Blogging For Business: Answers To Some Of Your Questions!

For some reason it seems that almost every live and email business conversation I’ve had in the last two weeks has been about blogging and the most common questions that people ask me include:

• Why bother with a business blog – doesn’t it just take up a lot of time?
• How will I know if anyone reads my business blog?
• If  I do start a business blog how can I get it found in the search engines?

Advance notice of HubSite Builder’s webinar series on blogging for business

Because I’ve become aware of the huge number of business owners in the Baby Boomer age group who are struggling with both the reasons for and the practicalities of establishing a business blog,  I’m preparing a 3 session webinar series that is designed to answer the steady stream of questions I receive on a regular basis. (Non Baby Boomers are welcome, of course!)

I’ll let you know in the next week or so about the final dates for those events.

In the meantime, here are some words of wisdom from some of my favourite business bloggers that may help to answer some of your questions...

Business Blogging: Why Bother?

Watch this short video (1 min 38 sec) to see why two of the worlds great marketers and business leaders recommend that you become a business blogger.

Video – Seth Godin & Tom Peters identify the pros of business blogging:

Godin shared these 4 advantages of blogging for business:

1. It’s free.
2. Blogging helps you to become more humble.
3. The blogging process forces you to think about how to explain yourself to others.
4. It forces you to become part of the conversation in your field.

Blogging Is The Best Marketing Tool Tom Peters Has Ever Had!

I’m a big supporter of blogging as a strategy to grow your business, but even I was shocked to hear Tom Peters say that no single thing in the last 15 years professionally has been more important than blogging.

Peters declared that business blogging has changed his:

• Business life
• Perspective
• Intellectual outlook
• Emotional outlook

In fact Peters says that business blogging in the “best damn marketing tool I’ve ever had!”

How Will I Know If Anyone Reads My Business Blog?

Ruslan Kogan reminds us that we must get scientific about improving our websites / blogs, and we need to start by using a free tool like Google Analytics to identify all the details of traffic to our blogs and webpages.

Kogan says ” Your website is the single most important communication channel to potential customers, even if your business does not transact online. You need to understand your online visitors and what they want. Don’t make this based on guesswork, gut feel or emotion.”

Kogan recommends that you test everything and shares what their testing revealed about what fields to include in their registration forms and where to put your navigation links to make it easy for visitors to find what they want on your site.

Read Ruslan Kogan’s full article here…

Business Blogs: How To Get Yours Found In Google

Of course it’s one thing to start a business blog and another to have it rank well in the search engines and actually be helpful to your website visitors. Derek Halpern reminds us that one of the most frequently visited pages on your blog is your About page, (check yours in your Google Analytics account), so as a business owner you want to give your About page lots of TLC…

How to Create An Amazing Blog About Page by Derek Halpern

In this very practical article Halpern identifies 5 things you must have on your About Page. He also gives a great reminder about the importance of email sign up forms and where to position them.

Read Derek Halpern’s full article here…

Business Blogging: Is It A Waste Of Time?

Derek Halpern also answers this question in  his blog post The One Big Mistake Bloggers Make (Hint: It’s Regarding Where They Spend Time). He describes a concept he calls “spendability.”

Halpern explains that there are two ways, to encourage “spendability”:

1. traffic and
2. interaction

and while it may seem so simple, it’s the truth.

He belives that the single best way to build interaction is by building a high quality email list. As big as Twitter and Facebook get, email still has more than triple the users!

Read Derek Halpern’s full article on spendability here…

Business Blogs That Get Found In Search Engines

Getting traffic to your business blog is the first step to achieving “spendability” therefore your blog needs to rank highly in the search engines. The titles of your blog posts are key factors in getting high ranking and one of my favourite business bloggers, Ana Hoffman from www.TrafficGenerationCafe.com shares some really useful resources for writing great titles for your business blog.

Blog Titles: How to Write Winners Even if You Suck at It

Read Ana Hoffman’s full article on how to write winning blog titles here…

Here’s To Getting your Business Found Online,
Karyn Clarke

Why email marketing?

