There is a dumb way and a smart way to do everything…actually, there are many dumb ways and usually just a few smart ways to do things, but this is definitely one of the dumber ones.
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There are still many consultants, speakers, trainers, professionals and even internet entrepreneurs that view blogs to be something that your next door neighbor launches to rant or something you would create to share with your family.
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It has to be one of the most asked questions I get and most confusing topics for online marketers to figure out – the rules to follow with respect to duplicate content.
Specifically, questions come up about…
More on Clarifying the Confusing World of Duplicate Content – SEO
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No doubt, there is an uncomfortable silence that pervades the blogging world about "IF" and "How Much" bloggers should sell through their blog.
Some try posting small content or image ads on the navigation panels, others try and place the odd link right in with their blog postings while still others look at their blogs as a mere product announcement tool where every post is an explicit message of "Buy This!"
So what works?
How much selling should you do from your blog.
SELLING IN A WEB2.0 WORLD
As someone who has always been fascinated by consumer behavior (actually just behavior in general), the Web2.0 world of communication, community, networking and word-of-mouth marketing clearly brings a rather old concept to the digital world.
In the past, there were two ways someone would hear about my products – one was broadcast such as advertising, joint ventures and viral marketing…OR – through word-of-mouth from someone they trust (a friend, family, someone in their peer group, etc…)
These two methods have always existed, and word-of-mouth has always been a very powerful method of building sales and brand for any marketer.
Now that we have formalized the word-of-mouth approach to marketing into the digital world (beyond the early forums and bbs's which started the trend), we must place more emphasis on communicating and networking than we would have paid int he past.
SELLING…WELL, E'R, NOT QUITE
It goes without saying that blogging – which is inextricably linked to the Web2.0 world through it's use of comments, it's method of RSS (a pull-based information model versus a push such as broadcast email) and it's link with other Web2.0 infrastructures such as plugins for Wordpress that allow users to quickly rate and comment on your blog using Web2.0 sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Myspace, etc…- must take into account the reality of communicating WITH your marketplace rather than AT them.
In other words, don't "sell" in the traditional sense in every blog post.
But…that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a point to each blog posting that may eventually lead to a sale (In fact in a Web2.0 world these methods are more LIKELY to result in sales that overt sales messages)
For instance, start by always have a purpose for your blog posting that…
1. Is helpful for your readers – sounds simple, but is a good guide to keep frequent posters on the right track…
2. Links back to something for more information – could be a free minicourse, report or article I have or it could be a product that I promote or it could be a partner website that does a good job of offering more detailed information
By focusing on high value with soft-references back to opt-in lists or sales sites, you can actually become PART of the discussion and communication around a topic rather than looking to LEAD your reader…Web2.0 readers do not want to be "led" (at least not explicitly led), rather they want to be part of a discussion where they want to know about things, have a chance to express their opinions and come up with their own decisions.
By understanding the profile of typical readers who come to your blog looking for a place to be informed, but also express their opinions – you can indirectly sell through your blog and be much more successfully than overt selling.
What about you…what are you looking for when you read your favorite blogs?
Do you like to be "sold" to? What are your thoughts on placing sales links or ads on blogs?
Jeff
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The reasons for starting your own blog are many…but often include:
- Generating traffic to your online websites and internet businesses
- Building a brand and positioning yourself our your business within your industry
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Generating content online drives traffic – through search engines, article directories and increasinly through Web2.0 or social networking sites. Anyone who has been monitoring the explosion in the number of social networking sites will understand that keeping up with manual submission to each social networking site is nearly impossible, yet the benefit of being listed on these social networking sites can be substantial.
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I've been watching, speaking and interviewing a number of very successful bloggers over the last few months and guess what I found to be the underlying, consistent and driving force behind their success?
They are all avid news junkies around the topic they have chosen to create their blog about.
In any business, you passion level becomes a major factor behind your success because…
More on Are You A News Junkie? Start Your Blogging Business…
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Came across this story in the Chicago Daily Herald earlier today and just had to visit the blog they were discussing after reading about the tremendous success a suburban mother has built with her own blogging adventure.
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You've no doubt heard the advantage blogging can have on attracting a search engine to perform a first-pass index of your domain – often this can occur within the first 24-48-hours of launching your blog, making a few postings and submitting to authority blog directories.
Since these authority blog directories experience many visits by major search engines, your new posting or link has a very good chance of being picked up quickly.
Another category of sites growing in authority are the Web2.0 or social networking directories such as technorati.com, Digg.com, Delicious.com, Reddit.com and others.
Trick to rank highly on these sites is to not only submit, but generate desirable content that other blogs and authority sites will want to rate and potentially link back to you…otherwise known as "linkbait".
A common strategy of top bloggers today is to post daily, but at least once each week, focus on an article or posting that is designed to "bait" other niche blogs to link back to their content.
For example, Top 100 lists are being commonly used as "linkbait" posts as they are great resource sites that relate to a specific niche, often create curiosity and even some controversy – all desirable attributes of top blog posts.
Take a look at 45n45's Top 100 Money Making Blogs for example – this directory is mentioned on hundreds of blogs – by creating the directory, of course most of the listees will want to be included and as such, link back to the article causing significant authority.
You may want to explore using this same approach no matter what your niche market is — a great way to drive traffic and search engine ranking for your blog.
Jeff
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