Blog Circle

By Perry Manku

There is a saying which goes something like this ‘Communication is all about understanding’. Although many may not agree, this certainly is the case when it comes to your customers.

The prospect of running a business blog makes some business owners nervous. They either think that blogging will be a lot of hard work, or they think that it will cost too much. However, a business blog can be a valuable marketing tool. A blog can also open a valuable line of communication between you and your customer, fostering trust and relationship.

What is a blog?
A blog – short for web log is when you add posts to a website in the style of journal entries in reverse chronological order. Blogs give information on a particular subject and allow readers to leave comments. A typical blog will combine text, images and links to other blogs, web pages and related media.

Why use a blog?
Blogs are not just for use as a personal journal as there is no limit to what topics may be covered. A blog gives you a voice to the world and raises your profile to a broad market. By having a blog you can become an expert in your industry by posting relevant and useful information. By giving something that is useful, people will keep reading. There are many reasons businesses should blog but three good ones are:

Reason #1 – Marketing
If you want to get a marketing message across to your customers then blogging is a great way to do this. Blogging reaches out to people in a way that no other medium can achieve as it is more personal. If someone makes the effort to contact you through your blog either by leaving a comment, sending an email or directly contacting you, it shows they are interested in the products you are offering. If your business blog is a good blog then it will reinforce and enhance your company’s brand and image. The blog entries posted by you will help your clients and perspective clients to understand who you are. Search engines will help you convey that understanding to more people, who you may not otherwise reach.

Reason #2 – Cost
Having a blog is one of the most cost effective forms of marketing for any business and it can be set up with very little cost and effort. You can create a blog for free on sites like Google Blogger and WordPress.com, or you can chose to buy a domain name and hosting to set up your very own branded blog. Try and use a domain name related to your business and download a free / open source blog like WordPress where there is no cost for the software.

Reason #3 – Communications
The bottom line is that a blog is about communication. With that end in mind you need to make sure that content on your blog is of the highest quality. Remember, the blog represents your company. For some people, the blog may be their first contact with your business. Getting quality content for your blog may mean hiring a writer, or assigning the task to someone in your organisation. While you don’t need to add new content to your business blog every day, it is important to post regularly. Your blog readers should feel that they are getting the inside buzz on your company.

A blog is more than just a series of articles, though. A business blog is a conversation between you, your customers, and your perspective customers. Make sure that comments are enabled and respond promptly and politely to anyone who leaves a comment. Be open and helpful. Blog with authority, but avoid turning your blog into an advertisement for your company.

Finally, something to consider, if you don’t have a business blog, the chances are that your competition will.

Getting support with Blogging
Blogging has never been easier than now, with providers such as WordPress and Google Blogger providing a platform to set up, design and run your Blog, for free. If you are looking for something a little bit special, you can consult a reputable Web Design and SEO company as many will specialise in solutions like WordPress design and will be able to support you in building an exciting and informative Blog within your very own website. Some may even provide copywriting support and consultancy to help you to formulate your blogging strategy and deliver your key messages.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

By David Bain

Every company should be involved in business blogging. Business blogging is one of the easiest ways to communicate with customers and prospects on the Web. It is also an effective way to build an online business, and strengthen your brand. Assigning a blogger to manage your blog can ensure that it is updated regularly.

Blogs can be setup and maintained easily. There are several blog services that will allow you to create a blog for free. Some blog sites offer design templates to give a blog a professional look. Operating a blog is fairly simple. You simply log into a blog site, enter the subject of your post, and the body of the post. Submit the post and you are done.

The key to a building a successful blog is to provide great content on a consistent basis. With several posts on the right topics, you can draw the attention of your target audience. Blogs can also help you foster relationships with new prospects. Posting to a blog on a regular basis can establish you as an expert, and ultimately help to increase sales.

Blogging can create a buzz about your business. The Internet is a crowded digital space. Everyone is either talking or reading about something online. With a blog, you can ensure that something positive is being posted from or about your business every day.

Blogging lets you react quickly to circumstances that may affect your company. A quick post about breaking news lets your audience know that you are on top of current affairs in your industry. If information is posted about your business online, your assigned blogger can address the issue instantly.

Blogs let you build strong relationships with existing customers. Posting to a blog on a regular basis builds trust. When customers trust you, they are more likely to buy your products and services again and again. If your customers are comfortable with your business, they may refer you to friends and family who are in the market for your products or services.

Building strong brands online is critical to online success. Posting to blogs will keep visitors engaged with your brand. The more you post, the more you will strengthen your brand. Posting consistently to your blog will also increase awareness of your brand within the online space.

