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Changing your business blogging habits can bring more visitors to your site, get more people aware of your brand and ultimately generate more interest in you products or services. Follow these simple steps for business blogging success:
Step 1. Stop selling your products
Step away from the keyboard. Stop it, right now! I've seen so many business blogs fall into this trap.
A blog is a communication tool and shouldn't be used for blatant self promotion. You should be offering informative information and resources that will ensure that your readers bookmark and subscribe to your blog.
If you feel the need to promote your products and services you should try to do so in an informative and useful way. Stay away from over-used marketing buzz words that make you sound like a car sales person. Your product or service should complement the article, it should never be the primary focus.
Ask yourself the following questions before posting an article.
- Is this article a useful resource for my readers?
- Will existing readers find this information helpful?
- Is this article free from blatant self promotion?
Step 2. Stay on track
A great way to lose readers is to start blogging about something completely not related to your industry. Stay focused and keep on track. A successful blog finds interesting ways to write on a broad selection of topics while keeping them in-line with their business and previous blog entries.
Try to avoid writing about negative aspects of your industry unless you are providing a service or toll that fixes the problem. Never (and I mean never) publish articles that slander or attack your competitors.
Ask yourself these following questions to ensure your blog article is on track.
- Is this article relevant to my industry in any way, shape or form?
- Have I ensured that this article will note alienate or confuse existing clients and reader?
- Can this article be interpreted as slander or defamation of my competitors or industry?
Step 3. Post often, post quality
By having a regular posting habit you communicate structure, commitment and determination to your readers.
I post articles twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday at 9am. A great way to do this is to write your articles in advance and then schedule them for release. This gives your readers the opportunity to schedule blog reading into their week.
If you stop posting on a regular basis you can watch your readers slowly disappear. Be sure to keep up the hard work. But don't get caught up in the posting race, always publish quality articles for your readers. If you can't keep up with the demand then it might be worthwhile posting once a week (or even once a fortnight). The choice is yours. I have seen many successful blogs that post articles once a month.
If you are getting low on ideas for future blog entries you may want to ask yourself the following 3 questions:
- Can you think of any useful information in your niche that will be of benefit to your existing readers?
- Have you considered writing a case study or overview of an existing customer or client?
- Can you add to the conversation or provide new insight/information on current events or details in your industry?
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On Tuesday I discussed the Bizarro World of Google Local. Staying on topic I decided to bring you the top 5 ways to "Game" the Google Local search results to increase your exposure and visibility on the popular search engine.
5 things every business should do to "Game" the Google Local search results
Target Your Biggest Market - If you service the entire state it is best for you to target the capital city (or the area with the largest population). If you don't have an office or shop in the city it might be worthwhile investing in a GPO Box, as this will push you higher in the results. Smaller businesses should target their local area.
Be the first - Submit your business before your competitors do. Preliminary tests have shown us that early adopters of Google Local seem to have a better chance of being listed on the front page.
The 4 Week Waiting List - This may seem like a disadvantage but think again. You get an instant 4 week head-start on your competitors if no maps are listed in your search results. Your competitors won't know what hit them!
Use Descriptive Words in your Business Name - I am seeing this trend a lot, and for good reason - it works! After your business name simply put a few words that describe your business - for example, Bunnings could use "Bunnings - Hardware Gardenware Mile-End" to target the keywords "Hardware Mile-End" and "Gardenware Mile-End". But be selective, there is very limited space.
Submit Multiple Listings - If you have multiple offices or a postal address in a different location from your physical address then I urge you to submit both listings. Franchises should be submitting the listing for every store.
5 things every business should avoid when submitting their business to Google Local
Faking your address - You may think you're smart by faking your address on Google Local to attract business in larger areas. But the truth is you're simply fooling yourself. Google Local is a mapping service at heart, it aims to bring people to your shop or store-front. Putting in a fake address defeats the purpose.
Needless spamming - Although I suggested adding your listing multiple times, I must also warn that needless spamming may actually get your listing revoked. Choose your location and keywords wisely.
ALL CAPITAL LETTERS - Newspapers may use all capitals to demand attention, but online it is considered "yelling" and socially unacceptable. A listing with all capitals is an obnoxious way to get your message across (And can quite possibly hurt your brand). Obviously this does not apply to businesses that use an acronym as their name, like IBM or AGL.
Not specifying your business name - This seems like a no-brainer, but you will be surprised to see how many listings are out there simply full of keywords without any business name. The front page of Google is a great way to brand your product or service. Through many eyes it is seen as an endorsement by Google (and who doesn't trust Google?).
Listing 1800 or 1300 numbers - This is a real nuisance for anyone living outside of the US. It's unfortunate but Google Local won't recognise your 1800 or 1300 number because the phone confirmation comes from the US - unless you confirm your listing via postal mail (which takes much longer). To get your listing up and running I recommend specifying a direct number that is reachable from overseas for confirmation purposes.
