Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog

Business Blog Content: Telling Beats Selling

The evidence keeps adding up by market researchers: content marketing wins over readers more than advertising. This means business bloggers have the clear advantage since blogs are the best way to communicate stories.

According to an Adfusion survey, article-based advertising is preferred by 51% of respondents who are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to read and act upon the material.

The survey asked respondents to rate their likelihood to read and act upon five types of online advertising: banner ads, pop-up ads, e-mail offers, articles that include brand information, and sponsored search engine links. By ad type, respondents said they were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to read and respond to:  

    * Articles that include brand information: 51%
    * Email offers: 47%
    * Sponsored search engine links: 39%
    * Banner ads: 25%
    * Pop-up ads: 13%

Thanks to Chris Baggott from Compendium Blogware for the heads up on this survey.

Chris says, "Seth Godin has a great line about websites being for facts and figures and business blogs being for stories.

Is Your Blog Mobile Friendly? Poll

I recently ran a poll asking if readers subscribed to blogs by getting text alerts, implying that they would be reading blogs on their phone. I didn't phrase the question well.  The question should have been "do you read blogs on your phone (mobile device)."

Overwhelmingly, respondents do NOT subscribe to text alerts for blog updates, but they do read them from time to time by following links in email or on other sites.

That leads to my next question:

On Thursday, April 9, I'm interviewing mobile marketing expert, Kim Dushinksi, about why you need to pay attention to the mobile marketing trend. She's going to focus specifically on why you need to care if your blog is mobile-friendly and how you can easily adapt your blog to be mobile ready.

If you have comments or questions about blogging and mobile marketing, submit them in the comments section below and register for the free program with Kim Dushinski on April 9.

Business Blogs: A Vital Part of the Content Nation

The world of digital content is changing the way we do business and market our businesses. It's just the beginning of a tsunami, and right now the wave is navigable. You need to get your boat in the water.

You need to understand what is happening world-wide... how did we get here and where are we going? How is this content evolution going to affect you? How will you change the way you deliver your messages? How can you make your business blog an important participant in the digital content revolution?

Do you want to become your own media, engage, share, participate, and make your voice heard? Then get yourself over to Content Nation and read this collaborative book brought to us by John Blossom.

This book is vital to understanding how small businesses and professionals everywhere must change their approach to not only marketing but the way they deliver services. That includes us all, even small businesses and independent professionals.