Archive for Development
Blogging Balance – Finding the Right Combination
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A blog is the tool of choice for building an online business. Successfully accomplishing this goal requires a balance between several blog related activities, including good quality content, research and solid marketing.
But how exactly is this achieved? It is not the easiest thing to pull off, and too much of one element will surely work against the others.
Spend too much time writing and too little time marketing, no traffic. Too much research and marketing, leaves your blog with limited content. What’s a blogger to do?
Every blog is different of course, but each blog must find the right combination for it’s success. There is no magic formula to follow, but rather, a feeling out process to see what combination brings you the best results. I continue to spin the dials on those locks above in an attempt to get just the right combination.
What we all know is that balance is critically important.
What we don’t know is how to merge the many variables into a cohesive and successful plan early on in the blogging life cycle.
A level of testing and experimenting must occur in order to find out the best approach. This could be many months in the development stage and will likely become a long-term work in progress as adjustments will need to be made along the way.
Let’s have a look at how I’ve broken down my blogging activities in search of that elusive combination. These are not listed in an order of importance as I see them all as equally critical.
- Writing blog post – This of course is the reason for being a blogger, sharing what you know while simultaneously learning from others and most importantly, helping others solve problems. The act of producing content is often an opportunity to learn more on a specific topic which expands your knowledge base. I established a post schedule of 5 per week some time ago and have been able to maintain that. I look to up that rate a notch over the coming weeks as a test to see if traffic increases.
- Reading and research – I use iGoogle where a host of blogs are fed right onto my homepage. This really keeps me in touch with many of the blogs I follow and makes it easy to visit, read articles and comment. The search engine is conveniently located for researching various topics, so this centralized approach is a big plus for me.
- Commenting – This is an activity that I absolutely enjoy, sharing conversations and discovering the many viewpoints of others. I don’t feel that I am doing quite enough of this and plan to somehow find more time to devote. I know how much it means to me when readers take their time and leave a comment and contribute to the conversation, so being supportive of others is what will bring good things to all parties over the long haul.
- Networking and marketing – A good deal of time is spent networking and marketing. I promote the work of others about 90% of the time, which is exactly what I want to do. Since this is an online business blog, I see that as a large part of the mission. I do however; feel that this is an area to be carefully watched in terms of time spent. Time can quickly escape, which cuts into the time available for other critical functions. The other part of networking that is most enjoyable is the social aspect. Meeting other bloggers and sharing industry knowledge and techniques has always been of great interest to me. I’ve always said, if you can make a friend, why not?
Conclusion
Blogging is a craft and the sooner you find your own personal stride and balance, the sooner you can settle into a specific area of expertise and continue to build on what you know to be the right path.
I am now in my ninth month of the rookie season and will continue to work toward that balance, realizing that as long as you press onward a path to success will appear on the horizon.
What have you done (or are doing) to find the right combination?
Thanking you in advance for your feedback!
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16 Reasons to Use Social Media
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Running a business in today’s environment requires every edge you can find to help boost performance and enhance your brand. But many small and medium size businesses have been slow to warm up to the use of social media as a marketing tool.
The reasons for not having taken the plunge are many, but here are 16 reasons why you should consider employing this strategy. Besides, what do you have to lose other than your business success?
- Competitive edge – Since there are so many other businesses that have not embraced the use of social media, an opportunity is on the table for you to jump ahead of the pack in your particular niche. One of the largest advantages in any business is to do more than the competition. If you are to gain an edge you’d best get on with it, as this opportunity will not last indefinitely.
- Go where the people are – Your potential customers are already using this technology to assist them in making buying decisions. With millions of internet users, you need to be in the mix with them. This brings you much closer to having your finger on the pulse of the market and knowing what the current trends are and what people are really looking for in terms of a product or service.
- You are being passed by - Just what do you think your smartest business competitors are doing? You guessed it, they are already ahead of those who are not using social media marketing and are gaining that competitive edge mentioned in # 1 above. You cannot stand by and watch from the sidelines while potential customers move in another direction.
- Large corporations are involved - This should tell you something. Large corporations don’t do things because they are trendy or fun, they get involved because they know that these techniques work to move their bottom lines in a positive direction. It’s all about the money.
- Old school is just that - The old school marketing models are becoming less and less effective as society as a whole embraces the Web 2 technologies. The behavior of your customers has changed and you’ll have to change with them. It’s like a new language, unless you learn how to speak it, you’ll fail to communicate or connect.
- Your reputation and credibility - As a business operator you have no doubt worked hard to build a certain reputation, a perceived level of professionalism and fairness. When you fail to change with the times you may be perceived as out of touch, which ultimately hurts your reputation and credibility.
- Be seen as a leader - Living on the cutting edge of technology and incorporating this into your business positions you as an industry leader and someone who knows how to adjust and provide the best services or products. When potential customers have this type of perception of you, they will turn to you as an authority figure and leader.
- People are talking - Inevitably people will always talk about your business and what you have to offer. Word of mouth advertising, while free, can make or break your business. There will be talk no matter what you do, so have a hand in giving them something positive to talk about like “I see XYZ Company is now advertising online everywhere”. This can only mean good things for your business.
- Establish your online voice - While the others are talking be sure to establish your voice and the ability to get your message through. This is accomplished by being continually involved in social media circles. When you are a regular, you are then not perceived as someone coming to the party late and trying to speak over everyone else.
- Develop relationships without the constraints of time – The use of social media provides great opportunities to establish and build relationships. There is no time constraint like offline life where the parties have to be in the same place at the same time. The use of social media tools could not make this situation easier.
- Conduct product research - With relationships established you can reach out to your potential customers and find out exactly what issues or problems they are having and would like to have solved. This is an ideal way to determine what products you can offer that people are interested in buying.
- Play traffic cop - With a crafty social media strategy you can drive large amounts of traffic to your website or landing pages to receive your message.
- Monitor the competition - This is of great benefit to you, as you monitor what your competition is doing to be successful. You will then have to best their offers and give a little more when possible. It’s also a means of staying informed about various industry developments that you may have somehow missed.
- Share industry news and developments - Sharing information and the latest news and developments within your area of expertise positions you as the go-to person and an industry leader. People are always respectful of those that willingly share valuable information that helps them.
- Joint venture possibilities - Having a presence online has always been valuable. You never know when someone may have something of value to add to your business. Perhaps they have a product that can be combined with your service or vice-versa, thereby creating an opportunity for a joint venture. This could lead to long-standing business relationships and winning situations for all involved.
- Increased income - After all, this is the reason you started your business in the first place. When you spread your reach using the power of social media and all of the associated tools, you in effect multiply yourself. You could never physically reach so many with so little effort.
Conclusion
Developing and growing your business is one of the most important things in your life and failing to recognize great opportunities will haunt you for years to come. Be proactive, think outside of the box and visualize the larger picture for your business future.
Social media is here to stay and the sooner you get involved and develop a strategy, the sooner you’ll be reaping the rewards of your efforts. You will someday wonder why you had not gotten involved sooner than you did. It is surely not too late to embrace this marketing model and take your efforts to the next level of development.
Someday, the flood gates will open and the opportunity to gain an edge on your competition may be lost, as everyone will be doing what few are doing now.
Bonus reason – Why not?
What sound reason could there be for not promoting your business and reaching more potential customers? This is today’s marketing model so begin the process of taking action now and good luck to you in your endeavors.
Readers of this article may also find interest in;
The Difference Between Failure and Success
Why Start an Online Business in a Down Economy?
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