Some time ago SEO expert Aaron Wall encouraged me to focus on a specific niche related to my internet marketing efforts, particularly where this blog was concerned. My original intent had been to focus on anything and everything related to helping small businesses establish and enhance their presence on the web.

Since that time my focus has narrowed dramatically to a few subjects. Chief among them are: business blogs, RSS, and, yes, despite what I've said about the demise of email marketing. . .email marketing.

So, on this Tuesday morning, September 14, 2004, I'm christening this blog with a new direction. . .to go where no blog has ever gone before!. . .(Well, that's not exactly true. I'm sure other blogs are doing this too.). Let's put it this way. . .to go where THIS blog has never gone before.

I'm retasking the RMG blog to focus on helping small businesses that blog or that want to know more about blogging.

Here's my "to-do" list:

• Focus on anything that relates to trends in blogging
• Blogging 101: The basics of setting up an running a blog
• Provide links to small business blogs as examples
• Do interviews with small business owners as to why they blog
• Talk about the technical side of blogging, including topics like different blogging platforms and blog design
• Do more on copywriting internet-style and helping bloggers to find their voice
• Provide other helpful blogging-related how-tos, tips, techniques, and suggestions

That's not to say that, occasionally, you won't see an post about pay-per-click ads or SEO and such. It all depends on how the mood strikes me. For the most part, though, you'll need to look elsewhere for that information. I'll try to provide links to sites that specialize in those areas in my blogroll.

Why am I doing this? A number of reasons actually. . .

• I have a great personal interest in blogging. I'm pretty much addicted to the medium really.
• Blogging has become enough of a mainstream technology that businesses are beginning to jump on the bandwagon.
• Yet, at the same time, it has NOT become so mainstream that EVERYBODY is doing it.
• That's particularly true of small business. There is still a need for someone to educate small business owners on the advantage of it.
• I think blogs are great, inexpensive marketing tools for small business. Search engines, particularly Google, love them.
• Blogs add "personality" to the small business' online presence, allowing prospects and customers to get to know the business and its owner.