Obviously, most of you are quite familiar with the concept of blogging. With more than 100,000 new blogs created every day, blogging has quickly become a household name. No matter what your familiarity is with blogs, you need to fully understand why this powerful, FREE resource will help you promote your business.
What Is a Blog?
In a nutshell, the word “blog” is short for a weblog and is often thought of as an online diary. Whenever you write an entry into your blog it is called a post and the most recent post appears at the top of your blog page.
Older posts are archived and can be organized by date or by category.
At the bottom of each post there is generally a section where readers can make comments or react to what you have said.
A Website is formal, informational, and professional. Whereas, a Blog is informal, conversational and easy to read.
If you are not familiar with blogs, the best thing to do is to just start reading them. For instance, you can go to the following “blogospheres” and find topics that interest you and just start reading.
There are blogs written in almost every imaginable topic on earth. However, small business blogs generally fall under three main categories:
• Marketing Blogs are designed to build traffic and sales.
• Customer Service Blogs assist and inform customers/potential customers.
• Public Relation Blogs help influence and shape public perceptions.
You will want to determine the exact focus of your blog. There will be times that your blog may fall into another category, however, you still want to have ONE main focus.
Who Is Your Audience?
One of the delights of blogging is that you are reaching an eager, savvy online crowd. This can do wonders for your business.
According to Andy Wibbels, author of BlogWild, your blog readers fall into the following categories:
• 50% of blog readers are over 30 years old.
• 75% of blog readers make more than $65,000 per year.
• Blog readers spend a lot of time online and are web savvy.
• Blog readers view blog writers as “experts.”
• They look to blogs to inform them of the latest news, what’s hot and what’s worth buying.
How Do You Start Blogging?
I am a big fan of WordPress.org blogs (that’s the platform that this blog uses). The main reason that I like WordPress is that it allows you 100% ownership of your blog. (For instance, if you use other blog platforms such as www.Blogger.com or www.Typepad.com you will be hosting your blog with their companies and will have to abide by their rules and stipulations.)
To download your free WordPress software, go to www.Wordpress.org, download and save it on your computer.
You will also need a good hosting service, I personally recommend www.Bluehost.com. They will host your blog for a very reasonable price.
Of course, you do need to upload your software into your hosting provider and there are two ways to accomplish this:
1) Do-It-Yourself. You can take some time learning how to upload your software to your hosting provider. The good news is that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of tutorials on this subject. Simply go to www.YouTube.com and perform a “How to upload WordPress.org” search and you will have dozens of easy-to-follow tutorials.
2) Hire Someone. If you don’t want to take the time to learn how to upload your WordPress software, there are thousands of savvy WordPress experts that you can hire to do the job for you. For under $100 you can find someone who will upload your blog and put together a simple design. Go to www.Guru.com or www.Elance.com and post your job.
Once your blog is up and running, you are ready to start posting.
What In The World Do You Write About?
One of the best parts of blogging is that there are no “hard and fast” rules. Here are a few points to keep in mind that will help you off on the right foot:
• Make it clear what you do and the products and services that you sell.
• Offer fresh, unique content often (at least 2x per week).
• Fill the pages of your blog with YOUR personality. Readers will come back to your blog if they feel a connection with you.
• Present information informally; your tone should be personal, yet professional.
• Provide useful information to your readers (latest updates, news, and topics in your industry) so that they see you as an expert in your field.
• Provide a place for busy, overstimulated individuals to find the information that they are looking for quickly and efficiently.
• Post testimonials and other positive customer/client experiences.
How Do I Promote My Blog?
It is now easier than ever to promote your blog. With the onset of social media marketing, all of your friends and connections can be notified immediately whenever you have a new post.
• Facebook allows you to add your “blog feed” to your profile so that every time you post to your blog, your Facebook friends are notified.
• LinkedIn includes an application so that your “blog feed” appears on the front page of your bio. New connections have instant access to your blog posts.
• Twitter your followers every time that you have a new blog post.
• MySpace has a feature to integrate your blog as well. You are able to let friends know when you have a new blog post.
• Your Website should include a link to your.
• Your Signature can have a link to your blog.
Just Do It!
Of course it will take some time to figure out all the ins and outs of blogging. But, it certainly is not an overwhelming marketing strategy to put into action.
I advise 97% of my clients to host a blog in order to promote their businesses. There is no better way to connect to new customers, position yourself as an expert and offer valuable information all at NO COST!
It’s time to get blogging!
About Jessica Swanson
so many new style replica oakley sunglasses online up to 65% off. they enjoy oakley sunglasses discount at wholesale price, and cheap oakleys and oakley sunglasses sale now.
I absolutely love this post Jessica….
I always gain a little tidbit that I never new! After I read this I will definitely check out icerocket and blogpulse.
I wanted to add a “Free Resource” that I found for everyone…..It's for your signature & I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!
http://www.wisestamp.com/about
It is new…..so still learning but I used it to make my “email” signature look AWESOME!
~Jody in Beautiful BC baby!
Thanks so much Jody! I do like icerocket and blogpulse. And thanks for your free resource! My readers will LOVE it
Thanks, Jessica! I hadn't visited IceRocket or Blogpulse before – checked them out and I'll want to return again and again. These resources will be great “idea” pit stops.
I'm about to go around the last couple of laps of a 30-day blogging challenge I entered (30 posts in 30 days) and let me tell you …
Blogging is a FABULOUS platform for building your brand and showcasing your expertise. (Of course, you already know that).
I can't begin to tell you all the wonderful connections I've made with like-minded individuals, prospective customers and clients, and some of the most respected and creative people around!
And as a shoestring marketer, the very best thing about blogging is that it doesn't cost a penny!!
Aren't IceRocket and Blogpulse GREAT? I just LOVE them
And yes, I just couldn't agree with you more…there's nothing quite like blogging to build a small business on a shoestring marketing budget!
What a good article, Jessica!
We set up WordPress blogs (customized, too) and offer training as part of the package, including ongoing training, because having a blog set up and online isn't enough. I had to learn as I went along about tagging, categories, installing widgets and plugins, permalinks, titles, anchor text, and so much more.
I'd add to your answer to Deerelyea something I very recently learned: Read other blogs in your area of interest and comment on them. You'll find that you can often take your own comment and use it to kick start your own blog post on the same or a similar topic. Even better, you might write a blog post “in reply” to the one you commented on! Do the same with answers you give on LinkedIn, if you have a profile there.
Jessica, as always, you write the most informative blog posts! I always learn something new from you.
Michelle Quillin for New England Multimedia & Q Web Consulting
http://twitter.com/NEMultimedia
I just love you're great advice Michelle…thanks for pointing out that there's A LOT to learn when it comes to blogging (yes, tagging, installing widgets, etc.) But, once learned it is, by far, one of my favorite shoestring marketing platforms available.
Good article! You really covered the basics of blogging. One challenge I think many of us have is; 'what to say'? Writing doesn't come easily to many of us. How do you get words out there in a blog 2x a week as you recommend? Do you just put out whatever comes to your mind or do you research your topic area and re-quote other experts? I suspect a bit of both.
Hi Dee,
I definitely do a bit of both. I often tell small business owners to head over to ezinearticles.com and do a quick search on their topic of interest. Many articles will come up and that will get the brain spinning with possibilities. However, you can also invite guest bloggers, post a video, review a book or highlight a favorite client or customer for other posting ideas.