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I’m going to let it go.
Someday.
But right now I still can’t get over that darned NY Times article that says blogging is not suitable for the majority of small businesses.
Call me crazy, but I just can’t believe that is true.
So, Laura and I’ve devised a little challenge to see whether the NY Times experts know more than the (ahem!) experts at Business and Blogging.
We’re challenging you to identify a small business that you think could not possibly benefit from blogging. One of us will then try to find a successful blogging approach that would work as a low-cost, high return marketing device for that business.
We’re pretty confident that we can come up with an angle and focus that will work for just about any business, so we dare you to try and stump us. (we reserve the right to refuse businesses that are illegal or immoral)
And what do you win if you do stump us?
We’ll write a post linking to your website from Business and Blogging, highlighting all of your businesses’ strengths. (min. 200 words)
Note: your business does not have to be the same one you used to “stump” us, however the same criteria about legality and morality still applies.
Since we hadn’t published this post yet, our first challenge comes directly from one of our readers – my husband – and no, he didn’t stump us!
His suggestion was a good one – a local gas station. He said he couldn’t see how one could benefit from a blog. 
I took on this challenge and here’s what I came up with.
As a woman, and a user of gas stations, I have a lot of questions that I am too embarrassed to ask or don’t know who to ask. If there was a gas station in town that published a blog, I would feel much more connected and make a point to fill up my gas there rather than at other service stations. I would also tell my friends about the blog and all the interesting things going on there – and get them to get their gas there too.
Topics I would be interested in seeing in a gas station blog:
- Frequently Asked Questions like:
- what’s the difference between the different octane grades?
- when is the least busy time to get gas? most busy?
- why do I have to enter my zip code when paying with my credit card?
- what’s the best way to clean my windshield?
- is it better to fill my tank when half-full or let it go empty?
- how often should I check the air pressure in my tires? how do I do it?
- how often are the restrooms cleaned?
- how often should I check my oil? how do I do it? how do I add more?
- why does it always rain when I wash my car?
- how do I keep from getting rust?
- how do I keep my battery from going dead?
- does running the air conditioner reduce the miles per gallon?
- should I turn the car off when stuck in traffic?
- Interesting anecdotes about things that occur on the job
- Links to articles about why gas costs are going up
- Notices of upcoming shortages: holiday weekends, etc.
- Interesting places within a day’s drive of our area
- Links to articles about which cars get best mileage
- Links to articles about cars with alternative fuel
- Links to articles on the merits of new models of cars
- Tips on what to check for when buying a used car
- Tips on how to save on driving (carpooling, stacking errands, etc.)
- Tips on avoiding drunk driving or falling asleep at the wheel
- Items to check before a long road trip
- Games to play in the car on long roadtrips
- Lyrics to songs we used to sing as kids on roadtrips
- Memories of cartrips when the owner was a kid
- Story of the owner’s first car (inviting same from customers)
- Encouraging customers to share their vacation travel plans
- Encouraging customers to share their own travel tips
Still with me? My husband walked away part-way through the list….
But as you can see, there are a lot of possibilities that build community and connection.
So, put your thinking caps on – can you think of a business that wouldn’t benefit from a blog?
Write a comment below or send an email with “Stump BnB” in the subject line.
Come on, We dare you!!
Great suggestion Michelle for a small business that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own! Look for my response in an upcoming post and let me know your opinion!
Liz
How about debt collection? I have never met anyone who likes a bill collector, we are “shunned” so how can you make a blog about being a bill collector exciting?
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Good question Heather. As Laura mentioned we will write a full post on the subject.
But one point to keep in mind in answering this question is that blogging helps position independent professionals as experts in their field – which can lead to increased opportunity.
Hi Heather!
I think your friend has a common fear about blogging – a fear that blogging would give something away for nothing. (This fear isn’t limited to HR professionals, by the way.) The fact is, that by sharing a little, your friend could get so much more. We’ll deal with this challenge in upcoming post in the coming weeks. In the meantime, a quick scan of the web shows that there are already a lot of headhunting and HR blogs on the Internet.
I did a presentation to my networking group recently talking about blogging among other things. The challenge I was presented with was the owner of an independent human resources firm. She said if she blogged about human resource tips, she’d be giving away her work for free-plus it would take time away from her paying projects.
So, any thoughts on how blogging could benefit an independent HR firm?
Hi Darlene
Your thinking paid off – very clever responses!
We have several in the queue ahead of you but we will get to yours! And the ones inbetween should be interesting….roadkill remover…independent embalmer….to name a couple!!!
Liz
First, Welcome ladies!! Fellow blogger here at b5media. I have been thinking about your challenge since you wrote the post. I have two thoughts or potential stumpers:
1. A Thrift Store
2. The person that sells orange cones used for traffic
I await your responses!
Darlene
Interview Guru
http://www.interviewchatter.com
Hi Raza!
It’s okay. I didn’t notice your grammar. We all do it. We rush through our comments and press submit without checking them over.
1490 days ago
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Thanks for the feedback Laura.
By the way, the grammar in the first part of my paragraph was horrible. I was missing words and wrote incomplete sentences.
I’m not really an idiot, I just write like one.
Raza Imam
http://BoycottSoftwareSweatshops.com
Thanks Raza! It sounds like you have a blogging success story of your own.