Use Business Blogging to Build Your Business Brand

Every business should always be looking for ways to promote their products, and keep their business in the public eye. One area that is often neglected is the area of blogging. A blog can be very useful as a means of maintaining communication with your customers.

Blogging about your business is a very effective marketing tool

You can use a blog to introduce your products to customers. Share company news, announce new product launches or whatever you would like your customers to know about your business. It provides a fast, low-cost way of promoting your business.

Blogging about your business will increase your sales

Your company blog will act like an online salesman. Business blogs are a great way to showcase your company products or services. A blog article provides a way to tell customers all the benefits your product offers them. You could also use your blog to feed your customers news and offers relating to your existing products. Blogs are popular with customers because they provide them with the feeling of being in possession of 'inside information' about your business.

Blogging about your business will increase customer satisfaction

Business blogging is a great way of establishing a conversation with your customers. Customers enjoy reading and commenting on the blog posts about your business. Blogs provide an opportunity to create a sense of community around your business. If customers feel that their opinions are valued, and their concerns are listened to then they are more likely to develop an emotional attachment to your business that leads to a long term business relationship.

Blogging about your business helps to build your business brand

Blogging helps you to communicate your business brand to your current and future customer base. A business blog is your opportunity to tell people what your business is doing, and present your business to the world.

Presenting a consistent, branded approach to your customers encourages them to feel more trusting and loyal towards your business brand, and produces a sense of security for them.

Isn't business blogging really difficult?

Maintaining a blog for your business requires a regular flow of information from your business. You need to aim to post updates for your blog two or three times a week at least. Once a day would be even better.

You can make your blog updates as long as you wish. If you have lots of information to convey then it may be better to break the information down into several smaller posts. This has the advantages of allowing customers to more easily find information that they are interested in, and providing you with topics to blog about on several different days.

What if I don't have the time to maintain a regular business blog?

It is always possible to pay a professional blogger to write blog posts for your business. This approach will obviously involve a you explaining to the blogger the subjects you wish to covered in the blog, and you will need to be available to answer any company specific company feedback that your business blog may attract, but this approach can work well for smaller businesses seeking to enter the world of business blogging.

The Main Reasons For The Growth Of The Home Based Business Industry

"Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door." - Kyle Chandler

What is the Home Based Business Industry?

An entrepreneurial business is mainly operated from home, mostly by the business owner himself. Some people refer to it as micro enterprises, working online, or small businesses. A small or micro business may not necessarily be a home based business.

It is important for the development of our home business opportunity to achieve financial independence in the global economy of the 21st century, to have a view of the total size of this industry and some views on possible future development and growth. This evaluation of the trends of the industry will help to dream-it-plan-it-do-it.

Very reliable statistical information is not freely available because these businesses are not well defined and are not part of governmental statistical planning and strategic information data. Some research and other information are available and will help us to get a broad view of the importance and trends of this industry.

Some general trends of and comments on the Business Industry:

The prospect of working from home has gained credibility over the years. It is no longer seen as a kind of part time job that the wife is doing from home while caring for her children. Take into account that most companies, about two-thirds of all companies, begin at home. That includes big companies like Apple Computer, Baskin-Robbins ice cream, Electronic Data Systems, Hallmark cards, the Lillian Vernon catalogue, and Purex.

In the USA, the average income generated by the home based business is substantial, as indicated by the following:

"Plus many home businesses do generate substantial revenue. About 35% have revenues of more than $125,000 and 8% more than $500,000. The median household income is $50,233 for households in general and roughly $75,000 for home entrepreneurs. The income for home based business owner is thus substantially higher than it is for the population as a whole."

The home entrepreneurs business employs about 13.2 million people in the USA. It is estimated that about 50% of these are home based businesses. The assumption is that the home based businesses employs about 6.6 million people in the USA.

The home business industry is developing fast and becomes more important due to the following:

• The growth in the internet and the people connected to the internet. Two billion people are connected via the internet and this number grows by 200 million each year.

• Growth in the availability and lowering of the costs of broadband communication and connections worldwide has a positive influence on people connecting to the internet.

• The internet, increased online purchasing, money transfer mechanisms (notably PayPal), reliable global shipping, the decline in informal trade barriers and networks created through immigration have all made it easier for small businesses to serve global markets. The internet has been particularly important in enabling small businesses to cost effectively serve small market niches (the 'long tail' phenomenon).

