Why Blogging Should Be A Key Strategy For Driving Traffic To Your Website. by Abe CherianPosted on November 14th, 2011
Despite how much social media has surged in the last several years, blogging should still be part of your business-building strategy.
Sure, Facebook and Twitter get a lot of action.
But a majority of the interesting content you’ll find in your friends’ status updates, is likely to be something that originated on a blog or video blog.
The problem, is that many marketers seem to treat creating a blog more as something to check off on their online ‘bucket list’. But if set up the right way, a blog can bring in more revenue in multiple ways.
First, let’s put three common blogging myths to rest:
Myth #1 – “Blogging Doesn’t Make Money”
We’ll take a look at some specific ways blogs can benefit your business, in a second, but first…
How a blog makes you money, really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.
If you’re looking to create passive income, for example, there are a lot of excellent themes available for using display ads and sponsor ads.
Not to mention, those same spots can be used to hold banner ads for affiliate products.
Either of those approaches can be a nice source of income.
But blogging isn’t just for affiliates…
Blogging can also be a great strategy to generate leads, interact with clients and still allow you to make money directly.
Take these blogs for example:
HuffingtonPost – Monthly revenue: $2,330,000
Mashable.com – Monthly revenue: $560,000
Perezhilton.com – Monthly revenue: $450,000
Myth #2 – “I Can’t Blog. I’m Not A Good Writer”
Here’s a little secret…
If you can hold a conversation, congrats! You have all the ability you’ll need to write content for your readers.
The good thing about blogs is, you don’t have to worry about impressing your high-school english teacher. Blogs are a communication tool, a way to share and discuss whatever it is you’re interested in.
Instead of writing formally, your posts just need to be conversational. Doing so will not only keep your posts easy to read, they’ll also be more entertaining.
Myth #3 – “I’m Not Technically Savvy. Creating A Blog Takes Too Much Time.”
One of the best things about doing business online, is that you can (very affordably) outsource many different tasks.
That includes hiring someone to get your blog setup, all the way down to getting content written.
So, what are a few ways to use a blog for your business?
Here are…
5 Benefits of Business Blogging
Benefit #1 – Optimized Content, Free Organic Traffic
No matter what you’re trying to get out of your blog, it’s always important to optimize your content. Doing so will allow the search engines to put your site in front of the right audience.
But be careful:
It’s great to get ranked for keywords and get free traffic, but it’s also important to keep things interesting. Trying too hard to fit your keyword(s) in can sometimes make things sound boring, spammy or “robotic”.
Benefit #2 – Attract Clients By Being A Source Of Valuable Information
The benefit here is actually two-fold…
First, you’re getting clients!
Second, by providing value and sharing your knowledge, you also position yourself as an expert in your industry.
As an expert, you gain credibility and authority…
To take that even further, credibility and authority raise your perceived value…
As a result, you can command higher fees for your products and services…
Plus, you can then afford to be a little more selective with who you work with.
Not bad!
Benefit #3 – Connecting With Existing Clients
People love to know their opinion matters. Agreed?
Having a blog not only allows you to deliver continued, consistent value to your clients; it also creates an extra way for you to interact and exchange ideas.
Reading and responding to comments is a great way to show you’re listening and build rapport!
That leads to…
Benefit #4 – Getting Feedback From Readers
Whether you’ve just released a new product, are kicking around ideas for a new one, or just want a second opinion in other areas…
…having a blog is a great way to get instant feedback from those that matter most to your business.
Instead of guessing, using your blog to find out what your readers want to know more about is priceless information.
Benefit #5 – Building Targeted E-mail And RSS Feed Lists
Once people start talking about your blog and the search engines begin indexing your content…
…the traffic to your site will start to increase.
The best part about getting traffic this way, is that it’s all targeted to whatever topic/niche your content is about.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Blog
1.) Setup the right plugins to automate and enhance your SEO (see our other post that lists some of the best wordpress plugins for your blog).
2.) Make it a point to post a minimum of one post to your blog, every week.
3.) Take a few minutes to setup your blog to capture leads and build a list.
4.) If you aren’t comfortable competing with tough keywords, use long tail keywords for your posts.
Main Takeaway: Social media might be a bigger focus now, but blogging can still be a great way to generate leads and keep in touch with clients.
There are many tools available that can even link your blog to social media and give you the best of both platforms.
Even if you hate technical stuff or don’t have the time to write, there are many affordable services to handle those things for you.
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About the Author: Abe Cherian is an Internet Entrepreneur since 1999. As the founder of AdClickMedia.com, a pay-per-click advertising network, and the CEO of Multiple Stream Media, an online Advertising and Marketing firm, Abe and his team has helped tens of thousands of online advertisers reach ‘the right market’ at ‘the right time’, with the ‘right message’. To start advertising and driving traffic click here to open your free account: http://www.rent-a-list.com
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Abe is a pioneer in the Online Marketing
field. He started his first online venture in 1999, offering a membership site for online marketers where they can find valuable
business building resources all in one place -- which lead to several successful
web businesses online.