Before you start writing blogs, before you even start an inbound marketing campaign, you need to know who your audience is and how to talk to them. If you’re not truly speaking to them, you may as well be talking with a mouthful of crackers.

If you have been wondering how to start a business blog for your manufacturing company, you are not alone. Even B2B companies new to digital marketing are now becoming aware of the benefits of establishing an online voice. You can reach exponentially more business prospects by discussing topics that help them make informed decisions. What’s not to love?

Hey sales and marketing professionals! Are you a small to medium-sized manufacturer but you're the best-kept secret? That can be a huge challenge if you're trying to increase revenues hit new profit goals every year! In this video series I'm going to walk you through setting up an online marketing plan for manufacturers.

McHone Industries started out as a single-facility small-town manufacturing operation in Salamanca, NY. They struggled to fill their one facility with work. Now, they’re seeing business growth beyond their wildest dreams.

In the world of online branding there’s lots of advice to be had from veteran bloggers, marketing firms, and the like. But if there’s one question that’s tough to get a straight answer on, it’s “How often should you blog for business?”

Starting a blog? One of the easiest things in the world. It’s so easy, it’s become a standard punchline in jokes made at the expense of the unemployed. Knowing how to manage a blog successfully? No small endeavor. It requires work, patience, cunning, and juggling responsibilities.

Manufacturers, in general, have been slow to learn and adopt digital best practices like content marketing to stand out in the 21st century. Not being absolutely sure about website traffic isn’t an option in the breakneck speed and high stakes of the digital world.

You make stuff. Your stuff helps people. You want more people to know just how helpful your stuff is.

Start by getting them to your website. It’s the 21st century, so there’s no way around it. Blogging is ideal for driving quality traffic to your website.

I have a friend over while sitting down to write this. She’s trying to finish her degree in education. Strewn about the coffee table and couch are textbooks and piles of paper she printed at the library - a crazy, disorganized organization. This cluttered scene makes sense only to overly caffeinated college students and old-time movie detectives haphazardly connecting pictures and newspaper articles on the wall with thumbtacks and string.

Oh, yeah, she’s doing some online research, too. And this got me thinking about blogging best practices and the role research plays in crafting a well-fed, credible, informative, well-performing blog.

Oh, I get it, believe me.

You envisioned sitting down to write a blog post for your business and expertly crafting the words like Charles Dickens toiling under candlelight. You planned on relaxing afterward with a glass of bourbon.