Blogs communicate information to a target audience that are known as “followers” or “fans”. The blog should offer a product and information about how well that product can serve a target niche. If you do this effectively then your product will sell itself. You must maintain a personal responsibility with your followers. If you offer, or recommend, a product that is defective then your blog will lose credibility. This is an important point to remember. Never forget that fact. It can cost you your success.

You have to understand how to convey information in a manner that effectively reaches your target audience. If you fail at effective communication then that information on your blog will not be a success. You don’t have to be a great writer. You will however, have to be capable of providing the information that your followers require. This is essential for any effective marketing campaign on a blog.

Any blog can be used to reach an audience that is willing to buy a product. This can be accomplished through marketing promotion on a blog. It is a personal way to reach that audience in a personal manner. Really convey communication to your blog followers. That way they are able to relate to you and to the products that you are sharing with them.

You have to remain active on a regular basis. If you fail to do this then your audience will lose interest. When that happens your competition can get the lead in whatever the niche is that you cover. That means you will lose sales in your marketing campaign. Your content has to be up to date and factual. There is a fine line between quality and quantity.

Where to Host Your Blog:-

Joomla, WordPress and Blogger all have publishing platforms where you can host your blog. They are all great choices for blogging about whatever product that you are trying to promote. Any marketing campaign can be made more effective with a site that allows you the best access to your information and your followers. Ultimately that is how you make your choice. All you have to do is look at the site that offers you what you need for your blog. It must however, be an effective blog that helps promote your site.

How to Succeed With Your Blog:-

In today’s world the socialization of the public is higher than ever before. That means that the level of expertise and entertainment is more demanding of a blog today. In order to communicate effectively, your blog must not only convey the proper information that your followers seek, but it must also compete with other blogs. The difference between success and failure is your ability to compete in a manner that exceeds your competition. The only way that can happen is if your information about your product is current, accurate and interesting.

Your blog must be maintained on a daily basis. In most cases, you should have an auto-pilot system set up to maintain the relevancy of the information on your blog site. The best web host is required for this to happen. While most hosting services claim to offer that to you, it’s your job to find the ones that do that effectively for your marketing campaign. WordPress hosting can offer that to your blog. It is current and relevant to any blog site that wants to be a success today.

If you want to check your site there are two cool tools you can use. Warning the images and styles may not look all that pretty and your goals my be different from mine. For me, the top concern is with readability of content and links and am satisfied with the results.

• Color Blind Web Page Filter
• Vischeck

Here’s what our home page looks like.

I’ve noticed the reds what most of us are so fond of to highlight important headlines and all that don’t fare too well. At this point I’m not sure if it warrants any major re-design but something to maybe limit perhaps. The blues turn out well though which is another reason why not to mess with blue links unless there’s real good reason – e.g. links you have to have on the site but don’t really want anyone to click on. I’m also somewhat relieved our logo managed to stay largely intact. Probably has to do with the blues to which I am partial to.

Oh yes another biggie. When I was working with the ad agency, one of the things that was always drummed into our head is black text on white background reads the best. Sure you see crazy creatives flying about and some look really good – that’s because some of these ad guys are quite the pros. But for web pages – that should be key. With one exception, I don’t generally build dark web sites. If I do, I make sure the text area is always light or white so the black text is readable. Reading on the computer screen is hard enough work folks. Don’t make your readers struggle even harder because guess what will happen? – Click – that’s right they are gone, gone, gone.

Anyhow, I hope these color blind test tools will help you when you have your web site design created, updated or re-evaluated. More resources:

• How to design web accessible pages for the color blind
• If you are looking for more info about web site usability, the book “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug comes highly recommended. Yes that is an affiliate link.

Thanks to Stefanie Fish and Tarzanna for bringing this up to my attention.

How Involved Do You Want To Be?

Unlike web publishing tools of yesteryears, blog software are almost always web based. But even between web based options there is a big difference between the software. Some are as simple as signing up for an account and others are more involved, requiring your own web hosting and a little more technical knowledge.

What’s The Difference?

It’s all about control. The more control you want over your blog – like ability to edit the design any which way you want and put up pretty much anything your heart desires, the chances are you’re better off with a blog that you host and manage. This requires technical know how or the available resources to hire someone with the technical know how. Generally this is recommended for those who plan to use the blog as a business promotion tool or use it as a means to earn some money.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are also blog hosts who allow you to start a blog in 5 minutes or less. Just sign up for an account, pick a name and you’re good to go. There is very little if any technical know how required. What you do give up is the amount of control.

The good news is, more and more blog hosts are adding features into their systems to allow you to make more customizations. Beyond customization, keep in mind you will also have to abide by their rules. After all, you are using their server resources. Now that you know the difference between what you will be getting into, here are three places to get free blog software to get yours going.

1. WordPress.org – perhaps the most popular blogging platform. You will need a web hosting account and technical knowledge to install and manage it.
2. WordPress.com – not to be confused with the one above. They are the same software but WordPress.com is a hosted solution meaning you sign up for an account and are ready to go.
3. Blogger.com – another hosted solution and one of the earliest ones too. If you don’t already have a Google Account, just sign up and you are ready to start as many blogs as you want.

