Starting a business involves so much more these days than just creating a storefront that will attract customers. To get a competitive edge, many businesses now incorporate tools from the internet like Twitter, Facebook Pages, and business blogs. A blog is an effective way to convey your message and showcase products, but it can be difficult to know the secrets of a successful business blogger if you aren’t sure what to look for. A blog is a great marketing tool and there are several ways to make your business blog stand out. Add a personal touch. A brand’s reputation alone can sell newly released products off the shelves, but what a business blogger can forget is that humans love to relate to others too. Use your blog to focus on employees or the people that make your business a success. Some business also incorporate a mascot of some kind to personalize a customer’s experience. Constructing a personal identity for your blog will make customers feel you are more than just a faceless business. Select a theme. Utilize the type of business you have into the theme of your blog. Write articles that can express ideas around your theme, while at the same time making your products secondary in your articles. This will make your blog seem less sales driven and more community driven. Another way to make your business blog appealing is by seeking out guest writers that embody the philosophy of your business. For example, if you run a vitamin supply business, your blog could be focused on health and wellness by offering tips and guest articles from wellness experts. At the same time, subtly lead back to the products you sell. Make content easy to share. The worst thing a blog can do is have no social media sharing buttons on a blog article. Always have sharing buttons implemented at the beginning and end of each article. People tend to share more when the numbers are higher, so try to expose your blog articles on many social media channels to encourage more sharing and page views. Go further than simply selling a product. While it’s important to expose your brand to new customers, try to take advantage of the blog space once in awhile, and share tips or information that is not directly related to your product base. Doing this can cultivate your blog’s reputation as the source for a particular subject. Building loyal readers and subscribers will outlast a one time customer who may not return again. For a successful business blogger , the point of a popular business blog is to connect with your customers, whether that means you offer information to enrich their lives or offer them a platform to engage directly with you. A company blog can be a powerful tool to build a business. If you use it well and wisely, your business has only one way to go: up. *Image courtesy of stockimages / FreeDigitalPhotos.net