clarity by defining what a Blog should and should not be used for:

What your Blog should NOT be...

• Your Blog should NOT be treated as advertising
• Your Blog should NOT be all about you or your company
• Your Blog should NOT be done sparatically
• Your Blog should NOT be boring
• Your Blog should NOT be generic

• Your Blog SHOULD be of value to the readers
• Your Blog SHOULD be specific in nature
• Your Blog SHOULD be about creating a dialogue
• Your Blog SHOULD be enjoyable to read
• Your Blog SHOULD be used to position you as an expert
• Your Blog SHOULD be used to instill trust & insight

Ok, so the original point of this post was to answer the question "Can A Blog Really Help Increase New Business". Well, if your definition of getting new business is to engage your customers and cultivate relationships, then - yes. A Blog is the best way to convey your philosophies on how business in YOUR industry should be done. This means a lot to buyers. They want to know that you care about their industry, their company, their needs.

Start being passionate about Blogging and your customers and, in time, it will pay off big.