And what a traditional business they are in — a blog is a first for this industry. As Paul reports, Tinbasher is the only sheet metal blog on the Internet, saying, "Talk about ploughing a lone furrow. It's one thing being a big fish in a little pond, but I'm the only fish and that isn't healthy. I find the sheet metal industry — especially in the UK — to be a webphobic bunch."

Butler Sheet Metal sees the blog as a way to help break into new markets, i.e. home decorative sheet metal and designer stainless steel. They have a business unit called Planters Direct, which manufactures and sells beautiful, contemporary stainless steel planters.

Like many family businesses, they don't advertise and they don't have a marketing budget. The blog is a way to present the business as it is, with authenticity and transparency.

To this end, Paul adopts an informal, slightly tongue-in-cheek tone. He writes on a variety of business-related subjects, interspersing occasional mentions about Butler Sheet Metal's services or Planter's Direct products.

Varying the content is a smart move. That way, Paul keeps it interesting and attracts a much more diverse audience. He is crafting his content for what he thinks his audience wants to read, not simply navel-gazing on the company's industry. After all, the people who are likely to buy the beautiful planters are probably not metal enthusiasts or welders.

Nor does he overwhelm readers with sales offers. The references to company services and products are scattered here and there, and just enough. Often they are casually woven into relevant posts on current events such as the price increases of steel. In the process of reading the news tidbit, the reader's interest in the products is peaked more so than if being bombarded with hard-sell messages right and left.

Practically speaking, the blog brings traffic to the company's commercial websites. It also gives them a ready vehicle to communicate with customers in a true voice.

The Power: The Power of The Tinbasher Blog is in the way it is being used to enter new markets and promote end-user sales, by a small family business with no marketing budget. It's a fascinating lesson in how to craft content that attracts a readership and subtly conveys a marketing message, without becoming soul-less and commercial.

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