If you've done any sales or offline networking you know the drill: Meet someone, exchange business cards and then do the ultimate magic move: get coffee. You meet at your local Starbucks, or if you're adventurous, a non-chain locale. You both grab your cup o'joe and share. This is not a sales pitch, not a marketing strategy, this is a get-to-know-you-and-your-business hour. This is a relaxed, comfortable environment to share with someone about your passion and find out more about theirs. Afterward you usually feel like you know this person better and understand the "niche" their company fills. If you have any synergy, you establish it, and often you will exchange any referrals on the spot or in the next few days. Sometime the results of "getting coffee" or having a "one-on-one" aren't apparent for months. But then again some of my most enthusiastic clients came from someone who was never going to use my services but talked me up to their friend.... someone I had coffee with once.

Getting Coffee can be a powerful, personal way to establish your business. So why is blogging like getting coffee? The first websites were cold, impersonal tools used mostly to get a sale out of someone. Now we have a new aspect to web, a more social aspect. And it is a fact that humans, as a whole, are social creatures. A blog is an awesome way to "get coffee" with someone you might never have a chance to meet in person. Here's why:

• Neutral Ground: Most blogs are informal. The website itself carries all the "official" business information, but the blog gives you a chance to loosen your tie, roll up your sleeves and breathe in that espresso atmosphere.
• The Little Things: A blog let's people see what's unique about your company. Maybe you are a business law firm, but you happen to really be passionate about 503 (c) companies (nonprofits) and have lots of experience starting them. Or maybe your background was originally in the IT field and it makes your perspective different. These are all things that might not be appropriate in the "official" side of your website, but in your blog it can gain you an individualization. Its the small things that set you apart, so share them.
• Establish a Rapport: Trust is huge. One of the great things about getting coffee is being about to establish if they are the kind of person you would be comfortable referring to or not. Often you can discover information their background, their family life, their personality... in a blog you can reveal all these things and it builds trust with your readers. The more they feel like the know the real you, the more they will trust you.
• Spill the (Coffee) Beans: Share your secrets. Often, when I meet with someone, I like to find out something that isn't common knowledge. Share something that's not common knowledge on your blog. It doesn't have to be incredibly personal, it can be an industry secret. If people feel like you are being upfront with your facts they will be more willing to come back to your site in the future.
• Q & A: Getting coffee with someone always involves conversation. Its an opportunity to ask questions and get feed back directly. I have no background with real estate. So when I have coffee with an agent I can ask them all kinds of questions without feeling stupid: "Is the market really as bad as the news says?" "What do you mean by 'flip' a house?" "What's a good mortgage rate?" They ask me basic questions too: "What do you mean by SEO?" "What's the difference between a link & url?" and "How does social media work?" The point is, a blog can be a conversation with your readers. Answer the questions you know they are asking. And make your blogs open-ended enough so that your readers feel comfortable asking you questions and even seeking out your advice.

If you get in the mindset that blogging is like getting a chance to get coffee with hundreds of individuals around the world, everyday, you might suddenly see the awesome potential blogging for your business has. If you already blog, consider what people ask you during a one-on-one and what the hot topics seem to be. If you don't think the results of blogging can be as dramatic as getting coffee, think again. I love sharing links to my favorite blog sites with people who are looking for that information and I have made sales because other people did the same for me. People refer to those they like and trust. So make your blog trustworthy and friendly and see what happens.