My last post on blogging for business indicated that my next post, this one, would be “Tips on Launching a Business Blog”. But after my last post, I got a few questions from people still on the fence about whether they truly needed a blog or not. So I decided to break the decision-making process down into smaller chunks, hoping this will give those interested a bit more groundwork before leaping ahead.

Whether or not you’re convinced that a business blog is right for you, read this post and the posts that will follow. They contain some gems of info to help you learn more about blogging, figure out if its right for you, and most importantly, they’ll encourage you to stay part of the conversation, regardless of whether you have your own blog or not.

As I said in my last post on this subject (The Offense and Defense of Who’s Blogging and Why), according to Technorati (widely regarded as the authority for all things blog):

• 133 million blogs exist today
• 4 out of 5 bloggers review products and services on their site

Ok, ’nuff said.

So, launching a blog, not launching a blog, not sure, etc., here are some first steps for all of you to help get you tuned in to the world of the blogosphere:

Step 1: Read Blogs

This may seem a no-brainer, but it bears repeating. Reading blogs is the quickest and most entertaining way of getting accustomed to the style and tempo of good blog writing (and bad blog writing too). It is the best way to find the kind of blog you may want for yourself. There are some really great bloggers out there.

Here are a few big business/corporate blogs that I recommend looking at:

• General Motors
• Coca-Cola
• Delta Airlines

Here are some smaller business blogs that are worth a look:

• Hotel Preston, Nashville
• Belaray Dermatology, Plainview NY

You can also find blogs by searching keywords and topics at Technorati and Google.

Google your competitors. See what their blogs look like and sound like, or if they even have a blog. If they don’t have one or if their blog is poorly run, out of date, etc., a well-thought-out blog may be a competitive edge for you.

Another part of this blog investigation step is to find out who is talking about you and where. The best way to stay in tune with your own presence on the web is to set up Google Alerts. Simple and handy, just what we expect from Google! Here’s how it works:

1. Go to Google.com/alerts
2. Enter the search terms you want Google to scan for (i.e.: your name, your company name, your product name)
3. Choose a scope for the search (best to choose “comprehensive” and have all the bases covered)
4. Pick how often you’d like Google to notify you of new entries
5. Finally, enter your email address

What happens now, is that Google’s powerful search engine will keep track of everytime someone posts something that mentions any of the terms you entered. Google then sends you an email with links to all these entries. You click on them and see what people are saying about you.

But don’t respond! At least not until you read my next post: Step 2 – Joining The Conversation