Jane has been reading some interesting blogs of late. Blogs dedicated to help you, dear readers, build a stronger, more profitable online presence. We have noted some of them in recent Five by Five posts, and will highlight more in the coming weeks. However, today, Jane would like to put our two cents in on the subject of blogging and small business.

Over at Business Logs, (where they were kind enough to quote us in a post on Blog ROI which Jane encourages all to read -- their post, as well as her quote), a new acronym popped up (coined by Paul Scrivens, we believe):

BROI

We expect this stands for Blog Return on Investment. An oxymoron, as far as we're concerned. But then, our core desire rests with words and their power, so we are not as objective as we should be. Words, in and of themselves, provide positive ROI, and blogs are more about words than websites... consequently, a BROI is a guaranteed positive result...if one is dedicated to their blog.

This, of course, is a simplified answer to the question: what's in it for me? Another blog friend wrote to us this week questioning his blog effectiveness (we are reluctant to note him or his blog as it's in redesign and development, but we will showcase him soon...he is very talented and most certainly on the right track).

Lip-sticking enjoys his blog...his writing is current, informative, and thoughtful. He has many years of copywriting experience to his credit, and respects the written word. But, his blog does not reflect the value he brings not only to his company but to the overall blog community he serves. Why?

He needs to take it to that next level of development...a level that does more than showcase his words, as powerful as they may be.

Meanwhile, Jane would like to openly and aggressively support blogging for all...especially the small business owner looking for an advantage. Understand that a website is NOT enough today. In some instances, a website is superfluous. A blog is a voice, a personality, a personal touch...it makes you HUMAN. The world wants to work with human beings, not computers. The computer is the conduit...the blog is the touchpoint.

Remember the days when web pundits declared the web as leveling the playing field for small businesses to compete against their larger rivals?

That was a fallacy. The larger companies walked all over the small business owner. Some were savvy enough to sneak in and get a foothold before their larger competitors could crush them, but many others got burned and went away with their heads hung low.

Enter blogs. Enter a means to connect with your customer on the customer's terms. Enter a truly level playing field...for small business. The big guys are scrambling to get on board, but they're rife with political and legal issues...can they say this, should they say that, what -- exactly -- should they say? Small businesses can just talk. About their business, their employees, their industry, their products, their services, their accomplishments...we think you get the drift.

At Business Blog Consulting, Rick E. Bruner has a link to a PDF on Blog ROI from Mary Meeker at CBS Market Watch (requires a free subscription).

We believe that a blog can be a successful turnkey business tool. It's easy to build and simple to maintain. It will easily reach hundreds of readers, allowing you to offer business content, product or service updates and announcements, well-done ads (nothing overt and splashy...the blog reader is in it for the informational value), and a way to communicate through comments and trackbacks. You need only update it every other day -- or at least twice a week -- to build credibility and connections. The best part is...if you can't do that, there are folks -- like Jane -- to do it for you, always professionally focused on your needs.

What's not to like about that?