Using a blog for your business can be a powerful online marketing tool. However, many companies seem confused by the blog, not knowing how to use it or what to post. The blog is very flexible, allowing for a multitude of uses and posts. Here are some ideas on what to post to make your blog useful to your clients and a powerful online marketing tool for you.

Business newsletter: This is the number of companies that use their blogs. They publish articles and information about the news of the product, service and business. Expand this idea. What new marketing ideas are you using? What is happening in general that affects your business? What’s new with employees? Be sure to include information on certifications, awards earned by the company or employees.

Promotions: Don’t forget to announce promotions, specials and offers that the company is promoting. When using blogs to post promotions, be sure to update it so that past and expired promotions are not left on the blog for months afterward.

Industry newsletterDon’t forget to include items that are relevant to your industry as a whole. What’s new in the industry? How is the future of the industry? Customers like to know that companies are keeping up with the changes.

Videos: People like to watch videos. Including employee videos showing how to use a product, demonstrating a service, or speaking at a conference are just a few of the ideas.

Promote other businesses: This may seem strange, but including information on complementary businesses can help both businesses. For example, a landscaping business may want to promote businesses that remove trees and businesses that specialize in outdoor light gardening. This could lead to other companies helping to promote your business. And it provides the customer with information beyond what a company can provide.

Links: Provide lots of links on your website. Links can take the reader to articles on your website that provide more information, to press releases about your business or about related industry or websites. Also, don’t forget to include links to your business blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ pages. The more links the better.

Business blogs have a wide range of uses. To get the most out of your blog, be sure to include a wide range of items and update it regularly. This will ensure that your customers come back and stay.