Using Your Blog as Part of Your Daily Operations
Let's face it, like most things, you only get out of a blog, what you put in. Put in little effort, get little results. However, with a blog put in a healthy amount of effort and you can have exponential results.
While there are many ways to leverage a blog, below are the top 10 items every business owner should keep in mind when using their blog as a marketing tool.
Check Your Blog Health
o I have a blog that utilizes my name.
o I have 2-3 alternate domain names to redirect to my blog.
o I update my blog or use my blog to comment on someone else’s blog at least 2x per week.
o My blog is set up on a Google friendly platform such as Wordpress or Typepad.
o I use the keyword and the Technorati Tags to aid in my on-line marketing.
o I regularly receive comments on my blog and interact with my blog subscribers.
o I have a mix of “strictly business” blogs and those that show my passion, expertise and opinions on matters of my industry.
o I use the blog apps on Linked In and Facebook so my blogs automatically update accordingly.
o I understand I can post and make comment on great client testimonials on my blog.
o I have a document where I log blog topic ideas.
Rate Yourself
8-10– Congratulations! Your Blog is positioned to help you engage with others. You can build in almost any direction knowing you have already created a foundation to support Advanced Marketing, Strategic Growth and operationally sound marketing systems.
7-8 – Health is good but a little more effort and it could be solid. You can still move into Advanced Marketing routines, however, a rating of 80 or above will assure advanced tactics are the most successful.
Danger Zone! 5-6 – Things could fail quickly. Remember your competition is eagerly trying to out score you. Many people in this range tend to “throw things against the wall to see what will stick”. This is a danger range and it’s easy to get lost, waste time, waste money. Don’t be fooled because there is some items in place, they have to be strong enough to build upon.
Below 5 – You are in danger of being “unmemorable” if not already there. This is typically the range of the beginning business or the “old school” business owner. This is the range to help you understand the starting point and how to narrow your focus for the most effective.
