Blogging

  • Creating Shareable Content That Sells

    Ever wonder what makes some social media posts, videos, or blogs “go viral,” while yours are lucky to have 3 shares and two comments (if it’s a good day). While it might seem like some well-kept secret that only the gurus know. The truth is it’s easy enough to create shareable content, if you put some thought and creativity into your efforts. But keep in mind your marketing should always have purpose and circle back to what you offer in your business. It needs to match your business products and services. So, don’t get caught up in the bright shiny objects that seem cool but aren’t in alignment with your goals.

    Visual Content Is on the Rise

    Videos, images, graphs, charts, infographics, etc. are some of the ways that we can best reach our ideal audiences and are a must have in order to compete in tomorrow’s marketplace. According to this infographic on Social Media Today. From 2019 to 2020 46% of businesses will rely heavily on visuals as part of their marketing strategy.

    So what kind of visuals have been used most frequently in businesses recently?

    Stock Images 40%

    Original Graphics (E.g. Infographics) 37%

    Charts and Data Visualization 12%

    Videos and Presentations 7%

    Gifs and Memes 4%

    But there’s more…

    Even though the above were used more often we need to know what got the most engagement?

    Original Graphics 40%

    Videos and Presentations 23%

    Charts and Data Visualization 20%

    Stock Images 12%

    Gifs and Memes 5%

    So, as you can tell this data can help you with the question

    “What do I do next in my marketing”.

    Are your creative juices going crazy right now with these stats or are you already freaking out because you see video and presentations are at 23% (some sources have this even higher) and you hate seeing yourself on camera? Trust me you are not alone. The “Fear of Public Speaking” is real and it has a name Glossophobia and is said to affect over 75% of the population.

    Even though it’s a scary step it can be overcome with practice, patience and the power of positive thinking that you can do it. I know for some that’s easier said than done so it might take some professional training to help you get more comfortable. I get that.

    But keep in mind, we are trying to grow your business and if you are a small business or entrepreneur than more than likely you are your brand. So, if growth and profits are tied to our bottom line then we must think more like this quote.

    “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”

    It’s about growing and stepping into a bigger version of yourself.
    What do you need to do that you haven’t already tried?

    So maybe you’d prefer to go the other route for now and do
    something more like Original Graphics?

    Everyone Loves Infographics

    Whether you want to know more about how coffee is grown, or
    you’re looking for ways to boost your blog traffic, you’ll find a variety of
    infographics to fill you in.

    These colorful, easy-to-read graphics share vast amounts of
    data while still entertaining an audience. By condensing numbers and stats down to easily digestible bite-sized pieces, you can make valuable information highly understandable for any audience. Even better, your market will be happy to share (and share and share).

    If you’re not artistic, or don’t have the skills required to
    create your own, you can hire designers or use a tool such as Piktochart
    to quickly make infographics your audience will love.

    **Pro tip: create an embeddable link for your infographic
    and encourage other blog owners to share it on their sites. You’ll
    automatically drive traffic from every site that posts your content.

    Create Some Eye Candy

    So, let’s look at what are the biggest trends for 2019 for
    your other graphic options.

    Futuristic patterns, vivid color palette’s and bold fonts
    are what’s happening today! Bold fonts that make them easy to read on mobile and stand out. Mobile marketing is super important, and we need to make sure that whatever we do looks good on those smartphones that are attached to everyone’s body these days.

    Bold typefaces and fonts are all the rage for brands. Deep your toes into it and experiment. Check out companies that we use to help us create graphics. I recommend Stencil and PicMonkey because they have templates that you can use and make your own without starting from scratch.

    Color, color and more color make a brand pop and grab
    attention. So be intense, colorful and bright in your marketing. Don’t be afraid to be BOLD. You can still minimalism but use color verses the old muted tones. That’s so old school.

    Next let’s talk shapes. It’s like fashion we need to look at
    using geometric shapes and abstract patterns. Have fun and get creative. Even
    if you use stock images look for the ones that look more natural and place some
    fun elements into them.

    Need more ideas look at the big brands out there and see what they are using in their marketing to fuel your ideas.

    Here’s an example of a graphic that pops with color and utilizes shapes.

    Don’t Forget About Blogging It’s Still Relevant

    Writing a blog post? Well it’s got to be longer these days. Don’t
    just skim the surface of a topic. Dig deep. Provide as much information as you
    can on the topic and bring along these amazing visual elements we have been
    looking at. Keep in mind, we all still go to Google to find stuff to feed our
    minds. Why not be one of those resources?