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Twitter, the ever so popular "micro blogging" website, is here to stay (whether you like it or not). Last year proved to be a very good year for the service with 2008 looking even brighter. It's finally time to start using Twitter to promote your business.
I can personally excuse the uninitiated for thinking Twitter is a place where others post about their mundane activities. At first glance this may seem to be the case, but look a little deeper and you will see far more.
Truth be told, Twitter is a a world-wide conversation. A place where people gather to discuss the weather, politics and even business.
Yes, Twitter has become a place of business..
And why not? Many businesses are already realizing its potential, gaining access to the 730,000+ members who use the service (many on an hourly basis).
But why Twitter?
Twitter isn't the "end all" of online marketing. But it is a great additional to your overall online strategy (especially for newcomers to social media). Twitter can be a great starting point for any online business, with a plenty of reasons to give it a shot:
- Instant access to an active community - This makes makes me wonder "Why not?". It's not every day you get the chance to access so many people without paying a single cent.
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Start generating buzz - Start mingling with the community and get them talking about your products and services. If people find your business of use or value with will inherently start discussing it.
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Instant feedback - The community are a friendly bunch and always willing to help and share. Especially when it comes to offering constructive feedback on products and services. Give it a try, ask a few people on Twitter to review your website. You may learn a thing or two.
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Some of the most influential people use it - That's right. I've bumped into some of the biggest names in online circles, sometimes not even realizing it until months later. These are people who have a lot of contacts in the online business world.
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Online Branding - Twitter gives you the ability to brand yourself online. The more people "following" you, the more exposure you will get.
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Instant Communication - With the click of a button you can broadcast a message to hundreds (even thousands) of followers. And this isn't only limited to the web, people access Twitter through Instant Messaging programs and even on their mobile phone. What else can give you this sort of reach for free?
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Gain instant readership to your blog - If you have a business blog (or thinking about setting one up) don't underestimate the power of Twitter. Blog about topics that encourage discussion within your industry and then broadcast it on Twitter.
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Meet people within your industry - I have seen a lot of competitors become friends on Twitter and I have seen them learn a lot from each other. Is this something you would like to be part of?
What strategy is best for you?
There are many different ways that you can use Twitter to market yourself or your business. Before creating an account you will need to decide what sort of account you would like to maintain within the community:
- Personal Account - This account is my recommendation for small business owners. With a personal account you let people know how your day has been and discuss things related to your industry. When enough people are following you can drop the occasional blog entry and ask your followers for feedback. This is also a great way to get started on Twitter and "get a feel" for the community. But be warned, this method takes time.
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Content Focused - In most cases this is an entirely automated account, setup with scripts that automatically syndicate your blog or content. It is less personal and is much harder to attract new users. On the other hand it requires minimal effort to setup and maintains itself. As as small business I wouldn't suggest using this type of system until you have a bigger following with your personal account.
Industries that should be taking advantage of Twitter
Twitter still has a technology based following but is rapidly expanding into the mainstream audience. At the moment your business is most likely to succeed on Twitter if you have a well established website or offer something innovative and new. Consider making a Twitter account if:
- You are a technology or internet focused business
- Your business offers innovative products or services
- You have a business blog that would be of interest to community
- You want to established a powerful Twitter account, before the site truly goes "mainstream"
Businesses currently using twitter
Looking at the list of top twitter accounts it's not hard to see why the following businesses attract the most followers:
A few content focused twitter feeds ...
- CNN - One of the most popular Twitter feeds. They syndicate news updates and breaking news to the community.
- Technorati - They use the feed update crucial news about their online services. It hasn't been updated for 3 months but is still ranked amongst the top Twitter accounts.
- CNET - Syndicates their popular technology news articles with the Twitter community.
- New York Times - Gives hourly updates of the latest news and happenings (a great idea!)
- BBC News & BBC Technology - As always BBC is taking advantage of new media, offering many of their stories as Twitter feeds.
- H&R Block - With more followers every day, H&R Block proves you don't need to be technology focused to use Twitter for marketing. They offer very helpful advice and information leading up to the end of the American financial year.
People using Twitter for business ...
- TechCrunch - The popular technology focused website mingles with the community and recommends popular stories (or stories which may interest those reading).
- Mashable - Recommends stories from popular web 2.0 website Mashable and participates in discussions about the stories.
People increasing their online profile with Twitter ...
- TechCrunch - The popular technology focused website mingles with the community and recommends popular stories (or stories which may interest those reading).
- Mashable - Popular web 2.0 website industry website Mashable brings interesting stories to the attention of others and participates in online discussions.
High profile people using Twitter ...
- iJustine - She has made a name for herself through blogging and being an active member on twitter & other social media sites.
- Robert Scoble - The name on Twitter. A geek tech reviewer who runs a very popular blog and podcast.
