Learn the Secrets of Making Money For Your Business With A Blog

I attended my first Bloggers Meetup last night here in Denver. I found out about this week just a couple of weeks ago, and was excited to meet other bloggers who actually understood what I was doing.

At 7 last night, about 20 of us piled into a coffee shop and started sharing information about our blogs. One started a blog in the last 24 hours; another has been blogging since the 1990’s, and is making a very health living from blogging.

What I enjoyed the most was the resources everyone provided, the chance to talk in detail about specific issues with marketing your business online, and finding a wealth of information right here in my local community.

Oh yeah, and we shared our Twitter accounts so we can communicate even more.

As a blogger for your business, it’s time to find resources like this for yourself. Everyone knows to join a Chamber group for networking, a leads group for referrals, and a niche association to keep up with the latest trends in your industry.

But what about creating a Mastermind group of your peers – people that have no true impact on your business, but can share a wealth of information and knowledge that can skyrocket your business.

I found my local bloggers group by heading over to Meetup.com  and typing in keywords like “blogging” and “Denver”.

Give it a try.

Daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, business owner, teacher, mentor - the list could go on and on with different ways to describe one person (in this case, me).

Out online you can’t think of yourself in only one manner. If you’re a business person trying to bring in new clients, you can’t think as a business person 24/7. Instead, you have to find your interests, and share with people that have similar interests - and may just be interested in what you do for a living as well.

I ran across a new social site today - Mom Bloggers Club. With just 600 members, it’s a new start that could turn into a full blown networking club for mom’s that are looking for a way at sharing their interests and goals.

Like most social sites, you create a small profile, and then start connecting. You can share your Twitter information, ideas on being a mom, and of course your blog information. 

Then start connecting.

You’ve taken a job with a national company, and begun training on all the tools and technology your company has offered you. You love what they have to offer, and can’t wait to bring in your first client.

The hard part comes in distinguishing yourself from the next person in the company. Sure they have great resources, but do you really want to look like everyone else? Don’t you want an original way of communicating with your prospects and customers?

Chances are your company gave you your own website, and possibly made it an extension of their existing site. So your domain name is:

www.BigNationalCompany.com/myname

You may have invested in purchasing your own domain name, but it still points back to that Big Company site, which ultimately leads back to the national information – pulling them away from what you have to offer.

So how do you capture attention online? What’s your best option?

Start up a blog.

1. A blog gives you a voice. Teach your customers and prospects about your products and services, tell them about upcoming seminars, and give them logical advice. You’re in control of what you share.

2. A blog shares your expertise. Day after day you can share all that you know about your subject matter. If you attend training and learn a new strategy, it’s easy to share with your readers.

3. A blog connects you with a huge audience. When you meet one to one, you only have the option of connecting with that one person. But if you write a great post, it may ultimately connect you with hundreds of potential customers.

4. A blog is a cost effective way of advertising. Customizing a blog is a one time fee. Then you have full control over what text you choose to add, photos you share, and video you include.

5. A blog gives you ins with other media sources. Maybe you’re trying to gain a column in your local community newspaper. Or maybe you want to share your ideas with your trade associations. Blogging regularly shows your dedication, and gives people the chance to see your views. Making it easier to get you the PR you desire. 

Okay, I’ll admit I love cruising. I’ve been on numerous cruises over the past 10 years, and love being able to see a variety of places without having to change hotel rooms. It’s a great way to find out what areas you really love, and want to go back to for longer stays.

So every so often I get Currents magazine in the mail - a magazine put out by Carnival to promote cruises, and give special deals to people that have cruised before.

I sat down with the summer edition last night, and there on page 32 was an article, "Bloggers United." Blogging has made it to cruising?

It seems one of the cruise directors for Carnival has started a blog, and it’s become very successful. So successful it boasts over 2.1 million visitors, 17,800 comments - and countless laughs (what a great tag line.)

In the blog, John discusses everything from his personal life to life as a cruise director. Of course he shares information about the cruise ships and the destinations. But it’s also his personal opinions about, well, everything.

I was also amazed because there is also a Bloggers Cruise being planned for 2009 - how amazing is that? Bloggers are such a strong community, that they can plan a cruise based on the entire concept.

Are you blogging?

Success Works: The idea behind blogging is to share your personal ideas, resources, comments, and opinions. Whether you are an employee, business owner, or just choose to blog about something personal, there is a market for you. The important things is to keep at it, make it personal, and make it fun. 

