Blogging For Business Is Different Than Blogging As An Individual

Filed Under Blogging For Business | Leave a Comment

I’ve spent the past few days catching up on my reading. That may sound easy, but I have books and magazines piling up in several rooms of my home. While I can’t say I got through them all, I did get through a bunch of them.

It seems everything I pick up has something written about blogging. Blogging had picked up steam over the past year, and is now the "in-thing" for all business owners.

Unfortunately, a lot of what I see written is for the individual who wants to break away from their job and start writing/blogging for a living.

There is a distinct difference between blogging as an individual to create your own business - your own income source outside of a traditional job - and writing a blog for your business.

Here are three things to keep in mind:

1. When an individual decides to blog, she can choose anything of interest to her. She can start with a general topic, or niche it down to something she loves. It can change all the time.

When a business decides to blog, the owner must lay down ground rules on what to blog about. The structure needs to be in place, especially if others will be writing for them.

2. In many cases an individual starts blogging because they have a love for something. They fill their blogs with content, and then decide how to monetize it after achieving some success.

A business owner must decide how to monetize a blog before they start blogging. Will you be using your blog to attract clients for your services? Will you be placing graphics on your site to sell your products?

3. When individuals become professional bloggers, they usually make a good portion of their income from advertising other companies products/services. They sell ad space on their blogs, and make income from a variety of sources.

A business owner has to think of their own business first. In many cases selling ad space to other companies may not be appropriate - why would you want to sell your competitors products?

In all cases, a business owner must constantly assess the blogs purpose, and make sure you’re blogging for your own business’s benefit.

Jun

12

Is A Blog Really What I Need For My Business?

Filed Under How To Blog | Leave a Comment

As a creative professional, you’re probably looking for as many ways as possible to get the word out about your business. I’ll bet you spend well over 40 hours a week working with clients, and marketing to bring in more clients. If you don’t do it all, who is?

You’ve probably experimented with websites and online marketing. And just when you thought you had some of that figured out, along comes blogging. Is it really necessary to build a blog too?

Ask yourself these questions:

Would I benefit from building up my expertise and credibility in my niche?
Can I find clients in more than one location?
Am I ready to expand my business?
Am I finding it harder and harder to gain clients using email and other more traditional online marketing methods?
Do I enjoy trying new forms of marketing just to see what they can bring in?
Do I have a pretty good marketing plan in place - now I just want to rev it up a bit?
Would I enjoy being online every day, working with my blog and building up online relationships?

Is blogging for everyone? Of course not. But blogging is quickly becoming one of the most effective ways of interacting with prospects and clients, and building your expertise up in a short and powerful way.

Apr

12

Making Money With Your Blog

Filed Under How To Blog | Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever thought about blogging, (and even if this is a new concept to you) there are dozens of ways to get your blog into the mainstream. The first task is to get quality content into your site. The second task is to get your site noticed. Both can seem daunting if you’ve never blogged before.

That’s why we’re happy to announce our newest service – Blog Marketing Training Guide.

Blogs are very personal in nature. They help develop your ideas, your personality, and your character. But that doesn’t mean you can have a step-by-step guide that shows you how to put it all into place. I can attest to the effectiveness of blogging, as this is my fifth blog – and they’ve all brought me in business.

How Can A Blog Make Money?

Blogs can make money in a variety of ways.

First, you can create a blog to complement your products and services. Let’s say you are an accountant. Maybe your blog is filled with tips on managing your finances better, along with small tips for making your relationship with your accountant more efficient. People love your tips, and wind up using your services because they love your honesty and integrity – they resonate with you.

Or let’s say you have a hobby that would love to start a blog on, and make a little extra money on the side. You can find a variety of resources that will allow you to connect with them, and make money from their products and services. You simply blog about what you love about your hobby.

I have dozens of ideas for you – that’s what I cover in my own HowToBlogAboutYourBusiness blog. Make sure you sign up for my free RSS feed to stay on top of all my posts. And then consider signing up for my Blog Marketing Training Guide. I’ll share with you the exact methods me and dozens of other successful bloggers are using right now.

Whether you are looking to sell your own products and services, or want to add some new twists to your existing ideas, I’ll share ideas that will supercharge your business – and help you make money online.

Get started today.