Your next step is to get signed up or download the software and get your blog set up.

Prefer to have step-by-step guidance to set up a blog for your business? The Blogging Starter Pack is just the resource that you need.

Here’s what Kelly asked me.

Lynette, you know I think you’re amazing, right?

What impresses me most is that you’re not intimidated by the unknown.  (And to me it seems like technology is filled with the unknown!)  I look at strange code and want to run away, you look at it and get drawn in.  I don’t always get it – but with you around I don’t have to.

I’ve learned so much about working with WordPress from you and I don’t tell you often enough that I appreciate having you as a resource when I’m knee deep in something I can’t figure out.  Do you ever feel ‘too relied on’ by others?

Can you tell me what you love most about working with WordPress?  Maybe, if there is one, throw in one thing about WordPress that you wish were different.

Can’t wait to read your reply!

Aww… thank you Kelly. I don’t think I’ve ever felt too relied on at work because I do enjoy a challenge. When people have problems that aren’t common, I am even more motivated to fix it. Perhaps that’s what fuels me. It is like a puzzle sometimes and I LOVE puzzles. Also, I want people to rely on me because of something my boss said to me once. No one is indispensable. Even when you own your own business, you could be dispensable to your clients. That’s the reason I like challenging myself with new tech, learning the ins and outs because if you can stay ahead, people need you and you can become close to indispensable

There are so, so many reasons why I love working with WordPress, I’m not entirely sure it can be covered in one post but much of it has to do with my experience with other system in the past. When I first started working with content management systems, I tried quite a few of them but they all had one big problem. They weren’t as easy to customize as I had hoped or the process of adding content was – well, convoluted. While I could do it for my clients, I really wanted something that I could sign over to clients and not have to be called on for every little bit of work done. I started with b2 which is where WordPress was forked from and jumped over to WordPress sometime after the first release and I was hooked.

It was so different than the rest and not only was it easy for clients to understand, it was also amazingly easy to customize for me. Keep in mind this is WordPress in its infancy it was nowhere near what it is today but at that time already a winner.

I love that it is fairly light. Some may not agree at almost 8MB and it seems getting a little larger with every new release. But, I’ve worked with systems that are many, many times larger, so clunky and major resource hogs. Web space and server resource is very important to me. The system used has to be lean so we can leave enough room for great content. Also, a leaner system won’t get clients (and myself) into trouble with their web hosts.

Oh and how can I forget all the wonderful plugins. They can totally make any website unique and allows you to build the site the way you want and still enjoy all the benefits of ease of use. WordPress on its own is quite flexible and customizable but the plugins and themes help put it further ahead.

There are more things, but these are the key factors for me because these spill over to other good stuff. As for what I wish were different. I can’t think of anything.

My turn to ask you Kelly. You’ve had plenty of experience working with WordPress and we are going to talk about using WordPress in unconventional ways. Tell us what kind of sites you have built for yourself or your clients with it?

Here are two awesome ideas:

Pick up a magazine. This actually hit me while I was reading one. Many magazines have a section where readers submit questions to an expert author or to the editor. Answer those on your blog. Also, while you’re on that don’t forget to take a peek at the letters to editor section. Every magazine has one. Very often, the content of those letters contain questions. If they don’t, I’ve often found they could spark topic ideas on your own blog.

Set up a simple database – this could be a basic Google Docs form. Then let every one of your team members know where this form is at. Tell them every time they find or see a question or issue that you could answer, tell them to copy and paste the question there and provide a link where they found it.

Of course, if you prefer to just have a fresh stream of blogging ideas delivered to you every single month, you could pick up a super affordable premium account at BlogEnergizer.

P/S: Have you a question for me? Send them in here.

On their site, they say, “Don’t think, just write”

How true. Most of the time, we make blogging harder than it has to be. Write more, think less. Once you’re done you can always edit.

On the same token, sometimes all you need is a prompt. Something to put a little pressure on you – like this 60 second prompt and timer. At other times you simply need a nudge in the right direction to get your thoughts going. If that’s what you’re looking for, you might want to check out BlogEnergizer premium. We provide you with 30 blogging prompts every month – one for every day of the month. It even includes suggestions how you can monetize those posts.

Always, Always Use Your Own Domain

Too many people start their business blog with a Blogspot.com or even WordPress.com address. Bad move. Don’t get me wrong, these are fantastic services and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using the Blogger or WordPress.com but if you do, at the very least, spend $10 to register a domain for it. Your blog is part of your brand, your business’ identity. Preserve and control it.

A Blog Is Not A Set It And Forget It Project

Don’t think you can use automated tools to fill your blog or load it up on PLR alone and you’ll be raking in the business. You can use a little bit of that, but generally, the human part has to come through. You or someone in your organization has to be assigned to update the blog with quality content regularly, promote the content and also connect with your readers. That can be a lot of work on the other hand it can also be very rewarding but you need to enter this with your eyes wide open and expect that the blog is pretty much, never ending.