“…email is still one of the most effective ways to attract and build customer relationships. Most marketers will tell you that their email subscribers are more engaged and more likely to convert to transactions than their Facebook fans or Twitter followers. Billions of dollars of transactions and value flow through email.” James Slavet.

What is email marketing?

AWeber, the world’s leading provider of hosted email auto responders, have just released more free email marketing guides. Why I prefer and recommend AWeber is that they use a double opt-in system, protecting both you and your subscriber from complaints about spam. If you are new to email marketing you will discover an abundance of rich resources that demonstrate how get started on email marketing.

The biggest mistake most business owners make with email marketing

Most business owners are pretty excited about their own products, services and programs, and are keen to get their website visitors to sign up to their email list so they can sell their wares… BIG MISTAKE!

Getting a sale from a website is usually a gradual process, characterised by these 3 steps:

1. Attract - the content of your blog posts or website pages should be so helpful and attractive to your prospective customers that they want to keep hearing from you – by opting in to your email list. That’s why you need email opt-in forms in many places on your website – to make it easy for your visitors to opt-in.
2. Connect – it’s a well known marketing maxim that people buy from people they know, like and trust. That’s why it’s completely unrealistic to send 1 or 2 emails and expect someone who does not feel they know you, let alone trust you, to spend their money on your products, or their time on your FREE services. An auto-responder email service allows you to stay in regular touch with your customers and prospects, giving them the opportunity to get to know, like and trust you - over time.
3. Convert - of course the end purpose of your website and your emails is to convert your visitors and readers into customers. A well structured email campaign will support this goal – provided you build your conversion goals on attraction and connection principles.

How to write emails your customers will actually read

James Slavet, on a Forbes blog, identifies 3 key tactics for getting attention in your customer’s crowded in-box.

1. Headlines matter
2. Have a voice
3. Be timely

Click here for the full article where James Slavet reveals how to write emails that your prospects will actually look forward to reading.

How To Turn Your Blog Visitors Into Subscribers – Video

In this video Derek Halpern’s cutting edge critique of Chris Ducker’s virtual business lifestyle website reveals where to place your opt-in  forms for turning blog visitors into subscribers. His recommendations make a lot of sense and I will be applying some of them to the HubSite Builder blog, so look out for changes soon.

Have your say about email marketing

Found these resources useful? Let us know by leaving a comment below…

Here’s To Getting YOUR Business Found Online!
Kayn Clarke

Welcome to the first weekend wrap up…

Each Friday or Saturday I plan to publish a list of 3 to 5 articles, tips or resources that my clients or I have found useful for getting your business found online.

Core topics will cover:

• Blogging for business
• Optimising your website for search engines
• Landing page tips
• Using social media to develop and maintain relationships online
• Time management tips to maximise the time you spend working ON your business, rather than IN it
• Tips and tools to strengthen communication with your tribe

This Weekend’s Wrap Up Focuses on Blogging For Business

Google Panda: Demanding Quality Content For Your Business Blog

The success of your business blog depends on you creating great content for your readers. Not only do your readers expect quality content, so do Google’s search engines – to the extent that Google is now demoting sites that do not meet their standards of quality content. Read tips from Small Biz Trends for managing Panda

How To Make Money From Your Business Blog

Anna Hoffman bares all in her comprehensive article on the truth about making money with blogging. She shares what has worked and what hasn’t worked for her. I especially appreciated her tip about the Tools page on her blog and plan to implement that right away on Hubsite Builder’s site. See what Anna shares about making money with your business blog.

What If You Feel Really Challenged To Write Quality Content For Your Blog Even Though You’re An Expert In Your Field?

I’ve just enjoyed reading Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman with David Meerman Scott writing the forward.

A very easy to read resource (I’m into Kindle versions these days), this book gives great encouragement and practical tips to new business bloggers plus more advanced strategies for the old hands.

If you want help with a blogging as marketing strategy, this book is a great place to start.

What tips and tools have you found helpful for business blogging?
Share your wisdom – post your comments and suggestions in the comments box below.

Here’s To Getting YOUR Business Found In Google,
Karyn Clarke