If you’re in business and not already involved in the blogosphere, don’t waste another second! Of all the zero-cost-promo techniques I’ll ever learn, and have no authority to professionally advise upon, this is by far the most effective, exciting and addictive.
INSTALLMENT NUMBER 3: Create an online identity and use it to reach a far wider audience than you could ever dream, even while you’re sleeping! I truly believe every business person can benefit from blogging, which is what I had intended Part 3 of my “shoestring series” to be about…
Then I recalled the initial feelings of uncertainty I had before beginning my first blog, and realised a less commitment-associated approach might serve for a better introduction to “the sphere”. Especially if you’re anything like my 34-year-old, second-cousin whose response was, “What? You’ve started to bog online?”…
A blog is often described as an online diary, or commentary. It can be your personal publication; an advice column or opinion piece. It can also work a lot more effectively than a traditional CV. However, many business professionals presented with the idea of launching one will respond with; “I don’t have time,” or “I would, but I’m no writer.”
It is a daunting concept, it can feel like an extra chore, and for it to have a positive outcome related to your business it does (like any other method of marketing) require a lot of research.
According to Technorati’s 5th Annual State of the Blogosphere Report, an average of 900,000 new blog posts hit the interweb every 24 hours! So the success of one blog about propagating deciduous trees, over a thousand other blogs on the same topic, relies on attracting the right readership and interacting with them to determine what content will keep them coming back.
It’s about giving without expecting anything in return, which builds trust and a good reputation for yourself, or your business. But if it sounds a bit much right away, you can still benefit professionally from the free promotion that a very basic online presence offers, and it has nothing to do with staking a claim on your own URL (website address). Start by waving your experience-flag at other people’s sites… SNOBS, for instance 
You can also use sites like Technorati, Blog Search Engine and Google’s Blog Search to help you locate topics specifically suited to your industry or expertise. From there you just start throwing your hat in the ring with comments – and advanced searching will help you find local content and online communities if your business is location-oriented. For example, if you run an upholstery cleaning service (I could be wrong but) it probably won’t do you much good to demonstrate your industry knowledge and friendly nature with members of the Belgium Steam Cleaning Association.
If this is all quite new to you, I have a quick demonstration before you go. Click here to open SNOBS’ Success story on Joy Cummings in a new window, and scroll down to the comments below…
The first comment from Gordon Whitehead allows you to click through to his employer’s website via his name. This is a classic example of someone leaving a fairly useless comment below a story/post in the hope it might lead traffic back to his business website. Haha, I’m only joking Gordon! (The agency he works for built the website I had before this one, and they’re tops – you should visit).
Further down is a comment from the lovely (I’m yet to meet her in person, but we have exchanged a few emails) Heidi Pollard. You’ll see that clicking on her name leads directly to her, personal, business website. And it’s all FREE!
More of my groundbreaking installments on budget marketing will appear here soon. If you want to check out what came before this follow the links below…
Part 1: Eye-catching Emails (read more)
Part 2: Turning public phone calls into public service announcements (read more)
AND don’t forget to grab yourself a little free promotion by leaving your own advice, suggestions or thoughts in the comment box!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Carlee,
As always I love reading your comments and blog – it definitely helps keep me motivated and always teaches me something new!!
I had a few questions about Blog that I’m sure some others might need to know as well, so I hope you can help.
1)Do I have to introduce myself before I start commenting on someone’s website?
2)Can I push my product within my comment on someone’s website, or is that ‘not the done thing’?
3)Should I expect a response – or is it just one way?
I’ve just starting blogging, and still feel a little unsure if I’m doing the right thing or not.
Thanks – keep up the good work of keeping me motivated!!!
Also, thanks for the feature in New Kids on the Block – I love it!
Cheers
Cathy
Hey Cathy. In answer to your questions about blogging for business:
1) You don’t need to introduce yourself as such, the comment is really your introduction. Lots of people are very anonymous in the way they interact with blogs, it’ll be like, “Nice article. Now read mine here [insert hyperlink]“.
Personally, I don’t comment somewhere unless I’m trying to create interaction or get a response – so then the same rules apply that I would use to write an email to someone. eg: “This is who I am, where I’m from, I read your article, I found this bit interesting, I was wondering if OR have you heard about?”
2) Pushing your product or service is pretty much the exact purpose of blogging (and commenting) for business. It’s just the way you go about it that makes a difference between like-able, helpful, interesting new, potential contacts – and pushy, self-absorbed individuals who you’d probably rather avoid.
Part of my weekly marketing regime for SNOBS includes ‘leaving my mark’ at other business-related blogs/sites, and I’ve been known to do my head in over whether or not my input is of any use to the discussion thread.
I’d almost rather say nothing than leave a comment which looks like a lame attempt at drawing traffic. That adds up to a LOT of time wasted finding relevant sites, reading 2-3 articles, racking your brain to contribute something useful or insightful and finally….. “Nup, I’ve got nuthin!”
So my advice is just jump in, say SOMETHING (that doesn’t read like: “I sell hats. Buy your next hat from me”). It really can’t hurt.
3) On some blogs you’ll find an option near the comment box, to be notified when new comments are made. I haven’t introduced that at SNOBS because I’ve found it quite annoying when I opt-in for it at other blogs.
There will (VERY SOON!) be a slight adjustment to the comment set-up for SNOBS, which will make interaction here all the more, er… interactive.
IN GENERAL: It shouldn’t be one-way. If the blog you’re commenting at has been created as a business marketing tool, you’ll most likely find you’ve made that bloggers’ WEEK! They’ll probably respond within the hour!
And that may leave you wondering why it’s taken me six days to write this (ha-ha).
I originally intended to reply with a full, freshly-written how-to article but, to be honest, I kept questioning if my own opinions were worthy in comparison to the MILLIONS of ‘expert bloggers’ online.
So in lieu of my own half-baked opinions, I’ve pasted 2 links below re: BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS which I think are worth the read.
10 Tips for Blogging Your Way to Small Business Success
http://tinyurl.com/dfbxlx
And if you’ve ever thought, “How is a blog, directed at the entire WORLD WIDE web going to benefit my business which services the local area only?”
READ THIS: http://tinyurl.com/djhwzu