Getting started
Make your way to the sign up page to create an account. Once registered you should start by finding other people using Twitter who have the same interests as you. Once you find a few you can start following the people they are following and then the people the followers are following (follow me?).
Then, become part of the community. Become one of the many who kearn, live and breath Twitter. Before long you will meet some interesting people in your industry who are interested in your business and can offer you instant feedback and advance.
Happy Twittering!
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Another year has passed, good bye 2007 -- hello 2008! We hope everyone had a wonderful new year. The celebrations are now over and it's now time to get inspired again.
These are truly exciting times to be running a business. Many experts are predicting some big changes that will have the ability to change the face of business forever. Will you be taking advantage of these trends before your competitors do?
Changes to Google, for better or worse?
Many businesses rely on the sheer volume of targeted traffic that Google provides. When changes are made it is often felt all around the world. We have already seen plenty of changes over at Google in past few weeks, giving us insight into the future trends of Google in 2008:
- No more paid links - Google announced that paid links are now against their terms of service. Meaning anyone paying other websites to link to theirs will soon find their rank on Google slowly disappear.
Never pay for links. I personally believe it is bad practice and unethical. Instead, take advantage of the recent announcement by creating a reason for people to link to you (with great content and excellent service).
- Google experiments with user-created content - Google recently announced Knol , an ambitious initiative to blend search results with user-created content. The full effect on businesses will not be felt until the system goes live later in the year. This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
- Universal search - You may have noticed it already - When using Google there are now related maps, news and other information blended with the search results. Be sure to add your site to the mapping system to make sure you get a place within the search results, visit Google Local and follow the prompts.
- A stricter Google? - It would seem that Google is getting serious about providing the best quality search results. When marketing your site be sure to do so ethically, don't spam or pay for links. If you employ an SEO firm be certain that they don't use any of these techniques on your site.
Social Media is the place to be in 2008
Social media isn't new, but it is really starting to gain momentum. It has been predicted that Social Media will be one of the leading sources of website traffic in 2008. And it's not hard to see why, they are massive networks of friends who share links and recommend websites to visit (the pinnacle of "word-of-mouth" advertising).
- Digg - A link that is published on the front page of Digg can attract well over 70.000 visitors within a few hours. After which the traffic will decrease. Click here to visit »
- StumbleUpon - While not delivering the same number of visitors as Digg, a popular website submitted to StumbleUpon can drive a few thousand visitors a day. The community is much friendlier and willing to help any new-comers. It is also worth noting that visitors from StumbleUpon spend more time on a site and contribute more to online discussions. Click here to visit »
The above sites are well established in social media industry, meaning it can be difficult for new-comers to make an impression. I personally recommend trying out the following alternatives. They won't deliver the large numbers seen above, but they will help you get started in social media.
- Mixx is similar to Digg (mentioned above) and is relatively new to the game. The site recently partnered with USAToday, Reuters, TWC and other widely known news sources. Click here to visit »
- Streamy is still in private testing at the moment, but when launched it promises to bring a whole new experience to social media. I recommend signing up to their newsletter to be one of the first to try it out when they open the doors. Click here to visit »
Blogs a-hoy!
You are reading one right now. The Adamant Solutions blog attracts much more traffic than any other section of our website. The blog alone accounts for 99% of our traffic (without any exaggeration). So why aren't more businesses taking advantage of this phenomenon already?
In 2008 business and corporate blogs will finally make their mark online. We can start to see it hitting the mainstream now: with Coca-Cola, Dell, Cisco, General Motors, Microsoft and Nokia joining the newly created Blog Council. These are huge names, "old fashioned" companies that don't want to be left behind.
Take action, before it's too late!
Don't let your business get left behind, take advantage of the above suggestions before your competitors do - trust me, they will soon catch on sooner or later.
Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to post a comment with your thoughts on the trends in 2008.
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Even though changes and alterations to a website are immediate you can feel the presence of the old pages for months (and often years to come). The old site can often haunt your website statistics and send people in the wrong direction. But rest assured, there are ways to put these spirits at bay!
It's nice to think of a website as having a spirit (or perhaps a little creepy). But the truth of the matter is: it doesn't. These problems stem mainly from external sources (other sites linking to yours, search engines linking to your site and even printed advertisements).
When removing pages or sections from your site it is important to foresee the consequences. Doing so may be difficult. For example, If you are simply moving a page from one location to another it might be worthwhile creating a link on the existing page (instead of removing it completely).
Alternatively, it is possible to redirect visitors to a custom error message when they visit a page that no longer exists. The error message can list alternative pages or even send them directly to the front page of the site. When the Adamant Solutions webiste was revamped earlier this year we made a conscious decision to forward all dead links to the front page. Try it for yourself type http://www.adamant.com.au/typeanythinghere
Your website developer should be able to assist you when making big changes to your site. I recommend giving them a call before any major alterations are made. You never know, that 5 minute phone call may give greater accessibility to hundreds of future clients.
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