Warren on Book Marketing, Social Media, Twitter and More: Ten Easy Steps To Starting a Business Blog

My buddy Denise Wakeman does such a fine job of staying of focus and providing great information on the needs of her core market of businesses looking to do a blog right.
Seems to be a theme for me today. This is the 3rd article that got me thinking of more FOCUS on getting my own core message out.
Worrking for me on two layers.. Way to go Denise
Amplify’d from www.buildabetterblog.com
Top Ten Easy Steps to Starting a Business Blog
When a prospect lands on a blog that hasn't been updated in months, it's akin to walking into a vacant store with busted windows and dust blowing in. It's just not pretty; and it doesn't look good for you, your business reputation, and your branding.
The very nature of a blog is perfect for the busy professional. They are quick and easy to update. You are creating fresh content frequently (two to three times a week is recommended minimum) that is useful to your prospects and customers and loved by search engines. In contrast to "traditional" static website, a blog is a dynamic site that encourages your visitors to interact with you through commenting so they can get to know you better.
10 Steps for Starting Your Blog
Before you get to the nitty-gritty of setting up your blog, there is some pre-work to do. This will ensure you start right and put your best foot forward.
1.    Before you do anything else, examine the reasons why you want to publish a blog. What is the purpose for the blog? How does the blog's purpose relate to your business purpose?
2. What are the business objectives or outcomes or goals you want from your business blog? Some people use a blog as a lead generator to build their database. Some are looking to build a visibility platform while others use the blog to develop content for other purposes like books, articles and programs. What do you want to get out of your blog?
3.    Who is your ideal reader? Who are you writing to/for? For most businesses I've worked with, the ideal reader is similar to their ideal client. It's important to know your audience so you can meet their needs and address their concerns, challenges and what they're looking for to improve their lives.
4.    How do you want your readers to feel when they read your blog? This may seem like a weird question, yet it will help you tap in the emotions of your audience. Do you want your reader to be inspired, motivated, and moved to action? Again, tapping into this will help you focus your content on serving your reader.
5.     What do you want your readers to DO when they read your blog? This relates to the goals you set for your blog. If your blog is a lead generator then you must have very clear steps for guiding your reader to subscribe to get blog updates and/or get your lead generating content.
6.     How much time do you have to devote to your blog each week?   This is getting to the heart of blogging. If you cannot commit to creating constant, consistent content, then you're doing yourself and your readers a disservice. Be honest. The most effective and successful blogs are those with fresh, new content posted at least two to three times per week. Is that reasonable for you to manage? Will you have a team of bloggers? Remember, there are many, many ways to create content. It doesn't have to be all you all the time.
7. What's your blog's core message? This relates to the topic of your blog and the niche you are focused on. What do you want your readers to learn? Why should anyone read your blog and more importantly why should they subscribe and follow your blog? This is another key piece to get in place before you start your blog. Brian Clark publisher of Copyblogger.com recommends creating "cornerstone content." This is a series of posts that articulates your core message and provides new readers with an introduction and overview of what they can expect to learn from you.
Read more at www.buildabetterblog.com