I really liked what Daniel Newman had to say about small business blogging in the Huffington Post. To wit:
Since there are a million experts that will tell you how to use social media, I want to focus on something that can truly help your business reach a targeted audience and drive more readership, build strategic community and translate to sales:
Blogging.
Yep, not Twitter, not Facebook, but a well thought out content strategy that creates meaningful content for the audience in which you consider the ideal target.
When done correctly this can separate your small business from others that do the same thing, in the same location for roughly the same price.
The bigger bang for your buck is always going to be found on your own site, not a third party’s. SBOs spend hours and hours on Facebook and Twitter… linking to other people’s content. A smart social media strategy has to begin at home, on your own website.