What is a blog? A blog is an unseen, behind the scene power horse, it can give your business a boost when you're popping up on Google in the sea of other consultants and bloggers. A blog can help expand your overall reach, build your credibility, and even build your team. If you've thought about adding a blog to your direct sales business, or if you've wondered about the benefits of becoming a blogger in your field, read on.

What is a Blog?

On a personal level, a blog serves as a creative outlet for just about anything you might need an outlet for. The name itself, “blog,” reminds us of how it came about: an online journal or log of thoughts and events — or weblog. The function changes ever so slightly once you decide to use your blog for business or professional purposes.

In business, a blog takes on a much more informative role. In fact, blogs have become one of the top five resources in the world for research, education, and news updates. Top five!

Thankfully, you don't have to be a big blogger to compete. Blogging is just as advantageous to the small business as it is to big business or corporations. As a matter of fact, in many cases the blog can be more advantageous to the small business owner as more and more consumers are turning away from big corporations.

 It is true, people in direct sales and small business owners aren't going to have as much money to throw into advertising campaigns. But with a good strategy and some research, your blog can give your small business just the boost it needs.

What's the Difference between a Blog and a Website?

Traditionally, websites get updated with new information at set intervals (if at all) and exist outside of reader engagement. They are there for the world to see, but not exactly for the world to talk to — kind of like looking at a sign hanging in the store's window. Blogs, on the other hand, require frequent updates and promote engagement with the readership through email subscriptions or commenting. If a website can be likened to a billboard on the side of the highway, the blog can be described as your online handshake.

What are the Advantages of having a Blog?

In the world of direct sales, the majority of consultants all look alike:

• They share the same graphics
• They make the same announcements at the same times
• They use the same words
• They have the same name [First, Last, Independent {company} Consultant]

To make matter worse, the majority of consumers are not searching for consultants or companies or a particular brand. They are searching for something they need… long-lasting lipsticks and organizational tips and recipes. If someone hits Google and searches for a recipe, how can they find you? The answer is on your blog. Blogging is the one tool that allows you to answer the questions people are typing into Google that can be related to your company or products.

Can You Sell Products on a Blog?

Short answer? Yes. As long as you have the products linked out so that people can follow the links (and get there in 3 clicks), you can sell products directly with your direct sales business on a blog. Your blog is packed with good purposeful information, it only makes sense that the reader would want to buy it from you.

Another way you can sell products on your blog is if you're selling a finished product along side of your direct sales business. A lot of blogging platforms have widgets or plug-ins that make it easy to set up a shopping cart directly into your blog and gives you a platform that you have full control over.

Important Keys to Consider before Becoming a Blogger.

Before hitting Google and finding out how you can build a blog, you need a plan. It's like we always say: “Start with the end in mind.” What goals are you hoping your blog will achieve? What can you do to ensure you achieve those goals? What is a blog going to do for your overall strategy?

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