Once your blog is up and growing, it’s time to get it noticed. MyBlogLog is a social community that allows you to share your blog with other community members, link up with other members, and create communities based on your blog. You can see MyBlogLog profile here.

Once your profile is created, start looking at other communities and start joining. The best way to get exposure to your community is to start looking at what other’s are doing.

I was chatting with a wedding photographer over the weekend about blogs and blogging. He liked the idea of a blog - but he only photographs 30 weddings a year. What can he blog about the other 300+ days of the year?

Too many business owners think purely from what they sell, and try and use that as the main focus of their blog. Instead, think of it from an industry perspective, and focus on capturing an audience within your niche.

So yes, a wedding photographer could have 30 dynamic posts that showcase the wedding they just worked, and include a variety of their "greatest images". They could have these posts up and online within hours after the event.

Now lets look at some of the other 300 posts.

How about engagement images? A great post could be talking about the power of an engagement photograph, and showcasing a few of them in a post.

Will you be running a booth at a local bridal fair? Why not teach brides how to use bridal fairs? Give them the details of the event, where you will be located, and what they should ask other photographers they meet.

What about wedding tips? Come up with some fun stories and advice you’ve accumulated over the years simply by being at so many events.

Are you showcased in a trade journal? Write about it and link over to the  association’s website. PR is a wonderful thing, especially if its a recognizable source.

Resources are always welcome. In the wedding industry, a bride only plans once (usually ). It doesn’t always have to be about your business - offer tips for complementary businesses, and give online resources. Your prospects will love it - and remember you. 

You’ve signed up as a representative for a company with great products and services. You love what they offer, and the money you can make from the opportunity is amazing.

Now it’s time to build up your downline.

Chances are your company gave you a website that allows you to send people to order products and possibly look at the business opportunity. It’s a great start. But how do you differentiate yourself from the hundreds of others selling the same opportunity?

With a domain name like

www.MyNetworkMarketingCompany.com/rbs12345

you’re not going to get a lot of traction. If they lose your card or forget your name, they’ll end up on the main site www.MyNetworkMarketingCompany.com/, and skip over giving you credit for the entire purchase – or worse, not end up in your downline.

So how do you network online? What’s your best option?

Start up a blog. Consider these eight reasons.

1. A blog allows you to sell more of your products and services, and communicate regularly with your downline. Add categories for each, and share your ideas throughout your blog.

2. A blog allows you to reach beyond your local area. Anyone from around the world can visit your blog and see the latest information. Keep everyone informed with just a few minutes of posting a day.

3. A blog allows you to talk about your latest products, your current events, and your upcoming conventions. Post it all online, and get people excited about all that you do.

4. A blog allows you to create a running testimonial of your actions. You can talk about how fast you are growing your business, how many people you add to your downline, reasons people join your team, and how well people like the products.

5. A blog allows you to dig deep into what makes the business opportunity work. Skip the fluff and go for the details. The reason network marketing works is because you leave a trail for others to follow you to success. Create that trail with a blog.

6. A blog is one of the least expensive ways of building your business. Where else can you reach out to anyone, anywhere in the world for just a few dollars every month? It sure beats that ad you’ve been running all these months for a few hundred.

7. Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. Over time, you’ll have a ton of information and a ton of resources – enough to make you the leader in many categories. People follow leaders because of what they offer.

8.The world is online. Over 80 percent of all shoppers head online to do research before making an investment. If you’re not there – and reachable – you’ll be lost in the crowd. With just a little work every week, you’ll quickly find yourself a blogging expert – and one of the leaders in your business!

I’m getting ready for several presentations in the next week, and have been putting together a variety of information on blogging, social networking, and the safety of the Internet.

While I normally speak with business groups, and teach people about how to use technology in their businesses, I have a chance next week to speak to a school group and give parents some insight on kids and the Internet.

I always start out by planning the number one thing I want people to take away when they leave my presentation, and build from there. In the case of teaching parents, after a lot of thought, I decided the one thing I want them to take away is that this scary new world of social networking is really not that scary. It’s the way of the future. Embrace it, learn about it, and use it to its full capabilities.

Kids jump in with both feet and just start playing with things. They haven’t learned the fear factor. By the time we’re parents, we tend to do things we know and are comfortable with, and leave the rest alone. So when our kids challenge us by jumping into something new, it’s a whole new learning curve for everyone involved.