A blog that posts content on a regular basis can help improve your ranking with search engines. Blog posts that include a link to your website will increase your total number of backlinks. The more links that point to your website, the better your chances of ranking high with search sites. If you are using popular keywords on your blog, it will be easy for searchers to find your site in search results.

If you want to position your business as an industry leader, consider business blogging. Companies that operate blogs can build their online brand. They can build strong customer relationships. With a blog, they can also use blogs to increase sales. If your company is not blogging, you could be missing out on potential business.

Internet marketing consultant David Bain is author of the 200-page free-to-download “13 Pillars of Internet Marketing” eBook and expert in business blogging [http://www.26weekplan.com/13pillars/business-blogging/].

Article Source: eZineArticles

By Michelle Salater

Below are the top 7 mistakes we see companies make with their business blog:

1. Brand Inconsistency: From the design and layout of a blog to the content, from the images you post to blog loading time, your brand is directly expressed in every element of your blog. If even one of these features is misaligned with your brand, you’ll run the risk of creating an inaccurate image of your brand. And remember, your blog readers are not only members of your target audience, but they are also your peers and key influencers. Providing them with an imprecise perception of your brand could be detrimental to your business.

2. Business-Centric Web Copy: Using your blog solely as a sales tool is unacceptable in the blogosphere. The blogging community is built on valuable information and relationships that could lead to business partnerships, new clients, and an increase in your key influencers. Therefore, blog content should never try to make a sale; rather, it should provide your readers with valuable information that is fresh, current, and informative. Focus on writing content that gives something of worth to the reader.

3. Lack of Clear Contact Information: One of the most frustrating things as an individual who is trying to contact a blogger is a lack of contact information. Don’t be one of those blogs that has no contact information.

Adding contact information is easy and painless-I promise. There are three steps involved:

Create a page on your blog titled “Contact.”
Drop your contact information onto this page.
Click publish.
And voila! You have a contact page that makes it easy for peers, key influencers, and your target audience to contact you.
4. Zero Marketing Efforts: Blogging for business requires much more than posting two to three times a week on important industry information. Blog promotion on social media platforms and ensuring all posts offer valuable information and are properly optimized are merely a small portion of gaining exposure for your blog and your business.

In order to use your blog to its fullest potential, you must build blogger relations. To increase blog readership, consider commenting on influential blogs, mentioning other bloggers on your blog, posting articles from influential blogs on your social media profiles, asking bloggers to guest blog, and becoming friends with your favorite bloggers on social media.

5. Improper Use of Tags: In a nutshell, tags are what help the search engines and tag directories catalogue your website. Tags help you get found online. Tags should reflect what your readers would be typing into search engines. Keywords you use throughout your post should simultaneously be used as tags.

Categories, on the other hand, are meant for readers to easily find the information they’re looking for. For example, if you wrote a travel blog that focused on countries in Europe, you might have a category for each country you focus on. And let’s say you wrote a post on the variety of French baguettes. You would categorize this post under France but tag it as French food, travel France, etc. These tags describe the specific content of the post and help readers to find your posts based on specific keywords and terms.

6. Bad Headlines: Blog headlines need to grab the readerand compel him or her to take action by reading your blog. It’s your first hurdle, and it’s a big one.

The headline needs to speak to a pain the reader has or something the reader wants-now. Arousing curiosity is a good tactic. Appealing to strong emotions grabs the attention of the reader and hits him or her on a basic gut level.

When you’re writing headlines, focus on the benefits, don’t try to be too clever, don’t give false promises, and keep it short and sweet. And, keep an eye on which headlines attract the most readers, and try writing future headlines in the same manner.

7. Thick Copy: Forcing your readers to sift through loads of dense copy is not a great way to win them over. In fact, it’s one of the most agonizing things you can do to them. Give your readers what they want-good information-quickly.

Your blog post needs to be as easy to read as possible. Many people will scan your copy rather than taking the time to read every word. If they can’t scan it quickly and get to the meat, they’ll leave-and probably won’t return.

Therefore, if you want to create a loyal readership, make sure you write in short paragraphs, keep sentences short, use bulleted lists, eliminate extra words, and help readers to get to the point with effective headings.

Discover simple marketing strategies to attract and convert prospects. My bimonthly ezine, Sumer’s Secrets, is packed with tips on how to improve your web copy, promote your website, and market your brand. Sign up and receive a FREE report on creating web copy that will increase sales and site traffic.

Article Source: eZineArticles