"Some people go on and on about blogs," remarks web designer John Raleigh, "often missing the point that it is basically a web site." "Web sites are pretty cool when they’re done right," he adds, "and blogs make it pretty easy to get it right."

I thought about John Raleigh the other day while opening my refrigerator.  On the door, a magnet held an article I’d saved from the Indianapolis Star, called "Ways To Get Stuff Unstuck", by T.J. Banes. I’d kept this list, so if I ever have trouble peeling decals off the tub, removing encrusted food from supposedly nonstick pans, or getting gum off the sole of my shoe, I’ll know just what to do.  The message I’d found in this useful little piece of journalism was – if you make mistakes, there are ways to fix them.

That’s the thing about blogs, you see.  Raleigh says blogs are "trivial to update", as compared with corporate websites, which are more difficult to change frequently. If your blog two days ago wasn’t stellar, you can blog more skillfully today.  What’s more, since the posts appear in reverse chronological order, your better blogs are the ones people see first!  As your research gets better and you become more confident and focused, blog marketing gives you a chance to get "unstuck" from old marketing and networking habits, and to use blogging as the wonderful communication and customer acquisition tool it can be.

with the terms "stuck" and "unstuck", I’m reminded of the term "sticky blog", which refers to an introductory blog post that tells readers what your intentions are for your blog and what kinds of information you’ll be offering there in your blog posts. My own sticky blog, for example, is "How Say It For You Blog Was Born". My "sticky" is where I explain why I became a professional ghost blogger and where I invite busness owners to visit my blog for "how-to’s" on business blogging.

I now know WD-40 helps remove labels.  Mineral spirits can help get tar off my automobile. The very next time I get gum stuck on my shoe, I’ll wrap that shoe in plastic and put it in my freezer overnight, then zap it with cooking spray.

Meanwhile, I’ll be busy helping business owners who are "stuck" for time keep up the frequency of posting relevant content on their business blogs!

Back in December, I remember reading in Nuvo, twelve poets jumped into frigid Green Lake in Seattle; they thought it would be a good way to publicize their art.  As one poet remarked, “It’s not enough to write.  You need that audience.”

Business blogs need to be promoted, too.  The very monikers Internet and World Wide Web denote linkages (think of a spider web, with strands stretching in all directions).  Search engines attribute value to links, both inbound to your blog, and outbound from your blog to other websites, according to Compendium Blogware’s Chis Baggott.

Leaping into lakes probably won’t do much to promote your blog, but leaping into linking will. Do a little sleuthing of your own to find people who are blogging on topics related to your business and post comments (sincere comments on what they’ve written, not disguised commercials for yourself).  You might also email other bloggers telling them about yourself, offering to share ideas.

In-person blog promotion opportunities abound. Share your excitement about your blog with other business people you meet, as well as friends and neighbors.  Invite them to “catch” your latest post and to add comments.  Many, you’ll find, will Just Say Yes!

In “Blog Offers Whiff Of Website”, I positively gushed with praise for Tim Colossy, the Chevrolet dealer in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania who uses a box that sends up puffs of new car scent in his showroom, as part of his plan to entice buyers to visit the dealership.

Your blog is just one piece of your overall business marketing plan, the “whiff” to whet the appetite of potential customers.  But, they’ve got to find you first.  To paraphrase the soaking wet and shivering Seattle poetess, it’s not enough to blog.  You need that audience!