It's A Blog, Not A Sales Letter
Copyright © 2004 Priya
Shah
The recent spurt of interest in blogging has begun
to ignite the hope that people can make a full-time income from blogging.
Although there are a few people actually doing this,
there aren't too many business models yet that can support someone
making a full-time income from their blogs.
I believe that blogs should be an important part of
any traffic-generation plan for a website, but don't depend on the
blog itself to do much selling.
Blogs are best viewed as an addition to site content,
in reality, a very simple content management system that helps you
update your site more frequently, so your search engine listings and
traffic increase.
Email campaigns are still the best way to produce
sales on demand and to announce specials and time-limited offers,
because blogs do not yet have the immediacy and reach of email.
Blogs are not about selling anyway. As an internet
marketer and publisher, I find that blogs can be an excellent tool
to support your main business, to provide value, build relationships
with prospective customers and to build your personal brand and image.
For corporates and small businesses, blogs can help
put a human face on an otherwise bland business site. In the corporate
world, blogs are being for internal communication and knowledge management,
and for brand building and public relations campaigns.
Nike's Art
of Speed blog is an excellent example of subtle brand building
using blogs.
As an internet marketer and publisher, here are some
ways you can use blogs to support your business.
1. Write reviews of products in your field
Writing reviews not only allows you to benefit from
improved search engine listings for the product you are reviewing,
but allows you to provide your subscribers with information that contributes
to their purchase decisions. That makes it an ideal way to earn affiliate
income.
2. Direct traffic to your articles
If you've written an article and published it online,
use your blog to post a teaser, perhaps describing what made you write
that particular article, and then link to it so you get your readers
to also visit your website and check out your other offerings.
3. Direct traffic to your ezine archives
Post a few paragraphs or the editorial of your ezine
or newsletter issues on your blog and link to the archived issue on
your website so that your readers can read the rest of the issue there.
4. Talk about what's going on in your life
People buy from those they like and trust. As an online
journal or diary, a blog is the ideal medium to share details of your
holiday, the things that made you laugh (or not), your own humorous
take on life, anything to let your prospective customers get to know
the person behind the website better.
5. Comment on developments in your industry
A blog is an ideal place to post your personal opinions,
favourable or not, about the developments in your industry. If you
are not happy with someone's customer service, or have been defrauded,
they are also a good way of warning other potential victims. Becoming
a source of industry information is part of the process of branding
yourself as an expert.
There are many more ways that you can promote yourself,
your products and services using a blog, but the ones above should
get you started for now.
Just remember to use your blog for the purpose it
was meant to be used. To brand, to communicate, to connect.
Leave the selling to your sales letter.
Priya Shah publishes an internet
marketing ezine by day and doubles as a Blog
Maniac by night. Blog
Brandz is the legitimate offspring of her affair with the
blogosphere.