Many parents are completely overwhelmed by today’s technology. They simply don’t understand why their children love texting. They can’t understand how a child can be typing up a report, researching online, IMing their friends, all the while listening to their favorite tunes on their iPod. Can they really be concentrating and learning?

My daughter is at a disadvantage because I get all that – I work that way myself. So when she asks for things like a phone, or her own IM and email account, I give them to her – with a lecture and guidelines. And I watch her and help her learn.

And this summer, she’s decided she wants to earn a little extra money – very important to a 13 year old. But she doesn’t like babysitting. What’s a kid to do?

Blog

As of June, she’ll be designing her own blog (we’re still working on the focus) and I’ll be sharing with her how to make money at it. As I’m developing the first 5 steps for her, I thought I’d share them with you.

1. Design a blog that covers your interests, your niche, and can help you develop your business (or interests) to a higher level. Narrow your focus as much as possible. It’s hard to be good at everything. When you concentrate on one thing specifically, you’re more apt to get more business, and more exposure.

2. Do a little research. Find other sites and blogs that already exist on your niche, and that you think are comparable to your thoughts and ideas. What do you like about them? How can you improve? Subscribe to their RSS feeds, email notices, free ebooks, etc.

3. Write the first few posts, and get some content into your blog. The first few posts are the easiest. The idea is still fresh. The passion is still there. The excitement is high. The more you can create and post now, the easier it will be down the road when you have other commitments.

4. Discuss ways of making money through the blog. Two of the easiest ways to get products into your blog is by going to eBay or Amazon. You can always find a book or product related to your interest that can add to the overall structure of your blog.

5. Blog and network. This is where the social networking can really work. Work at adding content regularly to your blog, and share your information on other social sites and blogs. Tell your Facebook friends about your blog, and share the information with them. People are more interested in what you do when you’ve built up a relationship.

Don’t forget to keep on eye on your kids, and possibly approve emails and networking posts before they are made. It’s important for kids and adults to remember that whatever you post online will stay online for years and years into the future. My general rule of thumb is if you don’t want your children or grandchildren reading about it, you probably shouldn’t post it.

May you (and possibly your kids!) have a great and profitable summer. 

When you created your website, chances are you asked your designer how you could make it into Google, Yahoo and other search engines. Getting into the search engines is the first step to marketing your business in the online world.

As you are creating your blog, its time to ask the same question:

How do you make it into the search engines?

In this post I’m going to show you how to get into one of the best blog directories – Technorati.

Technorati is the recognized authority in tracking blog posts, currently tracking over 112.8 million of them. As your blog begins to grow, Technorati is a very important place to be.

Start by signing up for your free account. Then login to the system and start developing your profile.

Describe your company and give your followers a brief description of your business. Add a photo to personalize your profile. Then start claiming your blogs. Claiming them is easy – just click on the “blog” page and put the URL of your blog into the Claim A Blog box. Technorati will walk you through the rest, and your blog will be listed within seconds. [If you decide to create more than one blog, you can claim and manage all of them through this one account.]

You can log in at any time to edit your settings, or to find out your Authority ranking for your blog. As a new blog, you will be ranked low. One month into my newest blog and I’m ranked as an Authority 1, ranking a little over 5 million.

I’ll update this post periodically as my rankings change.

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Like what you see here? Get even more detailed step-by-step guidance with my Blogging For Business Marketing Package. Each month you’ll receive detailed video training guides that will walk you through exactly how to market your blog and start making money online.

Blogging isn’t about talking to your next door neighbor or to the person who lives within driving distance. Blogging is about sharing your ideas with people anywhere in the world.

Blogging is a powerful platform that allows anyone to enter your site on a particular post, and begin developing a relationship with you immediately. If they resonate you, you may instantly have a follower.

But keep in mind that you may be able to offer information to someone that would have no other way of connecting with you other than online.

I happen to live in Denver, Colorado, USA. I have followers from every corner of the world, including Australia, Turkey, Canada, and England. So when I write my post, I not only talk about the things in my life, but I also keep in mind that my readers may not understand certain local items. If I need to explain further or use photos to describe something, I spend the time necessary to create a meaningful post.

Take a look at what you write. Can anyone understand your post without needing phrases or words defined? Can they use your information in their own lives … anywhere in the world?

If not, spend a few extra minutes telling people how to use your information. Give them a point, or a moral, to your stories.

This will not only make you a better writer (and better post creator), but also better at marketing your business .