Business Blogging: What's the Point?

We've been teaching how to gain massive online visibility to a group of smart and savvy professionals in our mentoring program. The background theme has been blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and multiple forms of online content so that people with problems can find your solutions.

The idea is to be everywhere on the Web. For example, a remark on Twitter can lead someone back to read more about you on your blog. But, wait a minute, what's the point?

What's your purpose once you've got a new visitor over to your blog? Sure, you want to impress them with your expertise. Sure, you want to build a relationship with them. Sure, you want them to subscribe to your blog updates and become a fan.

But  hey, this isn't high school and you're not running for prom queen. This isn't a popularity contest. So you can forget about your numbers. All you bean-counters and Google Analytic-types can groan all you want. It's so easy to get distracted by numbers and widgets and glitter and buzz.

Online social networking can make you feel good, really good...all those followers and friends.

Here's an old cliche, but one that's never been so important as now: Show me the money, honey!

If you're not turning visitors into clients, then what's the point? Well, if you're running a hobby blog or an ego blog, you don't have to think about this. For the rest of us non-trust-fund baby boomers, we need to follow the money path.

So visibility and blog stats are nice. But there's got to be more. Here's my perspective, my road map:

1. Post a blog post
2. Twit about it
3. Retweet other good tweeters so they retweet yours
4. Facebook follow up
5. Get peeps back to blog post
6. Do 3 things in your blog posts:
   1. Provide useful unique info
   2. Build relationships & trust
   3. Add your personality & stories
   4. Ask for audience participation

This last point is a call to action, a persuasion that readers need to do more.

What do you want them to do? What can they do from your blog? What are you asking them to do?

Do you know how many good blogs we see and read where there is no way for us to do anything? Yeah, a lot. No email subscription form, no free report to checkout.

Sometimes we see something to buy. But who's going to buy something on the first visit? No, most of us are looking for the freebie first. If you can get readers to download or register for something for free, they are one step closer to opening up their wallets to buy or hire you.

Here's a list of ideas for creating downloadable digital information products:

1. Ebooks

a. From blog posts
b. From newsletters
c. From articles
d. How to…, 7 insider secrets, 5 mistakes, the real reasons for… etc. etc.

2. Ecourses

a. Set up an autoresponder series

3. Teleseminars, webinars

a. Set up free registrations
b. Recordings
c. Transcripts
d. After sales

4. Special reports, or a white paper
5. Take a survey (great for creating blog posts that go viral) and then you can create a special report from the data. (SurveyMonkey.com, Vizu.com) Ask questions on LinkedIn as well.
6. Other ideas?

The point is, if you want to actually use your blog for business, you've got to deepen your relationship with readers by getting them more involved.

This is only a partial list of ways to do that. It's key. But to decide what kind of free information product to offer readers, you must first be really clear about what business you're in. What is it you'd eventually like to sell to your readers? Which service or product will you be pitching?

You need to be clear on this because your free give-away really needs to be similar to what you're selling for everything to make sense and work. Always remember that business blogging is about business.

Free Report:
Better Business Blogging: 4 New Concepts for Getting Spectacular Results

Related post:
Blogging, Branding and eBooks to Build Your Busines

Comments

[Eduart Hargreaves]

You could indeed use Survey Monkey, but have you considered Survey Prof? It is free and easy to use, and it's aimed at students. It doesn't charge you for extra options.

[Winnie]

Denise, I can not thank you enough for your tips. You have broken down the art of blogging so clearly and with simplicity in your road map.I look forward to applying these tips on my blog.