Journalist, editor, published writer and blogger John McDonnell gave entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Forum a number of great reasons to begin blogging, as well as tips and resources to blog effectively. The following were among the reasons McDonnell shared for business blogging:

1. A blog deepens your relationship with customers.
2. A blog is quicker to update than a website.
3. A blog establishes your expertise in your field.
4. A blog makes it easier for people to find your business online.
5. A blog makes it easier for customers to communicate with you.

McDonnell suggested checking out the competition and having a clear plan for the blog before beginning. Posts should be entertaining while giving value to readers. Frequent blog posts will keep the blog fresh and optimize search engine rankings. Finally, he recommended inviting a guest blogger to drive additional traffic to the blog (after first checking out the guest blogger’s site for compatibility), having a comment policy, and promoting the blog through printed materials and social media.

McDonnell is a multi-faceted writer with experience that encompasses advertising, journalism, public relations, corporate communications and fiction. He has written for healthcare, automotive, advertising specialty and international trade industries, and writes newsletters, articles and blogs for such sites as SuperMedia.com, TranslationsAndMore.com and eHow.com, as well as his own blogs about Internet research and fiction writing. He developed Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals, a biweekly email newsletter that had more than 100,000 subscribers worldwide.

McDonnell’s list of blogging resources is available on the Women’s Business Forum Facebook Page.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Womens-Business-Forum/113983508647280