I’ll bet you’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about the internet’s “social media” and how it’s a great no cost way to drive customers to your website and engage them.

According to the research firm MarketingSherpa, blogs were voted the fourth leading tool for generating leads. Is that enough to convince you to start a business blog on your site?  If so, the next questions that comes to mind are … how can you start one, what content will you put on it and what will it cost?

Blogs cost little, if any, money. Some public blogging sites are free; others charge only nominal fees. Also, blogs are often extremely easy to update, with virtually no training required.

By offering visitors the opportunity to subscribe to your blog on your homepage you will build a data base of businesses you can send tips, news and other information to on a regular basis.

When you write a blog work in key words that are relative to your products and services, words that your target audience are using to find your company when they use search engines like Google, Bing & Yahoo.  One of the items search engines look for to evaluate a site is frequent content updates, so posting a blog a week or more can get you up higher on the search page.

We do not recommend using your blog as an advertisement for you but rather as an informational/educational vehicle that will keep your name in front of clients and prospects so when they need your services or products you will be top of their mind.

If you or your staff doesn’t have the time to write frequent blogs it’s very easy to find relevant articles for your industry and industry association on the internet.  Many of which you can use free just for giving credit to the author of the article.

Below is an example of valuable information obtained at no cost on the internet that we are using in our blogs and sharing with you:

10 Blogs to Write Today

If blogging is part of your marketing plan, get started on these ideas.

By Francine Kizner   |   Entrepreneur Magazine

1. Write a tribute to your mentor.

2. Ask an insightful question, and let your readers write a post for you–via their comments.

3. Show your employees having fun.

4. Hold a contest for customers to win one of your products by answering a question in your post.

5. Give a tour of your office.

6. Post photos of customers using your products.

7. Join or start an internet meme–like posting eight things people may not know about your business; then ask other business bloggers to join in.

8. Highlight how you’re giving back to your community.

9. Answer reader and customer questions.

10. Spread some link love to blogs you read and companies with which you do business.

We’d like to thank Francine Kizner and Entrepreneur Magazine for these great blog writing ideas. We’ve already posted two blogs from the list on our blog.

Last but not least, we believe any time you embark on a new on-line marketing initiative it makes sense to consult with experienced web-savvy experts for their marketing expertise.   Hint … Hint!