According to the research firm MarketingSherpa, blogs were voted the fourth leading tool for generating leads. Is that enough to convince you to start a business blog on your site?  If so, the next questions that comes to mind are … how can you start one, what content will you put on it and what will it cost?

Blogs cost little, if any, money. Some public blogging sites are free; others charge only nominal fees. Also, blogs are often extremely easy to update, with virtually no training required.

By offering visitors the opportunity to subscribe to your blog on your homepage you will build a data base of businesses you can send tips, news and other information to on a regular basis.

When you write a blog work in key words that are relative to your products and services, words that your target audience are using to find your company when they use search engines like Google, Bing & Yahoo.  One of the items search engines look for to evaluate a site is frequent content updates, so posting a blog a week or more can get you up higher on the search page.

We do not recommend using your blog as an advertisement for you but rather as an informational/educational vehicle that will keep your name in front of clients and prospects so when they need your services or products you will be top of their mind.

If you or your staff doesn’t have the time to write frequent blogs it’s very easy to find relevant articles for your industry and industry association on the internet.  Many of which you can use free just for giving credit to the author of the article.

Below is an example of valuable information obtained at no cost on the internet that we are using in our blogs and sharing with you:

10 Blogs to Write Today

If blogging is part of your marketing plan, get started on these ideas.

By Francine Kizner   |   Entrepreneur Magazine

1. Write a tribute to your mentor.

2. Ask an insightful question, and let your readers write a post for you–via their comments.

3. Show your employees having fun.

4. Hold a contest for customers to win one of your products by answering a question in your post.

5. Give a tour of your office.

6. Post photos of customers using your products.

7. Join or start an internet meme–like posting eight things people may not know about your business; then ask other business bloggers to join in.

8. Highlight how you’re giving back to your community.

9. Answer reader and customer questions.

10. Spread some link love to blogs you read and companies with which you do business.

We’d like to thank Francine Kizner and Entrepreneur Magazine for these great blog writing ideas. We’ve already posted two blogs from the list on our blog.

Last but not least, we believe any time you embark on a new on-line marketing initiative it makes sense to consult with experienced web-savvy experts for their marketing expertise.   Hint … Hint!

With the focus on good nutrition these days, most people read the labels on packaged foods before tossing them in to their grocery carts.

This is wise advice for marketers who purchase advertising too, as untold millions of dollars are wasted annually on bad media buys.

We’ve all had those last-minute calls from a breathless territory rep for an industry-related magazine, or from a local or regional news publication. It goes something like this: “Jack, we’ve just had a last minute cancellation for our back cover in the next edition and I immediately thought of you. Of course we can’t go to press with a blank back cover, so we’re going to have to take a terrible beating on it.  I’m going to let your ad run there for one-third the normal price.” Wow! How can you turn that down? For one thing, if the publication in question wasn’t worth your consideration before the bargain came along, maybe it’s still not worth running your ad even at one-third the price. A discount simply cannot be your only motivator. If you’re very familiar with the publication and you have high regard for its circulation story and are comfortable with its editorial philosophy, then you want to ask such questions as: Who are it’s recipients and what percentage of them are potential prospects for your product or service?

Is the circulation audited (this may or may not be important, depending upon the market and the competitors’ circulation policies)? Are there any independent studies that support the salesperson’s claims of readership? If it is a trade publication, what are the titles of its readers? Is there market research that verifies the buying influence of these titles? Who are the publication’s competitors and how does it rank against them in the circulation, readership and advertising market share? (Be sure you are comparing apples to apples – comparisons based against publications that truly serve the same marketplace.)

Can the publication document any success stories or testimonials from advertisers with similar products and/or services as yours? What supporting marketing and promotional services can the publication offer that can extend the impact of your advertisement? Does the publication offer a Reader Service (Bingo) Card to measure responses?

If you like the response, will they consider the ad as part of a frequency run should you decide to place additional ones? A two-thirds discount could be a heck of a deal. But “study the labels” first.

In a recent column I talked about preparing to attend a trade show as a visitor. On the flip side of that subject, if you are the manager of a small business, is whether or not you should exhibit in trade shows — local, regional or national.

There are a lot of considerations that go into the decision-making. But I would like to make the case that you ought to seriously consider sponsoring a booth in a show related to your industry.

It doesn’t have to be a budget-busting experience. You can purchase a modest, portable “booth in a box” very reasonably. Such devices are common, particularly at local shows, and can make an impressive presentation.

A popular version of such show booths opens and closes like a huge umbrella and fits into a carrying case. It provides the backdrop to a 10×10 foot space and can be a part of a display in a larger area.

Other than the portable booth, you will want a sampling of your products, assuming that they are relatively “portable” as well. If not, you might consider some kind of inter-active video that shows products in action and/or graphics that visually demonstrate their merits.

Fliers and other types of informational handouts are a must; visitors are “attacked” on all sides by other exhibitors for their time and attention and you must give them something to remind them of you and your products when they return home.

Another possibility is to invest in a modest give-away, preferably something that ties into your product or market, but definitely something that is usable so that people will want to have it. And, of course, your company’s name and phone number – maybe an e-mail address – are on it.

If you are able to do it, I recommend that you work the booth yourself for at least one day – and the entire show, if possible. There is nothing like getting a feel for the pulse of the buying public to determine if you and your company are heading in the right direction.

Participating in a trade show has so many potential side benefits that you really have to consider all of them in your assessment of its value. Just mingling with and comparing notes with other exhibitors, for instance, can be invaluable.

Trade shows are a convergence of industry buyers, sellers and others looking to play a role in the marketplace you serve. I would think most business people would want to be one of the players in such a gathering. Give it a thought.