    Bigger is better and gets more attention because it’s
    hopefully offering the good stuff people are looking for. Google still loves fresh content! Today’s blogs however
    need more words. According to Hook
    Agency     posts of at least 1,000 words are more likely to be shared than
    their shorter cousins and favored by Google. 1705 is the sweet spot for SEO. So,
    don’t worry about attention spans. Readers have proven they want good info and
    they don’t mind digging into a long post to find it.

    Let Your Personality Shine

    No one wants to read or share another “me too” post. Not you
    and not your audience.

    What they do want—and what they’ll happily share with their
    friends and fans—is personality-driven pieces that aren’t afraid to take a
    stand.

    Be a giver and educate your audience. Don’t hide the good stuff
    behind a pay gate. People want solutions and if you provide them with some,
    they will become your followers. I give FREE information all the time and I’ve grown
    a few successful businesses because of it. Don’t get me wrong we need to make
    money to survive but if you have a great sales funnel, strategy and plan that
    will all come.

    It’s easy to form a connection with someone when you feel
    like you know them personally. And what do you do with your friend’s content?
    You share it, of course!

    It doesn’t take much to be shareable. Just be yourself, be transparent, and be valuable. In short, just do what you’re already doing, only with a little bit more creativity, generousity and planning. Remember if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

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  • Negotiating Your Schedule When You Work Online

    onlineBeing an online business entrepreneur has lots of advantages! Besides being your own boss you can save a ton of money on gas if you work from home and you don’t have to worry about dressing a certain way for work unless your taking appointments. You can even take work with you anywhere you go, as long as there is an Internet connection.  But every type of business has its pitfalls, and online businesses are no exception.

     

    One of the biggest challenges you might be facing is staying on task.  The Internet is a big place with lots of distractions.  Social media, emails and videos with cute puppies and kittens.  There may also be friends and family sending you instant messages, too.  There’s also the phone calls.  The list goes on and on.

     

    It’s very easy to get sidetracked when you work online.  But it is important not to let distractions affect your productivity.  Even if you’re not getting paid by the hour, time is money as the old saying goes.

     

    Set Hours and Stick to Them

     

    One of the advantages of being your own boss is the ability to set your own hours. But that can also be one of the negatives. In the online world your hours can be long because you are dealing with different time zones and people have a tendency to think that you should be open 24 hours a day sometimes.  Especially, if you have an online store. I’ve had this happen to me. I had a client who didn’t know how to download his product and got upset because he couldn’t talk to me since it was 2 am in my time zone.

     

    Since we can’t stay on the job 24 hours a day we have to be able to draw the line and create our business hours. This helps our client’s know what to expect when reaching out to us and it gives us a life. After all, work is just part of who we are.

    work day

     

     

    So let’s talk about designating work time and avoiding Internet use for non-work related activities. Here are some ways you can help yourself do that:

     

     

    • Separate your email.  Use one address for personal correspondence and another for business purposes.  I even recommend having what I call a junk email address. You know for those places that make you sign up with an email address to get a free offer.  Set your email program up to automatically separate your email so that you can concentrate on the business ones and leave the rest for later.

     

    • If something pops into your head that you must attend to, don’t let it interrupt your work.  Write it down and take care of it during non-work hours.

     

    • Write yourself a note reminding yourself that work time is for work only, or put up an “Open” sign.  It can serve as a gentle reminder that business is the only thing that should be taking place.

     

    • Make sure you stay away from the temptations that working from home can bring like doing laundry while you are working.

     

    Use Flexibility Wisely

     

    Another great thing about working online is flexibility.  If something comes up and you need to attend to it right away, you can drop what you’re doing and attend to it.  But it’s crucial that you only use that privilege when absolutely necessary.

     

    When you have an unexpected interruption, you lose working hours.  If you were working at a regular job, you would have to either take sick or vacation time or lose pay.  When you work for yourself, you can make the hours up at a time that is convenient for you.  It is, however, important to make them up at some point.

     

    As an online entrepreneur you chose a convenient and flexible way to work from home.  Even though it presents more opportunities for distraction than many people imagine it is manageable with some discipline.  Online business success requires a lot of discipline, but the rewards are many.

