Who'd have thought a few years ago that blogging would become a powerhouse for news, opinion and information over traditional sources in the media.
As a matter of fact, DestinationCRM.
com did a study in 2011 with BlogHer that shows bloggers are trusted more than a celebrity endorsement! So if you're in business, you need to start blogging right away.
Benefits of blogging include letting your public know what you offer, delivering your expertise in bite-sized pieces that build huge value for your brand, building a following for future sales and it's the number one way to drive meaningful traffic to your website.
So if you don't have a blog setup, set one up right away and tapping your keyboard.
Here are seven tips that will help you get organized and produce an effective blog.

1. Share Micro Facets of Your Message.
   Most people are used to trying to sell the entire picture of what they offer, because they anticipate making a sale.
   In doing so, it comes across salesy (which is not good) and you use all your material and wonder, "What am I going to write about next?" Every expertise has micro facets of important points that are rich with helpful information.
   For example, if your business is lawn care, you can write an article on proper fertilization, which pesticides are best, what grass should be used for your region, the different kinds of grasses, etc.
   This will give you plenty to work with, keep your reader interested and provide a referral resource as readers share your blog with their friends having the same questions.
   
2. Keep it Short, but not TOO Short.
   On the Internet, attention spans are short.
   So if you give too much, unless it's a really compelling article, many people won't read it.
   So try to keep it between 400 and 750 words.
   
3. Use Good Citations.
   While you may have great information and years of experience to back it up, people like to know that what you're saying is true from a different source.
   So when possible, as I did above with the blogger study, use links to other content that supports your point.
   
4. Make it Evergreen.
   An evergreen article is an article that will stand the test of time, because it's not dated.
   For example, proper lawn-care techniques will probably not change soon.
   However, if an infestation happened that was a one-time occurrence, an article on how to correct that problem may not be useful again.
   Evergreen may not always be possible, but when it is, be sure to write it.
   
5. Pay Attention to the News and Trends.
   This is an example where evergreen may not be possible, but is a powerful tool; writing about the hot topics and news as it pertains to your expertise.
   These kinds of articles can have an emotional power that gets many responses, but they are typically a one-time use article.
   
6. Listen to Your Audience.
   As you post blogs, people will comment.
   Those comments are gold! They will tell you what your readers are interested and provide direction for future articles.
   
7. Entertain, Help and Inform.
   The three reasons why people use social media and read blogs are to be entertained, informed and find solutions to problems.
   So you'll want to make sure that your article does at least two out of three for it to be a good piece.
   Remember, if you wouldn't read it, why would anyone else?

It doesn't matter what your industry or expertise is, there is so much fodder for blog articles available and there will always be an audience that is looking for what you have to say.
If there were none, you'd be out of business! So take the time to share your message with passion and professionalism, and a little wit, and pretty soon you will be the trusted source they read and follow.