Blogging (blog comes from the term Web log which is similar to an online diary) is a marketing tool many businesses foolishly do not use. When a blog is done well it creates a conversation between you and your client community, driving traffic to your site as the result of search engine results. You can share news about your business, information and resources and ask for input from readers. Blogging is easy and not necessarily time-consuming.

You should already have a Web site for your business, so adding a blog won’t be difficult for your web manager or hosting company. It is generally just an additional feature. While we can’t do an overview of every software package that includes blog add-ons, whomever is managing your site for you should be able to do this without problems. If they cannot do this for you or you don’t have a Web site, there are free blogging tools on the Internet. Blogger, WordPress and Typepad are all user-friendly and you can simply have a link from your main site to the blog. The sites vary in how much you can customize a blog, so start off with a simple template.

You should add a blog post no less than once per week and as often as daily. Posts can range from 200-600 words and should be written on a variety of topics based on your industry and customers’ needs. Continually ask yourself “what might my customer want or need to know about my business and this industry”? If you own a dry cleaning business, sharing tips on fabric care, stain treatment and tailoring or alterations could be topic categories. If you own a restaurant, new menu items, wine recommendations and reviews and social events would be helpful. Whatever you do, be patient. It will take some time for your blog to gather steam and a following.

Be sure you link to other sites within your blog posts. The dry cleaner might link to club soda giant Schwepps, the restaurant to Gallo as appropriate in the site. Why is this important? When someone does a search for Schwepps or Gallo, your article is likely to pop up, driving traffic to your blog and thus, your Web site and you.

When you are blogging, remember to encourage comments from your readers. Using open-ended questions at the end of a blog post increases the likelihood readers will comment in your discussion area. The more engaging your site, the more often people will return and the more likely they are to link to your site which will increase your traffic.

Do add a “blogroll” to your site. A blog roll is a list of other blogs you read. Reward others, even within your industry, who you enjoy reading. This builds relationships and goodwill, which may pay off later on. If you use a particular vendor that you are happy with, link to their site in your blog roll. You can also start a We Recommend list for others you respect and who have served you well.

To make your blog more dynamic and appealing, you are going to want to use graphics and video. This is easy to do and there are plenty of low cost or free images available to you. Start off by doing a search for “copyright free” images and you will be taken to individual images or image sites. Some of these sites offer video as well, or do a simple search for video and most will offer HTML code you can copy and paste into you blog. Be sure your videos and images fit the content of your blog post.

Some of you simply lack confidence in your writing or you don’t have the time. Don’t fret over this. You can easily find your choice of professional writers to blog for you. Posts range from $5-15 each or less, especially if you purchase via a monthly package. Your “problogger” can not only handle the actually writing, but will usually be able to add images, video and field comments for you. Just be patient as your writer learns your “voice” and how you would deliver information.

A blog can drive traffic to your site, help you build relationships with customers and industry leaders, establish you as an expert in your field and provide a real service to your clients. It is easy and can be fun to do without taking a substantial amount of time. Blogging is a “must-have” in your marketing toolbox!

Tags: blogging, copywriting, e-marketing, expert, Internet Marketing, marketing, online marketing, online presence, personal branding

This entry was posted on July 19, 2009 at 3:16 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Internet Marketing by Steven Schlagel No Comments Yet