The recent spurt of interest in blogging has begun to ignite the hope that people can make a full-time income from blogging.

Although there are a few people actually doing this, there aren’t too many business models yet that can support someone making a full-time income from their blogs.

I believe that blogs should be an important part of any traffic-generation plan for a website, but don’t depend on the blog itself to do much selling.

Blogs are best viewed as an addition to site content, in reality, a very simple content management system that helps you update your site more frequently, so your search engine listings and traffic increase.

Email campaigns are still the best way to produce sales on demand and to announce specials and time-limited offers, because blogs do not yet have the immediacy and reach of email.

Blogs are not about selling anyway. As an internet marketer and publisher, I find that blogs can be an excellent tool to support your main business, to provide value, build relationships with prospective customers and to build your personal brand and image.

For corporates and small businesses, blogs can help put a human face on an otherwise bland business site. In the corporate world, blogs are being for internal communication and knowledge management, and for brand building and public relations campaigns.

Nike’s Art of Speed blog is an excellent example of subtle brand building using blogs.

As an internet marketer and publisher, here are some ways you can use blogs to support your business.

1. Write reviews of products in your field

Writing reviews not only allows you to benefit from improved search engine listings for the product you are reviewing, but allows you to provide your subscribers with information that contributes to their purchase decisions. That makes it an ideal way to earn affiliate income.

2. Direct traffic to your articles

If you’ve written an article and published it online, use your blog to post a teaser, perhaps describing what made you write that particular article, and then link to it so you get your readers to also visit your website and check out your other offerings.

3. Direct traffic to your ezine archives

Post a few paragraphs or the editorial of your ezine or newsletter issues on your blog and link to the archived issue on your website so that your readers can read the rest of the issue there.

4. Talk about what’s going on in your life

People buy from those they like and trust. As an online journal or diary, a blog is the ideal medium to share details of your holiday, the things that made you laugh (or not), your own humorous take on life, anything to let your prospective customers get to know the person behind the website better.

5. Comment on developments in your industry

A blog is an ideal place to post your personal opinions, favourable or not, about the developments in your industry. If you are not happy with someone’s customer service, or have been defrauded, they are also a good way of warning other potential victims. Becoming a source of industry information is part of the process of branding yourself as an expert.

There are many more ways that you can promote yourself, your products and services using a blog, but the ones above should get you started for now.

Just remember to use your blog for the purpose it was meant to be used. To brand, to communicate, to connect.

Leave the selling to your sales letter.

About The Author…
Priya Shah Priya Shah is an ezine publisher by day and doubles as a Blog Maniac by night. Blog Brandz is the legitimate offspring of her affair with the blogosphere.

Article Source: Blogs, RSS and Podcasting

  How you can profit from autoresponder series 1 of 3
One of the basic tools in internet business is autoresponder. You just cannot miss this because it is so vital to your business that it will increase at least 20-30% of your sales. Notice this, average people who visit your website will not buy the first time. What you want to do is using autoresponder to capture their email address. This way, you could follow up with them with your sales. Other than opt-in list, you could also using autoresponder to promote your affiliate program, you product, or anything you would like to promote. For you who don¡¦t understand what....

  Search Marketing Guide: How to Write a Landing Page That Converts
If you're paying for click-through's from Google or another search engine, you want to make sure your investment provides a return. You do that with a landing page. Searchers click-through to your page because your ad captures their attention and creates interest. Your landing page now needs to build on that interest, turn it into desire and, ultimately, get action. To be effective, your landing page needs to work like a sales letter. It needs to be designed around a very clear objective - the action you want - and it needs to employ all the motivating and....

  How To Advertise for Free: Lesson #1
How to Create a Sigline I bet when you saw the title of this article you thought you were going to get another one of those "10 Tips" thattell you to "do this..." and "do that..." didn't you? Well, not this time. I'm going to spell it out for you one method of advertising for free and then show you where to go and apply what you've learned. Let's begin. First, you will need to create a signature line (sigline). If you've ever written a personal or professional letter in your....

  How To Create Sizzling Sales Online
"Don't sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of this phrase before? It has been widely regarded as “principle number one of salesmanship” as far back as 1936. What does this phrase mean? Selling the sizzle means making it possible for the prospect to salivate for your product or “steak”. If you are really selling the sizzle to the steak, you will be connecting with your prospect with his/her sense of smell, sight and sound. He or she will be catching the whiff of the steak cooking on....

  Business Not Producing? Stop Guessing and Find Out Why!
It seems each January that many small businesses (especially online businesses) sigh as they wonder why their company is not producing and what to do about the situation. This year, take the time to find out exactly what your business is missing. When you do, you'll know exactly what to do to move up to the next level. It seems each January that many small businesses (especially online businesses) sigh as they wonder why their company is not producing and what to do about the situation. This year, take....

Trackback URL for this post:
http://www.problogtips.com/its-a-blog-not-a-sales-letter/2048/trackback/

Posted by Jaron in the catagory of... General Interest

No Trackbacks »