     

    Here’s to your online business success! 🙂

     

    Wanda

     

     

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  • How to Achieve Results with Blogging

    Creating a blog to attract traffic to your website, products and services is a must in today’s competitive online marketing space. Blog postings are probably the most important part of your content marketing campaign.

     

    The content from each blog post will attract, inform, engage, and compel your readers to act contributing to achieving your goals. To get the most from each blog post and to maximize results from blog postings it’s important to consider all the factors that go into making a result achieving blog post.

     

    audience

     

    Know Your Audience

     

    Who are you writing the post for? You’re not writing it for search engines, you’re writing it for people. If you know your audience, you’ll be able to formulate better blog posts.

     

    Know Your Purpose

     

    What is the purpose of the blog post? Is it to get people to buy something, to take a certain course, or to join your mailing list? Whatever the purpose don’t water it down by having more than one purpose.

     

    Add Value

     

    The reader should finish your blog post feeling like they accomplished something more than wasting time. They should feel more educated, more knowledgeable and informed than before they clicked through. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them!

     

    visual element

    Include a Visual Element

    Putting images or videos in your blog post will make it a lot more interesting to the reader. For instance, if your blog post is a tutorial, having video and images to back up the “how to” aspects will make it even better.

     

    Include a CTA

     

    Never write a single post without including a call to action (CTA), if you know your purpose the CTA should be a simple addition to the blog post. If you don’t ask your audience to do something, they’ll do nothing.

     

    Integrate Social Media

     

    Your readers should easily be able to share your blog post with their friends and connections by using the social media links on your blog post. In addition, you should always share every single blog post with relevant social media accounts and groups. Don’t just post a link either, post a description, ask for people to go read it, and ask for comments.

     

    Send It to Your List

     

    Every blog post you make should also be sent to your relevant email lists as a reminder to go read your blog. Ask your list to share your blog post with others. It’s a great way to get others involved in promoting an important post.

     

    The days of throwing up any keyword rich content are over. Today, readers expect to get value out of blog posts. Do include keywords, but realize that it’s going to take more than keywords to get readers to stick around and read what you have to say. In addition, readers want to converse about the blog post. By making it open for comments and discussion you’ll create more opportunity for more people to see your blog post and act on the CTA.

     

    If you like what I blog about why not become part of my community? Use our easy sign up form next to this blog post plus get a valuable gift for signing up.

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  • Keep Readers Interests by Using Graphics on Your Blog Posts

    In order to create great blog content, as well as keep readers interest, the use of images can go far in making your site feel friendlier. They say “a picture is worth 1000 words”, and that’s very true. It’s amazing how the right image in the right spot can make all the difference in your blog. Here’s why.

     

    Catch the Reader’s Attention

    Using Images

    The right image put in the right place can catch the reader’s attention. It can make the reader realize you’re being ironic, serious, or silly. A great image sets the overall tone of your message. The right image can even help tone down a super serious message so that the reader can digest it.

     

    Adds Interest for the Reader

     

    Images add to the content in ways that just words cannot. It breaks up the view into scannable areas for a deeper understanding of the blog post for the reader. The colors will make the blog post stand out more and keep the reader reading. A bunch of text with no break is not exciting. But, break up a long post with relevant images and you’ll have a winner every time.

     

    It Sets Apart Content

     

    People are very visual, and having a picture on the blog post helps create a more memorable experience for the reader. A Twitter post actually gets 95% more shares if it has an image that accompanies it. Blog posts can gain the same attention when you add visuals.

     

    Helps Reveal MeaningUsing Images

     

    The right images can actually reveal what you mean in your blog post. If you’re trying to teach someone how to do something, adding in images that make your point will be very helpful. You can use screen shots, or other images that tell a story that matches your blog post.

     

    Improves SEO

     

    Believe it or not, a good image and proper use of alt tags can improve your search engine optimization. Not only that, a great image will make readers more likely to share the content when it comes with fabulous eye candy. Be sure to fill out all the information of your image such as the title and description text for the image, using appropriate keywords.

     

    Increases Engagement

     

    Using appropriate images will make your blog stickier and make people more likely to engage with your blog post and comment. People have short attention spans, and if you can break up the text they are reading with relevant imagery, all the better. If you have thumbnails set up right, when they share your blog post the image will show up next to the share, making it that much more likely for someone to click through.