• The development of computer technology, software, printers, dedicated telephone lines, and mobile phones creates new opportunities for the home based business and makes it more viable to operate a business from home. Affordable and powerful new technologies will continue to create new opportunities for the home based business. These technological developments will help to keep this industry growing.

• New innovations like:

o Express parcel delivery, distribution, cloud based IT services.

o Outsourcing, freelancing, communication technology, and the availability of skilled people in foreign countries makes it possible to not to have to perform all tasks at the premise of the home based business. It is easier to operate from a small premise at home.

o New business models have created new job opportunities for the development of home based business. Two examples are the network marketing industry, or multilevel marketing, and franchising.

• The growth of the knowledge and service based industries requires little office or working space and economies of scale does not apply.

• People are making lifestyle changes and prefer to work from home as it gives them flexibility, it saves time, and it eliminates commuting costs.

• The computer home business is not exclusively dependent on the local market to generate income, or for its financial existence; that makes this kind of business less vulnerable to economic cycles.

• Many people do need an extra source of income due to debt or other financial reasons and start their own home based business part time to generate a second income stream.

• With employer benefit packages being cut and the chances of losing a corporate job increasing, many view starting a home based business as no more risky than traditional employment. Job and income security drives people to start looking for and to develop an extra source of income for them.

• Due to demographic and social shifts. Aging baby boomers, women, Gen Y and others are all seeing home based business ownership as an increasingly viable work option. An interest in achieving work/life balance, flexibility, the opportunity to pursue a passion and working for your self are some of the reasons given for starting a home based business.

• There is a lack of corporate jobs. Large corporations have been battered by the recession. Even if the economic recovery is strong, it is unlikely that these companies will dramatically increase hiring. Instead of hiring full-time staff, they will stay flexible and lean through the increased use of technology, contractors, partnerships, and outsourcing. As a result, starting a home based business will be the best, and in many cases, the only option for corporate refugees.

"Nevertheless, owners are much more satisfied with their quality of life than other small business owners. However, the majority of owners do not appear to have made a financial trade-off in order to secure this quality of life."

The number of people connected to the internet is growing very fast. Broadband is becoming more available in the world. The internet support technology and mobile applications of communication is growing at an astronomical rate. These developments create new opportunities for the internet related businesses.

Registering Your Business Name and Registering Your Brand Name

When Are You Required to Register Your Business Name?

You are obligated to register your business name with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), so long as you:

Include other words in your business name besides your own. For example, Graham Jones Pool Cleaning or Henderson & Sons would both require registration.

Are trading under a name that is anything but your own

If you are operating a company (including legalities Pty Ltd) and you want to trade under a name that is not your company name.

The only exemption to registration is if you are trading under your own name: that being your given name or initials, followed by your surname.

You are not permitted to use an unregistered business name, or a name that is not either your own name, or your corporation's name.

The Rights of a Registered Business Name Owner

Business name registration is not the same as trademark registration, and does not come with the same rights and powers. If you want to reserve your business name for your own exclusive use, you must apply separately for trademark registration, as the searches, applications, and application processes are entirely different from one another. Business name registration does not:

Grant you exclusive rights over the business name

Stop others from registering a confusingly similar name

Stop another party from using your business name as a trademark

Stop a pre-existing trademark holder from using your business name (in fact, you will likely be infringing on their rights)

Prevent another party taking legal action against you if you infringe on their rights

Choosing Your Business Name

A uniquely identifiable business name, along with the goodwill that comes with the name, is an important asset to have when you're dealing with consumers, lenders, and competitors. It is worth investing time in coming up with a clever business name because this name could in fact add value to your business. Your business name is central to both your image and branding.

Your business name must reflect the nature of your business. It should help consumers understand what types of goods and services you provide.

Make sure that your business name or brand name is:

Short and sweet

Simple to pronounce and spell

Memorable

Timeless

Logical

Inoffensive

Not misleading

When you're trading internationally, check the appropriateness of your business name in other cultures.

Applying for Registration

Once you have decided on a name for your business, you should contact ASIC to determine whether your business name is still available for registration, and to register your business name.

The application can be done online. You will need to provide the following information:

Your Australian Business Number (ABN) or, in the least, an ABN application reference number

Your preferred business name and the time period you want to register for, be that either one year or three.

