Hey, everyone! I'm Rebecca, the copywriter and blogger for online shopping portal Ebates.com. I'll be guest-blogging for LocalBizBlogs, bringing you helpful hints to make your BizBlog fun, easy and successful.

Blogging is a fun and easy way to connect to your customers. Here are a couple important tips to get you started:

Tip #1

Ever wonder why blogging has become so popular in recent years? One answer: accessibility. Anyone with decent spelling skills and a basic grasp of grammar can sit down and post a blog. Unlike traditional written media like newspapers and even paper advertisements, blogs are meant to read in a conversational tone. When you sound like a human being instead of a slick marketing whiz, readers will trust you and want to read more of what you have to say.

So go ahead, start blogging! There's no need to plan ahead. Simply introduce yourself and say what's on your mind. Think of it as stream-of-consciousness writing for the new millennium.

Tip #2

While we're on the topic of blogging basics, let's talk spelling and grammar. Even if you won your elementary school spelling bee 5 years in a row, there are still a few words that fall below the radar of even the most diligent spellers. Besides, spell-check won't catch everything

Check out this list of the top spelling mistakes in blogs.
http://www.theprobabilist.com/10-most-misspelled-words-in-blogs/

For grammar basics (and not-so-basics) I recommend Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.
http://grammar.qdnow.com

Tip #3

In the world of blogging, freshness is key. Post often and keep your content current. Not only will this make your blog fun to read (no one wants to read a post with outdated news or information), but it will ensure that your blog will be indexed (or "crawled") regularly by search engines like Google. Again, this doesn't mean you need to write a fully researched article every time you sit down to blog. If the muse is not with you on a particular day, a short paragraph (try a brief anecdote, joke or inspirational tidbit) is all you need to keep readers (and search engines) interested.