     

    Adds Humor to Your Blog

    Using Images

    Sometimes adding a humorous image can help when you are going to blog about a serious topic. It can lighten the moment and make your readers laugh. It might also make them happy enough to want to share your blog post with others. Be careful about choosing images for humor, though; you don’t want to insult your audience either.

     

    Use Caution When Choosing Images

     

    There is no reason not to add images to every blog post. It will make your blog that much more beautiful and relatable to your audience. Be sure though to use images that you have rights to use. If you are getting royalty free images online be sure to read the licensing. This goes for purchased images as well. Each provider has different rules. Some won’t allow images to be used on social media. Taking the time to read first will save you hassles in the future. Some people have been fined for misuse of images that they did not obtain permission to use.

     

    Create a Library for Your Images

     

    I use images a lot in my business. Over the years I have created libraries of these images so that it makes it easier for me to find them. I have them filed as to the source, the type of image and so forth. The great thing about images is that most are evergreen and you can repurpose them on so many of your marketing materials.

     

    So in closing, get more visual! Add your personality into your words with images. Remember they bring value in more than one way; SEO, readers attention and emotions.

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  • How Blogging Can Help Build Your Local Business

    Blogging
    Today, marketing has many more elements outside of the traditional yellow pages, newspaper, radio and TV advertisements. Local businesses can take advantage of many different types of Internet or online marketing just like national businesses can. In fact, most shoppers go online today to research products before they buy them. I know my family does. How about you? And, did you know that most searches for products online result in an offline purchase?

     

    This means that you need to have a website. And in order for search engines to send shoppers your way, you also need to have a blog on your website. Don’t be tempted to create a free blog with Blogger, or WordPress.com; instead, add a blog to your website using the open source self-hosted WordPress. It’s the same software that WordPress.com runs off of and is just as easy to use. The difference is that you load it on your own server along with your website (and it can even be used to make your entire website). You own all aspects of your blog, and no one can tell you what you can and cannot write on it. The best part is that you can monetize it. Which means you can sell products and services!

     

    Most businesses who embark on blogging for marketing find that they don’t even need some of the other expensive advertising that they were doing before. Many stop paying for the expensive Yellow Pages display, and slow down their newspaper and TV advertising substantially because using online marketing and blogging to do that online marketing works so well. There are many reasons for this but a few are that it costs less, reaches more people, and is measurable.blogging

     

    Through your blog you’ll be able to connect with people who want to do business with you. You’ll be able to covert readers of your blog to happy customers who remain with you long term. In fact, they may become fans of your business and help promote you online too by sharing your blog posts and other online marketing information. As a regular blogger you’ll become the online authority for your products and/or services. People will see you as an expert and go to you for advice.

     

    A blog added to your website will allow for easy content uploading, attract search engines, and offer your visitors the information they crave while building trust with your audience. Not only that; you’ll be able to study the metrics yourself to see how many visitors you have, who is interacting with your blog, and more. As mentioned earlier you will be the owner of your content if you build your blog on a self-hosted WordPress platform in addition to your website.

     

    If you have a website out there without a blog, you’re spending too much time and wasted effort. A website alone will not attract search engine traffic that can convert visitors into customers. Your website cannot get at the top of the search engine all by itself. Why? Because Google loves fresh content so you must have a blog that is updated frequently, and it must be interactive (i.e. allow comments on the blog) to be truly effective. If you want a lot of visitors to your website that you can convert to real business, start blogging today.

     

    If you need help with blogging, content or website development let us know. We build WordPress sites but also offer a variety of services that help you build your business.

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  • Captivating Your Audience with Blog Content

    BlogWhat I love best about blogging is that it’s not like English class where you have to use perfect grammar and syntax. It’s more like a conversation where you use your own voice and language for your posts.  Don’t get me wrong. You still want people to understand your message so you want to write well and you also don’t want to use too much lingo or techno jargon that not everyone is going to understand unless that is the only audience that you speak to.

     

    So let’s take a look at what you need to consider when writing blog content:

     

    Your Target Audience – Every single blog post should be written directly for your ideal audience. If you don’t know who you’re writing for, it will be hard to know what to write. If you keep in mind that it’s all about them and not you, you’ll write more captivating blog content.

     

    Focused Topics – If you know who you’re writing for, you also need to know what you’re going to write about and how you want your reader to feel about it before you start. If you can’t say in one sentence what you’re trying to tell your reader, you may need to stop and focus more.