Focus

Your blog should have a focus. It is absolutely OK to break the rules a little here and there and post a little personal tidbit on your business blog, especially if it can be tied into the overall focus or message of the blog. But if you are consistently all over the map, that’s not very compelling reason for someone to want to follow you. Think about what is the focus/reason/purpose. It will help you in the long term to come up with content that satisfies.

You’ll Have To Promote It

This is often confusing because many businesses figure, if I’m going to have to promote the blog, why not just forget the blog and concentrate on promoting the web site? Good question. Fact is, content is a lot easier to ‘sell’. People get online to read, research, communicate. You’re a lot more likely to get someone to come to visit you if you offer them free or valuable content (like this) than getting them to a page that offers them a product to buy. So, promoting content is like pre-selling to your leads.

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

By now, you’re probably thinking if this whole blogging thing is worth it because it sure sounds like a lot of work on top of your existing business obligations. It definitely is and the good news is you don’t have to be the only one doing all the work. You can always invite guests to contribute posts. Seek out fellow business owners who have products and services that compliment yours. They’d love to gain the exposure to your audience and customers. Invite your loyal customers to contribute. These double up as good content and testimonials too. Invite people to be interviewed. That’s content that is easy and quick to create too and of course, you can always outsource it.

Every project has its challenges. As a business owner, you know that owning your business sometimes seems like a huge obstacle course but you wouldn’t trade it for a thing. Blogging is no different. If you understand all these, and can’t wait to get started, you should also know that there is help available – learning on your own is a good thing but sometimes, groping around in the dark too much leads too a lot of bumps and bruises and that’s no fun either. If you’d much rather have someone walk you through, the Blogging Starter Pack will do just that.

Some tactics are easier to implement when you’re single without kids so I’m still working on those because they have school to go to and I am not cut out to be a homeschooling momma and salute those who are. Anyhow, I’m digressing. This is a really good video to watch or listen to. It runs about 45+ minutes long but he has got some really good tactics that I’m trying out on this blog.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Highlights

• I like the part about breaking blogging rules. When I help BloggingStarterPack students get their blogs up, I do encourage them to have a loose posting schedule – while Tim finds those rigid, I think it helps get people ‘get in the groove’ at the same time, like I said, they aren’t set in stone, just strong recommendations. I’ve broken rules on this blog before. Quit posting for week, posting only sparingly, posting every day and everything in between. Besides, some people (like me) will fall off the bandwagon without some self imposed structure (rules).
• Also, pay attention to the testing and tracking. So, so important! Where is your most valuable real estate?
• And oh yes! The part about writing for the best bang – what posts get the most social interaction is really good.

Image by anna moreno

Let’s look at some of the basic ways your blog could bring in more interest/inquiries/bookings and orders.

It Demonstrates Your Work or Expertise

It is OK to have a video or picture or two on static pages to show people what you can do for them when they hire you, but surely that video is only a very small taste. Some jobs are common and some more unique that most people don’t see. Show them off on your blog. The belly dancer can put up videos (with permission) of creative choreography at an event where the client had a unique request.

It Can Show Them How You Can Solve Their Problems

You know the saying, people don’t buy products (or services) they buy solutions. You can definitely explain this on a static web page but when you blog about how you help prior or current clients, it becomes real and a whole lot more believable.

It Is Proof That You Are Practicing Your Craft

If you are already serving clients, the posts you make about your tasks and how you solved a problem for them is great testimonial to the fact that people do trust you to or your product to do what you say you will do. This would be made better if your client would contribute a post or even let you quote them on your blog.

It Lets People Get To Know You And Vice Versa

Especially for services, people want to work with those whom they can get along with. Since a blog is interactive and each post is an open mini-discussion, it lets people experience you or the company.

It Helps Bring In Traffic

When you publish good, relevant content and promote it, others will take note and share it either on their own blogs or on social networks or even email it to their subscriber list as a reliable resource.

It Can Cut Down On Repetitive Questions

In every business, there are certain questions that people ask over and over. When you answer it on your blog, you are helping potential customers, planting the seed of trust, adding fresh content to your site that search engines and people love. At the same time, you are reducing some of your work, without having to reply repetitive emails.

Blogging can be a very beneficial and a rewarding experience. Unfortunately, the process of starting one can be a killjoy, especially if you are brand new to web publishing or consider yourself needing a little help in the technical department. You can always hire someone. But if you’re the DIY type, remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Resources like the Blogging Starter Pack is like a step-by-step tutor to help you get the blog up and running without all the confusing tech speak.

Photo by Steve Woods

• It’s a fantastic way to add content to your blog
• It’s content you know people want to read

But the other day I found another wonderful reason to answer questions – whether they are directed to you or not – on your blog. Because, sometimes you can just tell people oh yeah! I just wrote about that the other day on my blog. You’ll find your answer to that here (link).

Just that one thing landed me re-tweets and even a link directly from Qantas (Australian airline). How cool is that? So go ahead. Answer those questions. If you can’t think of any questions to answer, just search Twitter for the key words relevant to your industry. Other great places to find questions:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Yahoo! Answers
• Forums
• Blog Comments

Oh yeah and it’s always a good idea to set up a central location to collect questions. I use Easy Internet Survey which is free. If you have a question for me about web technology, feel free to submit your questions.