People have been blogging on the internet for years, but it wasn’t until recently that businesses started using blogs as sales tools. Once the exclusive domain of teenagers who needed an outlet for their emotions and thoughts, blogging is now something savvy business owners and marketers have discovered as one of the best Internet marketing methods out there – and it doesn’t have to cost you a cent.
What exactly is blogging? ‘Blog’ is the widely-used term that refers to a “web log.” Basically, a blog is an online journal. A blog can be set up at no cost at all, and can be used for just for the fun of it or for business reasons.
Blogging for your business website is one surefire way to boost the visibility of your products and services. Here are a few ways to boost your Internet advertising with the help of a blog:
- Keep your clients or customers up to date on your website’s changes.
Your new products and affiliate websites could also be announced through your blog. - Keep track of your business objectives and plans through ongoing writing.
Your blog content can be easily stored through archives. What could be better than searchable information that could be easily accessed by anyone browsing the web, including search engines? - Voice your opinions, give advice, or offer reviews on specific services or products that are related to your business.
This is an excellent way to become known as an expert in your field. - Include links and articles that will attract backlinks from other websites.
This can ultimately improve your ranking on search engines, and can best be achieved by putting well-written articles on your website. Affiliate links can also be included in your blog to earn extra income, although this is not advised if the blog is for your business, as it can distract your potential customers. - Track responses by fetching comments from your blog readers.
You can learn from and improve your products and services with the feedback from your readers. - Connect readily with other bloggers.
When other bloggers notice that you have something good in your blog, they may put you in their favorite lists that will automatically link you to their blogs, sending traffic your way.
So, how do you set up a blog? Here are some of the options you can make use of to take advantage of this fun way to advertise your Internet business.
You can either install a blogging software on your web hosting server or use a blogging hosting service. Host services such as WordPress, LiveJournal, and Blogger.com are some of the most popular in this field. These hosts will provide you with easy instructions on how to set up your blog. If you want to take it to the next level, you can even have a blog custom designed to match your existing website, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the rest of the site. Our blog here at Big Splash is an example of this. It is run by an installation of WordPress that we customized, or skinned, to match our website.