     

    The 5 W’s – The basics each post should answer: The who, what, why, when and where of the topic Don’t leave things out that you think they already know, because your reader doesn’t have ESP and not every reader has the same level of understanding that you do.

     

    The 3 S’s – Each blog post needs to be short, simple, and scannable. People have short attention spans these days, especially if they’re reading on the run or while at work. By creating a blog post which has bullet points, your reader can stay focused on one topic at a time. Also, be sure to use plenty of white space in between to make it easier to read on screen, this will help you create a captivating blog post!

     

    Optimized Images – Using images and graphics is an important part of making a blog post look interesting to your readers. However, don’t forget good SEO, and always include alt image tags. Instead of just naming the picture, use the alt tag as a way to describe the picture. This not only helps disabled people enjoy your blog better, it also helps search engines or people who’ve disabled their images on mobile devices to read your content better.

    Your Voice – One of the most important aspects of writing captivating blog content is to remember who you are. While you’re writing for your audience you need to remember to write how you talk and don’t pretend you’re someone you’re not. Reader’s want to understand you and know you, and follow and read who you are. Only you can be you, so be the best you and bring on that wonderful personality of yours.

    Blogging


    Link Smart     – Don’t put too many links within the readable content because it will be distracting to the reader. Maybe consider linking to like articles and blogs after the main content instead if it makes sense. Avoid links that go outside your blog if you can. I know that it’s no always possible. If you do link outside your blog make sure to create a new window so that your blog posts stays open while they are reading the connected content.

     

    Keywords – The meaning of your content is more important than keywords in many ways. You don’t want the concern about keywords to override the good information you want to impart on your readers. Plus, you don’t want to use more than three per page anyway. Any more than that and it can just get too crowded and make Google think your keyword stuffing which was a popular way of getting ranked before the new algorithms.

     

    Edit – After you initially prepare your content take a break and then come back to it and edit it. Usually, the editing process will produce far different and better content than you started with. If you have a virtual assistant or someones else you work with also have them read it.

     

    Promotion – The most important part about compelling and captivating blog content is to promote it. You can hardly know if the content is having the impact that you desire if no one reads it. Share it in places such as social media, RSS feeds and on emails going out to your tribe.

    Finally, it’s important to simply “do it“. So many people want to be money making bloggers, yet they never even get to the fundamentals of being consistent.  They learn, and learn, and think about it, but they don’t do it. Doing is what’s going to get you there. Doing is going to give you the practice you need to produce captivating content that gets results. I’ve seen what consistent blogging does for a business. It can be transformational in your traffic, opportunities and followers. So create a plan and stick to it!

    Contact Me Today….
    Contact MeIf you are stuck in moving forward on making your blogging dreams come true then consider being coached by me. I can get you on the inside track of creating compelling content, enriching your readers experience and helping you with your online branding & marketing. Just go here to get started today!

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  • 4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    One of the most important aspects of having an active blog is building your email list. You want almost everyone who visits your blog to feel compelled to sign up for your list. Your email list is one of the most powerful pieces of your online business. It allows you to have a closer relationship with your followers.

    So you need to think of your blog as a gateway to building your list which is essential. That’s why your blog needs to provide excellent, varied, regular and targeted content. Plus, don’t be shy, ask them to sign up. Make it apparent.

    4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    Excellent Content —

    For content to be excellent it has to be well-written, and targeted to a particular audience. Everything on your site needs to be accurate and above average from the normal site content such as your about page, to the rest of the content you put on your page from a blog post, to articles, to images and more.

    Tip: Get it edited, or hire a writer or VA, then you edit it. No one can write perfect content without editing. You also need to make sure that your voice is infused into everything you put out.

    Varied Content —

    If you put up the same form and type of content every week, people will get bored. Mix it up a bit and use slideshows, podcasts, video casts, eBooks, PDF downloads, apps and more. Your audience will be more excited to check out your content if they’re not sure what type it will be as long as it’s relevant to them.

    Tip: You can re-use content in one form and transfer it to the new form. A blog post can become a podcast, can become a videocast, and can become an infographic.

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    Regular Content —

    If you aren’t going to focus on putting up content on a regular basis, focus on at least 4 blog posts a month. By doing so, you’re going to get the bang for your buck you’re hoping to achieve. Shoot for at minimum 4 blog posts a month and you will reap the rewards with a bigger email list and higher targeted traffic that is ready to purchase from you.

