Recently I got a great question from an Online Visibility Secrets student. She was watching the Business Blog Mastery videos and wondered about my comment that your business blog should be the hub, or home base, for your online presence. If you've been reading this blog or attended a teleseminar or event where I've spoken about blogging, then you've heard this many times before. However, Linda had a good question related to this:
Maybe this will be cleared up once I go through the OVS program but I was just listening to the Business blog Mastery (video 1) where you spoke about the blog being the hub. My question is there has been a lot taught about sending people to your squeeze page so they can either sign up or not vs as you indicated sending them to your blog. Can you share a few thoughts.
My first response is: it depends (don't you hate that?!).
And it does. What are the goals and objectives of your content? Many prospects will not give you their email address on the first contact. Unless what you're offering is so compelling and valuable, many are wary of getting more email and marketing messages.
Yet, there are times when it's best to send people straight to an opt-in (squeeze) page. I do both.
Naturally you want (and need) to build your list. And you need to develop a level of trust and respect with your audience so they want to give you their email address. You want them to raise their hand and say "Yes! Send add me to your list and send me valuable info."
If your blog is well-optimized then you will have one or more options for people to get more from you:
- An email subscribe for your blog updates - keep them coming back to your blog so you can constantly provide valuable info. When they're ready to take the next step, you'll be top of mind.
- An opt-in form to get on your list - email newsletter, white paper, free report, free video course, etc.
On social sites where I syndicate my blog content, clearly people will be "coming home" to my blog to get the full content (if my headline is compelling enough). You'll see on this blog that I have an offer to get a free video course at the top of the right sidebar. So people move from Facebook, for example, to my blog to my email list. That's the goal anyway.
On Facebook, I also have an option to get the free video course on blogging. Many people subscribe to that directly from Facebook. On the emails that deliver the video course, I invite people to visit my blog.
On Twitter I employ a similar strategy: there are links to my blog posts and tweets with blogging tips that direct people straight to the video course opt-in. One way or another, they will get to my blog(s).
My job is to provide content they like and can use so they continue to read my blog, recommend it to others and stay on my list.
What's your system? Send them to your blog or your squeeze page or something else?
Hi, Denise you have a great blog here, I'm just starting out really and its good to see some one interacting and blogging the way I can only aspire to.
Posted by: reviewlisteruption | Friday, June 17, 2011 at 06:04 AM