People like to get something from blogs they read. You don’t have to be Shakespeare to have a good blog. The fact is that web sites with a blog received 55% more visitors , 97% more inbound links and 434% more indexed pages than those that didn’t have a blog. Businesses in particular can capitalize on this because businesses that blog experience 126% higher lead growth than non-blogging businesses. Give your readers something to chew on – A blog post should be 400-600 words on average. Blog Checklist. MORE >>

What’s your favorite excuse for not blogging for your business? Here are some that I hear: “I don’t have time to blog.&#. “My clients aren’t surfing the Web reading blogs.&#. “Oh, that means I’ve got to write about my business every week?&#. And yet, if these same professionals realized that a business blog is the best way to get found online, the best way to connect with potential clients, and the pathway to turning readers into clients , they might see things a little differently. Blog this on Blogger. MORE >>

Stumped for new blog post topic ideas? Struggling to increase blog traffic? Learn how to make your blog the center of your social media efforts, build traffic, write great posts and more here in some of the best tips, tactics and guidance for blogging of 2010 so far. 100+ SMB Blogging Ideas to Kick Start 2010 by Small Business Trends. Lisa Barone offers 100 topic ideas to kick start your blog posts, divided into various categories such as Go Social, Highlight Your Customers and Get Personal. Want more comments? Digg this! MORE >>

And because business blogging is one of the most effective ways for marketers to consistently deliver content to their audiences -- and because it''s right in my wheelhouse as HubSpot''s blog manager -- I thought I''d share with you what I think the future of business blogging holds. Content quality makes or breaks successful business blogs -- and credible businesses. Businesses realize the need to build in-house content teams. Businesses increase content variety and start publishing more op-ed-style content. Blogs get smart. MORE >>

Here’s a quick list of things I wish I had known when setting out to create a business blog: You should write everyday, but writing everyday doesn’t mean publishing everyday. The point isn’t to blog on demand, but to occasionally knock out a post that demands to be read. Find a number of effective methods for driving incremental traffic and work the process. I’m sorry, its not personal, it’s just the internet. If you’re blogging about a niche topic, be the best blogger in that niche. know, I know, it sucks. MORE >>