    Tip: To be sure you have plenty of regular content, brainstorm in advance using a calendar so you know what you need before you sit down to write it or hire a writer.

    Call To Action —

    Never forget your call to action. If you want people to sign up for your email list, you need to ask them. Your email list is the lifeblood of your business. If you build a targeted list you can give yourself a raise whenever you want to by promoting a sale, promoting your new blog posts, and getting your audience involved in product creation. The key is to ask them to do what you want them to do.

    Tip: Make it a habit after every blog, podcast, videocast, and so forth to remind users of your newsletter and your other offerings. If they read all the way to the bottom, or listened all the way to the end, then they’re going to want to know more.

     

    Using your blog to build your email list is one of the easiest ways to get action and a good return on investment from your blog. Fill your blog with useful, original, credible and friendly blogs that speak directly to your audience and you’ll discover that being a blogger is profitable and fun.

     

     

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  • 3 Ways to Make Money with Your Blog



    Face it, the reason you want to be a great blogger is to grow your business and make more money, right? Of course, you do. In order to make money from your blog you will need to find ways to monetize your blog. If you do not offer anything for sale on your blog the money fairies will not automatically you give you money just because you’re an excellent blogger.

     

    You have to do things that enable you to earn money. You have many options but let’s just talk about three of them.

     

    • Your Own Products / Services

     

    One of the best ways to make the most money is to offer your own products and / or services. In order to know what type of products or services to sell to your audience you must know who your audience is, what problems they have that you can solve, and how much they can afford to pay. This requires a lot of market study, thought and consideration, but it’s the most profitable way to make money from your self-hosted blog. With your own products you can even get affiliates to help you sell them.

     

     

    • Advertising

    3 Ways to Make Money with Your Blog

    You can earn money placing advertising on your blog. You can work with a company, or you can work on getting the sponsors yourself. There are many options when it comes to placing advertisements on your site. The drawback to going with a company is that you are not usually in charge of which ads appear on your website and there could be cases where competitors’ ads appear. If you are in control of which ads appear, you’ll be better off. You want to be careful about sending your visitors off to other sites. Some ad networks do allow you to block some ads, and some don’t. Therefore check out each solution before signing up.

     

    • Affiliate Marketing

     

    Another really great way to make money from your blog is to find products and services that solve problems for your audience that someone else made. Once you find the product or service you market it on your site via textual ads, graphic ads, and by blogging about the product or service so that your audience understands what’s in it for them if they purchase what you are recommending. You can’t just put the link on your blog and expect them to click it and buy it; you need to talk about it in multiple ways: blog about it, promote it on social media, mention the product in a webinar or podcast, and so forth.

    As you see, there really isn’t just one way to make money. In fact you should choose more than one type of money making activity for your blog. You want to create multiple streams of income so that you are not just relying on one thing to make money. Within each category there are also multiple ideas from very low cost entry products, to very high cost one-on-one coaching and personal services that you can offer. Be very focused on the type of products you will offer your audience and you will earn money and become a profitable blogger.

    Need help with your blogging? If so, contact me I offer coaching for business blogging.

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  • Blog Marketing for Small Business

    Blog Marketing

    Blog marketing can be quite complicated for anyone that has never even blogged before. If you are considering getting into small business blog marketing, you will want to first have a blog and see what that is like before you get into something more. Blogging requires dedication and patience. You have to update your blog on a regular basis in order to keep your readers happy. Doing so will keep them coming back for more to check out your latest post.

     

    Blogging for your small business consists of writing about your business. It definitely is a great tool that you should use to get your business out there and known by others. However, you will need to be patient because it can be a long process that will require much of your attention. Just because you have a blog does not mean that someone is going to find it and read it. You are going to have to make it known. Nowadays most people combine their blog with their website. If you have them separate make sure that your readers are aware that you have both and refer them to each other.

    Blog marketing is something that anyone can do.

    Having a blog and keeping it up to date with the latest information is not hard. All you need to have is a plan and you will be set to market any type of business from your blog. This plan should definitely include an idea of who your ideal client is. Narrowing this down from the start will save you time and money. There is no use blogging to a market that is not looking for what you have to offer.  Whether you are selling a product or a service, it does not matter. A blog that is marketed the right way will be beneficial to any business whatever it might be.

