The best way to cross-market your blog and your business is to find effective ways to describe your services/products and integrate links to your business site within the text of the blog.
When I say describe your services I mean discuss everything anyone would need or want to know about a particular service/product you offer. You need to continually add content anyway, so don’t worry about discussing the basics. Some people need to know the basics. I do link to the blog from my business, but I will discuss this later.
Describing Services and Products
With services you offer you need to:
- Explain the basics
- Explain why this service is needed
- Explain the benefits of using the service
- Ask customers to give opinions about a service for your blog and link back to their site
- Show how to obtain these services affordably (market your business here and explain in clear and easy terms why you are the best company for the job)
I tried the last bulleted item once with this post. The result was 8 people in less than a week contacting me for a web site. It was great money, but I didn’t sleep for weeks.
With products you can:
- Discuss why you like it
- Explain why it is better than another similar product
- Explain why it would benefit the reader to have this product
- Discuss reviews of the product and address any negatives
- Ask customers to give opinions about a product for your blog and link back to their site
All blog posts need to be directed to either beginners, intermediates or experts and every single post needs to appeal to potential clients.
Create a List of the Essentials
My clients often do not understand some of the terms I throw at them so I created a “What Is/Are…?” section on my blog. The beauty of this is that I can link to the blog from the business site when I use the specific keyword/keyword phrase that potential clients may not understand (this shows the reader that I am serious about what I do and capable- it creates trust) and I also get to show up on Google when beginners (potential clients) are searching for information. Essentially, I have two web sites that are marketing my skills and they both bring me clients. Also, I don’t have to create a definitions page on my business site.
[see the link integrated into the text? Business site? ;-)]
Ask yourself what you would like to know about your services/products if you were a reader and write about those things.
You HAVE to Be Creative
- Research and read articles related to your business and be creative (don’t copy). If you have an opinion on someone else’s opinion you can write about it (slamming people is never a good idea)
- If you find articles, forums, blogs or anything else that could be beneficial to potential clients put them on your blog.
- Appeal to a need, any need
- Give Back- List free things that relate to your business/blog- like free SEO Tools 😉
- List discounts, promo codes or coupons if it relates
- Join Writing Contests- write about things that relate to your business or things that could benefit your clients
- Review books -whatever relates to your business…business, Internet Marketing, Web Design etc.
- Ask questions and get a discussion going
There are times when you will have a hard time coming up with topics and this is when you need to be creative. Humor is a great way to be creative. I have two posts with outrages view counts and one of them was the Matthew McConaughey video. It was so funny and people were looking for it and sharing it with others when they found it. The video is in no way related to what I do, but it was funny and it brought me a lot of traffic. I don’t suggest you do this often, but every once in awhile is fine.
Be Personable
If your posts are friendly you will be more appealing, but you also want to remain professional. Find a balance, BUT ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND what your clients would expect. For example, if you have a legal blog professionalism is crucial.
Just Some Other Information I Think I should Mention… Not every blog entry needs to be directly related to your business. This blog is related to what I do, but it is also aimed at helping people/potential clients find SEO, Internet Marketing and Web Design for an affordable price. I gain clients by helping people out, but more importantly I build connections. I got to know Jim Hedger through blogging and knowing him well enough to email him a joke is really cool. My next goal is to get to know Wendy Piersall 😉 I TRULY cannot stand people ripping off clients because they can and that is why I started the blog. Before I moved the blog I had anywhere from 500-1000 hits a day. Readers understood that I was serious about saving money and that helped my blog grow. People like to save money and they need to save money.
Keep this in mind and find a way to integrate it into your blog. In the blogging world you need to give credit to everyone that has inspired a post (in my humble opinion) so take the time to add a link to other bloggers’ sites and web sites.
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This blog entry was written because I have joined the Second “How To” Group Research Project.
(see, credit given!)