The location or locations of your business

The full names and the addresses of each owner

Registering your business name is affordable. It will cost you approx. $35 to register for one year, upwards of $76 for three years. Once you have registered, you are required to meet a number of legal obligations. If you fail to comply with these obligations, you risk being fined or losing your trade name.

Display your business name or your brand name: It is essential that you display your business name outside of all of your business locations so long as the business is open to the public.

Additionally, all of your correspondence and documents need be monogrammed with your business name. These documents include letters, invoices, statements, publications, notices, orders, and receipts.

Once your business name is registered, you will receive a record of this. It is recommended that you display this record in your place of business, although this is not enforced.

Renew your registration: In order to use the same business name indefinitely, you are required to renew your registration. If you neglect to renew your registration, your business name is removed from the ASIC register and another party can apply to register it as their own. If this happens, you will be required to cease operating under that business name.

Update your details: All changes to business ownership need be reported to ASIC within 28 days of occurring, including the names of owners or a change in address. Similarly, if you decide to change your business name or if you find that you have misspelled the name in your application, contact ASIC.

Shutting down your business: If you want to cease trading, you need to send a request to ASIC at least 28 days before you close down your business. ASIC will subsequently notify all of the other people recorded on your business name's register, along with the business name holder. This check is performed to stop unlawful attempts to cancel out a business name.

If you plan to close your business, you must send ASIC a request to cancel your business name at least 28 days beforehand. ASIC will then notify the business name holder (and any other people recorded in the business names register). This prevents unauthorised attempts to cancel a business name.

Trademarking Your Business Name

When you're choosing your business name, you might want to choose something that will also be suitable for trademark registration. If you register your business name as a trademark as well as a trade name, you can protect your identity from competitors. Trademark registration gives you unique and exclusive rights to your business name, including singular ownership and protection against unlawful usage.

Why Should Businesses Use Twitter?

If you do not yet have an account on Twitter, you must. It is the most growing and widely visited networking site and is becoming more famous as the days are going by. According to a research conducted by StatisticBrain.com, Twitter has 135,000 fresh sign-ups everyday while more than 9000 tweets are made each second. Currently, Twitter has more than 554,750,000 users.

Why should you follow statistics like these? That is because it could be of a real advantage to your business and besides Twitter is absolutely free!

Businesses can use Twitter as a very effective social media tool for marketing. These days, businesses are beginning to realize the importance of Twitter and its true potential.

Businesses can use it to:

• Talk to clients

• Introduce new services or products

• Advertise existing products

• Keep a check on competitors

• Do brand building

• Gain new clients

• Improve and develop the business

The Benefits Of Using Twitter For Businesses

Twitter is an amazing platform and everyone should be making use of it. The following are the reasons why businesses must be Twitter friendly:

No Monetary Investment

It only costs effort and time with Twitter. It is absolutely free and anyone can sign up for it, let it be a business or an individual. Business owners must not miss the chance to create a Twitter account.

Information

All networking sites are well known for information they provide to their users. They keep users up to date with all, which is going around in the world. The same goes for Twitter. Businesses can keep their clients updated about business events, offers and any other information, which the clients need, through Twitter.

Customer care can also be ensured through Twitter. Businesses can reply to the issues faced by clients and their solutions. Clients always appreciate recognition and after sales service.

Create Stronger Bonds With Clients

Businesses can use Twitter to create a much more personal bond with customers, which is important in developing brand loyalty amongst clients. This enables customers to have a bond of trust with the company, which is a long-term investment towards gaining more customers.

Gaining New Clients

Along with communicating with the existing customers, Twitter can also help businesses to gain new clients. This article would further explain how that would be possible.

Link To Other Websites

Online marketing consists of several channels. Twitter is the choice of many businesses for their online promotion because they can redirect their followers to the host website of the company, Facebook profiles, YouTube channels and blogs. This creates a chain of clients going over different platforms resulting in more effective promotion of the business.

Keeping A Check On The Competitors

It is more important for a business to have a Twitter account because its competitor might already be using it. If businesses do not avail this opportunity, it means they are giving their competitors the chance to grab their potential and existing clients. So, you really need to keep a check on your competitors and it is really possible through Twitter.

