Posts Tagged ‘blogging tips’
Do you own your Business Blog Traffic or does someone else
During a recent call with a new client, we were discussing her online foundations, web presence and the setup of all parts. When we got to the blog part – she said, “Yes I do have a Blog.”
Well… yes she did, but not one that was working for her. Her ‘Blog’ was in fact a blog hosted on blogspot not directly on her website and once there, it had no way of directing a visitor back to her own website.
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings about blogging. “Who owns your Blog?”
- When you have a blog hosted directly on your website visitors get to it by clicking a link similar to this: www.mysite. com/ blog or www.blog.mywebsite. com .
- When using one of the free blogging platforms, your blog link will be something similar to this: www.myblogname.blogspot. com or www.myblogname.wordpress. com
In example 1, your website has the blog as a part (and pages) of your domain name and the url link – your online real estate. You own it.
In example 2, guess who owns these web links? Exactly – Blogspot or WordPress because the link contains their domain name.
In many cases, the blog on the free hosting platform also is not set up in a way that people can even find or get back to your website, as my client’s case. A big mistake if you are looking to use your blog to bring in more traffic. You are investing time (ultimately money) into creating the blog, you want to make it have a positive effect on your online marketing and work for you not against. People should be able to click and see your about page, contact page, services, products – everything you have on your website.
This is not to say that using the free platforms cannot be helpful, for many businesses starting out this is how we started blogging (I did!). However, when you are ready to go bigger and also to move to the social media world and use those channels to bring traffic and visitors to your website – don’t have people clicking on links to a free site that essentially you do not own. That’s not your online real estate, it belongs to wordpress or blogspot. Get your blog installed right on your website and have these links bringing people to YOUR website with all the different pages about your business, including your blog.
Most hosting platforms allow for a simple install of wordpress onto your site – but it may mean changes in the backend that require help of someone who understand how to do this properly. Some hosting sites are not yet ready for these blogging platforms so you will need to do some homework or get some help before jumping into a change to your site. Time on Task does offer this service and if you would like to book a free consult, please get in touch with me.
The main takeaway here is to look at your blog setup and see if you have one that is working for you or against you! If it’s against, what kind of effort are you investing in something that is not helping you? If you aren’t sure, then post a note on my Facebook Page with a link to your blog and I will let you know.
Blogging to your Target Customers
Blogging can help build your visibility online. When you write a blog post, you want to speak to your target customer and need make the content relevant for them.
If your market is attracted to your blog, as they read and follow your new posts – they will learn more about your services and products. You want to have a content guideline so that you stay focused and on target with your content.
To stay on track it’s important that you first consider your target customers before proceeding with the series of content that you would like to post. Without proper thought, you might miss the real purpose of your blog, which is to catch the attention of your prospective customers. It’s okay to have blog posts interspersed that are not fully on target with the content, but overall you want to keep the focus to keep speaking to your target customers.
Web surfers are very diverse and they have different backgrounds, preferences, and lifestyle. Therefore, market segmentation is very important. Your target market will depend much on the products or services that you are selling, and you better know your products very well. It is your products that determine the demographic profile of your customers. Before deciding on the theme of your blog, it would be better if you have a definite profile of your ideal customer in mind.
This profile will represent your target market segment. The basic demographic profile includes age, gender, and social or economic status. The categories under each profile are as follows:
- Age. Does your target market consist of children, teenagers, adults, or senior citizens?
- Gender. Are your target customers male, female, or transgender?
- Economic Status. Do they belong in low income, middle income, affluent, or rich group?
- Location or address.
These profile or sets of traits should match the characteristics or features of the products or services that you are offering. Remember, however, that these classifications are still relatively broad and apply only to basic commodities where product differentiation by consumers is still not so distinct. Examples are medicines or medical services, foods, educational services, and others. Items everyone needs regardless of demographics.
For stricter market segmentation, you can differentiate your target markets or narrow them further according to customer temperaments, needs, goals, and fears. Specifically, you can distinguish them according to:
- Needs – sense of accomplishments, sense of belonging, self actualization • Goals – productivity, efficiency, savings, safety
- Temperaments – serious, happy go lucky, complacent
- Fears – old age, poverty, ill health, rejection
There are still more categories to further narrow your market segment such as educational attainment, lifestyle, mindset, family size, political views, etc. These are relevant if the products or services that you are offering are highly specialized or customized such as travel or vacation packages, luxury cars, high tech gadgets, and other such items.
Having a clear picture of the common characteristics of your target market when blogging for business will help you decide what theme or blog design to use, the appropriate mode or tone of your article, and the right images that you need to use.
These details may overwhelm you at first. But, you should realize that your purpose for blogging is to attract web users who are more likely to use your products or services and to influence them to buy and patronize what you offer. Keep this in mind as well that customers now are more discriminating, especially if the products are quite expensive. They scrutinize details and compare them with competing brands.
So to make your blog more effective, know your products well and create a profile of your target market based on your products’ characteristics and features. Then, post blog content that will appeal to your target market.
Remember, your business blog is created to ultimately generate sales; first having gained the trust of the blog readers. Keeping your focus will help you stop reduce wasted time and effort when blogging for business.
Do you think about your target customer when you write or oplan your blog content?
Blogging Topics to help you Write
Five Easy Ways To Get Traffic To Your Blog
Blogging tips
I was just thinking the other day that I am not certain I am “using” my blog effectively, and came across this blog by Copyblogger, by Sonia Simone. It has a list of 9 great tips for more effective blogging. You can check it out here – Copyblogger.
VAnetworking is also having their weekly Free Eseminar on Wednesday November 5th at 7pm Eastern time. This seminar is open to anyone with a VAnetworking membership (free to join). Kathie Thomas will be presenting the topic “All about Blogging”, geared for for individuals and businesses.
You should know that these Wednesday seminars presented by VAnetworking may be run by a Virtual Assistant association, but many of them are helpful for any business in any industry, you do not have to be a VA to join in. Seminar info and be found at www.vanetworking.com/seminars
Learn the basics of Twitter – understand what a DM, RT and Hashtag are and how to use them
Follow a typical schedule that will help you remain efficient and effective with your time spent on Twitter
Click here to buy your copy nowfor only $27.00.
Download your FREE eBook on Productivity for Entrepreneurs
Join the Social 4 Biz Club
Get your social media questions answered during a live call every month PLUS learn new tricks and tips to using Social Media for your business. Forum support as well for help throughout the month.
