Ok, just in case you didn’t know it, you’re reading a blog. Thanks for reading! But here’s something to think about – how do businesses use blogs, and how to you promote them to get people to read them?
Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with your customers and potential customers. You can write about topics that are important to them, like “how do blogs help to increase their business?” You can keep the content broad or narrow it down to industry-specific topics. It’s up to you!
So how do businesses use blogs to increase business? One answer is to provide content that people find useful. They’ll begin to associate your company’s name and blog with being the “expert” in helping them increase their business. Over time, you’ll have those loyal readers converted to customers.
The key, of course, is to get lots and lots of people reading your blog, and to do that you have to promote your blog effectively. Here are some steps to take to make sure you’re doing that: first, make sure you have a prominently displayed link so people can subscribe to your RSS feed for your blog. The bigger it is – and the more attention getting it is – the better. Next, add an email subscription option to your blog. Put up a very prominent “get this blog sent to your email” and watch what happens.
Here’s an important one: make sure your blog’s URL is placed on every social network where you belong. That includes MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Flickr – and anything else that can bring you awareness. Then be sure to submit it to directories like Yahoo! And Google! You’ll be surprised how many readers you’ll have when people find it using Facebook or LinkedIn.
Blogging and social computer are key tools for marketing and PR, but those are just the basics. Once you have skills on social networks, and the ability to interact with social media, there’s no limit to how much impact it can have on your business. Learning to blog is just the start – you’ll need to know how to link, how to embed other technologies and build interfaces as well. The beauty of all of this is that it’s all so new, and you’re basically inventing and re-inventing as you move along.
Once you grasp the new social computing systems, it’ll be as commonplace as turning on your computer in the morning when you get to work. That’s when you can really start putting your blog to good use for your business.
Blogs are a great way to keep in touch with your customers and potential customers. You can write about topics that are important to them, like “how do blogs help to increase their business?” You can keep the content broad or narrow it down to industry-specific topics. It’s up to you!
So how do businesses use blogs to increase business? One answer is to provide content that people find useful. They’ll begin to associate your company’s name and blog with being the “expert” in helping them increase their business. Over time, you’ll have those loyal readers converted to customers.
The key, of course, is to get lots and lots of people reading your blog, and to do that you have to promote your blog effectively. Here are some steps to take to make sure you’re doing that: first, make sure you have a prominently displayed link so people can subscribe to your RSS feed for your blog. The bigger it is – and the more attention getting it is – the better. Next, add an email subscription option to your blog. Put up a very prominent “get this blog sent to your email” and watch what happens.
Here’s an important one: make sure your blog’s URL is placed on every social network where you belong. That includes MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Flickr – and anything else that can bring you awareness. Then be sure to submit it to directories like Yahoo! And Google! You’ll be surprised how many readers you’ll have when people find it using Facebook or LinkedIn.
Blogging and social computer are key tools for marketing and PR, but those are just the basics. Once you have skills on social networks, and the ability to interact with social media, there’s no limit to how much impact it can have on your business. Learning to blog is just the start – you’ll need to know how to link, how to embed other technologies and build interfaces as well. The beauty of all of this is that it’s all so new, and you’re basically inventing and re-inventing as you move along.
Once you grasp the new social computing systems, it’ll be as commonplace as turning on your computer in the morning when you get to work. That’s when you can really start putting your blog to good use for your business.