You can also get information about your competitors through twitter. For example, your competitor's marketing strategies, upcoming events and special offers. Your business can position itself according to this information and plan on making a successful counter attack.

Targeting The Tweets

Businesses must know their target audience and hence, their tweets must not be for everyone. They should be targeted towards the people the business is catering. You simply cannot target everyone so do not commit that mistake.

Businesses must have client centric marketing strategies and they must focus on their target audience or the people who are most likely to buy their products or services.

For instance, if you sell cosmetics then you should market to the audience who will be interested to buy your product. Promoting it to the people who do not belong to your target audience will be an utter waste of time and hard work.

Once you know who your target audience is you must know how to create and structure tweets in order to target and engage with the audience you are catering.

Marketing Strategies To Get More Sales On Twitter

There are several marketing strategies that a business can use. The main incentive is to get users to your corporate website through Twitter. The following are some strategies that a business can use.

Using Hashtags

This is very important to give a popular tag to your tweet so that more and more people can view it. Hashtags are really helpful to get potential clients to view your tweet. They basically use a keyword through which the users of Twitter search. Hence, people looking for similar keywords can end up at your tweet and you can promote your products and services to them.

Building Up A Following

When you set up your Twitter account, your first aim would be to get the maximum number of followers. Keep in the mind the advice given to you earlier in this article; only focus on getting your potential clients as followers and do not waste your time attracting people who will not be interested in what you have to offer. Your basic aim of creating a Twitter account should be to have a following, which represents a certain segment of your buyers. If you need any kind of assistance or additional help in this matter, you can get in touch with us and we will offer our help to you.

Inviting Fans From Other Channels

If you have accounts and fans from other networking websites such as YouTube, Facebook or Pinterest you can invite them to your Twitter page in order to increase your followers. Inviting your current fan base to an additional networking site will increase your hold on your current customers and will enable you to get a hold of newer ones as well.

Stalk The Pages Your Followers Like

This is probably one of the finest promotion strategies that any company can follow. Following pages and accounts that serve your target segment will keep you updated with the happenings of your niche and then you can adapt your promotional activities accordingly. For that a bit of stalking is required on your part. You can keep a check on the pages your followers are following and keep yourself updated with the likes and dislikes of your target audience.

Re-tweet Request

Many businesses might feel shy or embarrassed to ask their followers to forward their tweet to their friends and family by re-tweeting. They do not need to be shy anymore because everyone is doing it on Twitter and now it is totally acceptable. However, you need to know how and when to do it. If you start doing it too often you might seem desperate for re-tweets, so do not do it every now and then. Also, do not ask your followers for a re-tweet in a cheesy manner.

How to ask them for a re-tweet depends on what kind of people you are serving and having an understanding of your target audience will help you out in this. Ask for re-tweets for specific reasons, for example if you have a 50% off sale coming up, you can ask your followers to re-tweet that to create awareness among people. If your tweet is providing some useful information, your followers will not have problem re-tweeting it. The power of this function is immense. Let us say for an example, that you manage to get 300 re-tweets and each of your followers have 80 followers then you can imagine the number of people your tweet could get across to.

External Links

You can do marketing on Twitter through both internally and externally. For instance, you can use Twitter to target your followers and talk to them directly. However, you can also redirect your twitter followers to external pages like your Facebook profile, YouTube channel, corporate website, Pinterest account etc.

Having A Twitter Schedule

No one likes a boring page and that is probably the last thing you would want on Twitter. What you post on your Twitter account is extremely important and will have a lot of influence of the popularity of your page. Businesses should schedule and plan their tweets. You can take inspiration of big brands in the management of their Twitter accounts and try to duplicate those strategies. The research would definitely require some patience and hard work but it would be worthwhile. Having a good visibility to your twitter followers is extremely essential. If you over flood your followers with meaningless tweets which do not provide value nor information, your twitter page will definitely be a failure. You do not want that to happen to your page and hence you need to keep your tweets as interesting and engaging to your target audience as you possibly could.

Focusing On Quality While Tweeting

If your tweets will not interest your followers, your page would lose attention. If your tweets are nonsensical and pointless, or if you over flood your followers with too much posts, your page will most likely be un-followed and you will start losing customers.

As mentioned in this article earlier, creating tweets for special sales and offers to keep your clients informed is great, but that is not the only topic you can make tweets about. There are more things you can tweet about other than discounts.