     

    So you are probably wondering how you are going to accomplish this blog marketing. When you are marketing a blog, you pretty much do it the same way that you would market a website. It is going to need keywords, great titles, eye candy (great photos) and content. Remember when using photos that you need to have the right to use them because it can get your business in trouble if you don’t. Just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean you can use them. Play it safe and use a reliable source like rtf123 or Fotolia. Be sure to read their licensing to be clear on how you can re-use these pictures in the future. Some companies will allow you to use them on social media for instance while others don’t. These resources are inexpensive and can make your blogs pop.

     

    You can write your own content or have someone write for you.

     

    Keep in mind that you can write the content yourself but if this is not your gift you can pay someone else to write it for you but be sure that your personality shines through by infusing your voice into the content. Also, be sure that the content is relevant to your followers so that they will want to read it. This will keep them coming back. Also, make sure that the content is written using keywords that work for your market because this will be how new readers will find you on Google and other search engines in the future.

     

    Once you have chosen the type of content that you want to be noted for, and gotten some content and photos published on your blog, you will be ready to get it out there some more. Using social media platforms is a great way to share your blog. Choose the platforms that will attract the type of audience that holds your ideal blog follower. An example, is if you’re a Mompreneur who loves blogging about cooking and crafting then you might find great followers on Pinterest and Facebook.

     

    One of the best compliments you can get is to have a comment.

     

    Blog Marketing

    Another important thing to remember when you are blog marketing is that if anyone leaves you a comment, you should acknowledge it and respond as soon as possible. You can also comment on other blogs that are relevant to yours, and leave a link to your blog as well. This will help bring in visitors to your blog, and you will begin to see more and more traffic.

     

    Blog marketing for your small business is not rocket science, however someone that has never marketed a single thing before in their life may have problems. Be sure to visit our resource page for additional information to help your business. Remember be persistent, consistent and don’t give up.

    At Strategize Your Success we help entrepreneurs, small business, coaches and consultants with all their online marketing needs. If we can help you please contact us. We can take the pain out of figuring out how to do things right.

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  • How to Make the Most of Your Website or Blog

    Chances are you’re putting a lot of time, energy, and effort into your blog or website. Are you getting the results that you want? Are you achieving your online business goals? If not, you may not be making the most of your website or blog.

    How to Make the Most of Your Website or Blog

    Test, Test, and Test Some More

    The best way to make the most of your website or blog is to test what works and what doesn’t. There are many different things you can test and ways to test. Test headlines, test calls to action and test different content formats. 

    For example, your audience may respond more energetically to video content than they do to print content. Or maybe they prefer reviews over “how to” articles. Testing is the only way to know what your audience is responding to. Once you know, then you can adapt your strategies and tactics. Split testing is often the easiest method to test.

    Analytics

    Analytics are almost a website or blog essential. They tell you who visits your site, how long they stay there and what pages they navigate to. Analytics can also tell you the organic keywords used, or the link used, to find your website. Google Analytics is a free tool that makes it easy to create an account and then literally cut and paste a piece of code into your site’s code. 

    Just cutting and pasting code isn’t enough, though. You need to also review the analytics and base your strategy and decisions on the information. For example, if you find out that the majority of your visitors come from the south then you might create more content, promotions, and offers that appeal to that region. 

    Facilitate Engagement

    How to Make the Most of Your Website or BlogIf you’re not encouraging participation, comments, and interaction then you’re missing out. Create systems and opportunities to connect and allow conversation. Blog commenting is a start. 

    However, the posts need to ask questions and motivate responses. Even more, you want to reply to comments in a thoughtful manner that motivates more comments and feedback. Plug-ins that create forums, chats, and social media participation are another means to facilitate engagement. 

    To make the most of your website or blog, you want to create a stronger connection with your audience and visitors. By testing, using analytics to track the results, and by creating opportunities for conversation, you’re able to take your site to the next level. It strengthens your relationships with your audience and helps increase traffic, opt-ins, as well as conversions and sales. 

    What have you found to be helpful in developing your web presence? Are you blogging? I have found that sharing my blog posts on my social media platforms works well for my business perhaps it might help you if you haven’t tried it.

    Confused on the best ways to approach your online marketing? We offer one-on-one coaching to help you with navigating the sometimes confusing options of online marketing. Contact us today! https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2/coaching-consulting

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