Doesn’t blog marketing sound so last year?
The truth is that blogs are only now getting the attention they deserve – as one of the key ways that your business can flourish online. If you don’t yet have as blog then read this entire post – you will get some great information to get you started. Those of you with a blog, I am going to share with you some tips and strategies that will literally make your blog a prospect magnate overnight.
Firstly, running a blog for your online business is a great way to generate energy and invite interaction from your visitors. If you provide a place for people to communicate and offer quality information that is useful to your target audience, blog marketing can take your business to the next level.
Back to Basics – What is a Blog Anyway?
A blog is basically upscale chatroom for you and your thoughts, comments and advice that provides useful, relevant and valuable content to your target readers along with methods for interaction among the readers. Blogs are incredibly easy and cheap to set up and if you use a free service such as Google Blogger you can be up and running within minutes of establishing an account. I recommend Wordpress.org for all your blogging needs or Bluevoda.com
A blog is YOUR online real estate. This is so POWERFUL because it is your to keep, add to, manage and is the “shop” that you can send all your potential clients, prospects, team members and others in order for them to get to know you and your message. It acts as an ever growing newsletter where you keep adding fresh content that is related to your area of expertise. When you establish a blog you create content and upload it on a regular basis for your readers to devour. Blogging platforms should also contain an area where your readers can leave comments on the posts. This serves two purposes:
1) It encourages your readers to interact
2) It helps you get to know the needs and wants of your potential customers.
Both are very powerful when it comes to developing your products and services online. People like to feel listened to and helped and your blog can help you establish yourself as the answer to your readers prayers.
Promoting Your Online Business with Blog Marketing
There are two schools of thought here. Some people believe it best to not mention your particular deal on your blog and leave it purely as a place of information, interaction and relationship development. There is another train of thought that suggests we shouldn;t be shy in letting people know what sort of company/companies we affiliate ourselves to as it’s good for people to know that upfront.
However you decide to promote yourself you must remember that “selling” people by telling them how great your product/service is is a total no-no!
When some people think of blog marketing they think of hard selling. A blog is not used to hard sell your product or service. Instead it is used to establish a trusting relationship with your potential customer that will last for the long term. Don’t be shy about mentioning your product if you like, but don’t push it as “the next best thing” either as you will damage your credibility.
Blog marketing is all about connecting with potential customers by offering them useful information and solutions to some of their problems. Once you establish a relationship, the customer will be more likely to visit your website and make a purchase.
Key Things to Remember with Blog Marketing
There are a few rules of thumb you must follow to become successful with blog marketing:
- Plan the Content: Like everything else with your online business, blog marketing requires a plan and this means planning the content you are going to offer. The content should be sequential to maintain the interest of your readers. If you post content haphazardly that has no relationship you will quickly lose your readers, so plan ahead.
- Offer Quality: Offer content that provides REAL value to your readers. The content should be related to your expertise and the topic of your online business. After all, the idea is to interact with potential customers and develop a lasting business relationship.
- Encourage Interaction: Encourage interaction among your readers by providing a place for them to leave comments. Also include widgets that allow your readers to quickly share your information with their friends to encourage referrals.
- Link to Your Website: If you have a website or social media sites make sure your they relate to your site and encourages readers to click through to your blog. When you run both a blog and a website, the blog should serve as the lead generator to your website.
- Monetize: Create a strategy for monetizing your blog to provide an extra stream of income for your online business. There are many ways to monetize your blog, some of which include affiliate product recommendations, Google Adsense ads and other similar strategies. It is important to note that if you recommend affiliate products make sure you do so in a subtle and ethical manner so you do not jeopardize the reputation you are working so hard to build. I myself do this on my ‘Recommended Resources’ page and am quick to point out that I use/like all of the products I recommend and I may also make an affiliate commission if they are purchased through my links – it’s important to be clear…(N.B. I think it is really important to support my mentors in their endeavours so if I like someone I always make sure I purchase through their affiliate links – it keeps our business growing and developing!)
Benefits of Blog Marketing
Blog marketing can help you to find your target audience for your online business. By using keywords that they use in their organic searches you can attract the right audience who will eventually be interested in your product or service. What’s more is blogs are search engine magnets and search engines like Google and Yahoo favour blog content.
A blog can also provide your online business with an instant identity and help you begin to establish your brand. It makes your online business real in the eyes of your readers.
Blogging is all about striking up conversations and consumers like a place where they can interact. If they feel like they are part of a community they will return time and again and eventually do business with you.
These are just a few of the ways you can use blog marketing to promote your online business. Once you get started you will find a host of advanced techniques you can use to attract a target audience to your blog. If you would like some detailed step by step instructions go to the Recommended Resources page and scroll down to MLM Blog Secrets. This course was put together by the legendary Ann Sieg and Ty Tribble – he is viewed as the NUMBER 1 BLOGGER online today with 10’s of 1000’s of visitors and tons of experience, Ty built his massive 7 figure business by blogging. It’s a great course, inexpensive and has a ton of truely eye opening information.
In this course you will find out:
- How to boost your niche visibility by providing over-the-top content
- The right way to start a blog from scratch (or how to suddenly transform your existing one into a prospect-producing powerhouse)
- Exact steps to propel your blog from zero to hundreds of daily visitors
- Blogging etiquette that encourages multiple and repeat purchases
- How to convert as many visitors into opt-ins as possible with a compelling call-to-action and an irresistible “freebie”
Get MLM Blog Secrets here……best of luck with your blog marketing!
