Lately, it seems like everyone has something to say online and many people are expressing themselves through blogging. With so much content to read online, it can be frustrating trying to draw people in to read yours. Business blogging is a great way to connect with potential and current customers. However, if you don't know how to market your blog, all of the time you've spent writing great content will be wasted. Follow these business blog marketing tips in order to lure potential readers to your blog.

1. Update your blog as often as possible. It's important to stay consistent with how often you post in your blog. The reason for this is because your readers will get in the habit of checking your blog every few days for new content. If you post three times a week throughout August then only post once in September, your readers will suspect that you aren't serious about providing them with quality information and stop returning to the site. Also, if you aren't posting regularly, your content won't be the most current, up-to-date content possible and who wants to read outdated material? Your best bet is to post every other day, once a week or even bi-weekly. However you decide to do it, just make sure it's consistent so when your readers visit your blog expecting a new post, they won't find themselves empty handed.

2. Use links as much as possible. One main trait that separates online writing such as blogging from print writing is that you can use links to point your readers in the direction of even more information about your topic. Linking to pages on your website (or even outside sources) in your blog entries shows readers that you care about whether they get the most information possible about the subject. If you can find current news stories or articles about your subject and link to them in your entries, people will begin to rely on you as a new source for that particular topic. When you link to other articles or websites (not competitors) that you think your readers will find interesting or relevant, you're building trust. This is important to create customer loyalty as well as to turn your customers into advocates for your product (i.e. people who suggest your product to others). Bloggers will often summarize someone else's article or blog. This is allowed as long as you link to the original source to avoid plagiarism problems.

3. Respond to your readers' comments. When a reader leaves a comment on your blog (not spam), it's important to respond, especially if the comment is a question. This shows the reader that you care about their thoughts and comments and encourages them to comment again in the future. Online writing is meant to be interactive, which means the reader can interact with you (the writer) and vice versa. If you have tons of comments but haven't replied to any of them, chances are you'll start getting less and less as time goes on. People like to have their thoughts acknowledged, so keep your readers happy and respond!

4. Leave comments on other blogs. This helps you become part of the blogger community. Search for blogs that concentrate on the same topic as you and leave a well-thought-out comment. Include a link to your blog to encourage others to check it out. Link to others' blog posts too. If you link to theirs, they'll be more likely to link to yours. Leaving comments allows you to create relationships and exchange ideas with other bloggers which can help keep your content fresh and expose it to a whole new world of readers.

5. Always write in a conversational tone. Blogs are meant to be educational but also fun. Even if you’re writing in a business blog, it's important to keep the tone light and conversational rather than using confusing (and boring) corporate lingo. Write so everyone can understand, not just the experts in your industry. Some readers may be relying on you to explain things they don't already understand, it's important to keep those people in mind while writing. Also keeping the tone conversational allows people to feel like they're having a conversation with an actual human being, not a company. This will help increase trust in the relationship.

Following these tips will not only help lead new readers to your blog but also help you gain more credibility as a blogger. Since anyone can have a blog, making sure to present yourself as an expert on your topic of choice is crucial. You want to create a trustworthy relationship with your current readers as well as engage them and attract a new audience.