How to Utilize a Blog

[NickGarcia]

Hey guys,

As a newbie, I'm just learning today about the importance of a blog and how it serves as sort of a hub.

Should I only have one blog? Initially I made a blog to target a certain keyword, with the domain containing the keyword. It's also with a network marketing company, but my focus for the blog was just product.

I've been hearing from another person that it should be both for marketing product AND enrolling associates, and that the blog should be more of a personal brand. And that the domain should ideally just be my name.

Is this true? Do you guys agree with this? Would it be effective?

[Andyhenry]

No - I disagree.

If you're targeting keyword phrases for buyers then why would you want your name to be the focus?

It's completely backwards.

You'd started off the right way - just build on what you've done.

You only need multiple blogs if you can't reasonable target more search phrases from your current one, but I doubt that's the case.

You're not trying to sell you - you're trying to attract people searching for your niche specific terms.

Just make sure you know what they're searching for and provide good keyword focused content combined with some link building - focus on the low hanging fruit and get lots of little streams of well targeted traffic so that you get results - and then rinse and repeat.

The more you do this, the more valuable and useful your site becomes and the easier it is to rank for higher competition phrases.

Also consider dipping into other traffic sources using articles, press releases and videos to help boost your results.

With that said - do try to make sure you're also collect leads you can market to by offering something they'll value in exchange for their details. You don't need a new site for that. If you think you do, you probably just need a squeeze page that could still be on your current site.

Andy

[Anonymous Affiliate]

As a newbie, the worst thing you can do blogging-wise is to base it around hot keywords/niches instead of your passions, hobbies or areas of expertise. Start blogging about something you actually know and care about so you learn the ropes while doing something you feel comfortable about.

It's the BEST way to learn. I learned that way myself (with a hobby-centered blog).

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

As a newbie, the worst thing you can do blogging-wise is to base it around hot keywords/niches instead of your passions, hobbies or areas of expertise. Start blogging about something you actually know and care about so you learn the ropes while doing something you feel comfortable about.

It's the BEST way to learn. I learned that way myself (with a hobby-centered blog).

That raises a good point - what is the point of the blog?

If you were a business and looking to get leads, writing about your interests is a waste of time. You won't get new business quickly or effectively like that.

If it's a hobby and you're not trying to make sales - just take your time and write tons of content that you know is interesting and useful to people.

There's a massive difference between just doing something and trying to optimize your efforts to make sales.

I've seen lots of different situations and learned to focus on getting results.

Andy

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Andy,

In my opinion, blogs are, in their very nature, intended to be "guru creation tools": you start blogging about something and, if your word sticks and you're entertaining, informative, interesting, thought-provoking, etc a herd will start following you. And thus you gain a guru (for the lack of a better word) status among your audience: you gain their attention, their sympathy, their loyalty and, eventually, their business...

So, by this very nature, a blogger is meant to be literate, knowledgeable, passionate or at the very least interested in the niche he blogs about, so his audience can indeed connect with his message. It's impossible to fake interest and passion over a prolonged period of time, so if you want your blog to stick you've got to be genuinely into that particular niche.

I've never believed in soul-less "blogs" where you post for the sake of keyword-climbing the Google ladder. The best and eventually truly profitable blogs are those which generate a horde of followers, and for that you need to write about something you're passionate about.

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

If it's a hobby and you're not trying to make sales - just take your time and write tons of content that you know is interesting and useful to people.

I never said that you should not try to make sales through a blog. Of course you do, at the end of the day we're all Internet Marketers here so we want sales. But my point is that you make sales in a subtle way: your blog's front face should not be to push affiliate links into your readership's throat. Instead, you should "connect" with your audience so, whenever you do recommend a product, they TRUST your word because you've become a "guru" to them.

It's the same principle as with a standard product launch: initially you build up your likability, your social proof, your reciprocity, etc by giving out fantastic free content. And then, whenever you actually release the product, you don't need to get too pitchy to score sales because your audience already likes you and your stuff. Well, blogging as an Internet Marketer should follow the same principle: selling should run subtly in the background, and your readership's best interest should be in the front.

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

Andy,

In my opinion, blogs are, in their very nature, intended to be "guru creation tools": you start blogging about something and, if your word sticks and you're entertaining, informative, interesting, thought-provoking, etc a herd starts following. And thus you create a guru (for the lack of a better word) status among your audience.

So, by its very nature, a blogger is meant to be literate, knowledgeable, passionate or at the very least interested in the niche he blogs about, so his audience can indeed connect.

I've never believed in soul-less "blogs" where you post for the sake of keyword-climbing the Google ladder. The best and eventually truly profitable blogs are those which generate a horde of followers, and for that you need to write about something you're passionate about.

I think your assumptions are where we're differing.

When I say blog - I'm talking about the content management systems people often use for blogs - like Wordpress - not the way it's used.

I use wordpress all the time for many different applications (and some other CMSs and static coding too).

Your 'Guru Creation' perspective is coming from a completely different place.

To me a blog is just a way of creating a web page - there are lots of other ways to get the same effect.

How it is used is up to the person using it.

I most commonly use blogs as the actual website for clients looking to get their business online - why - because it's the quickest and easiest way to get them up and running and attracting new customers. That's all there is too it - it's not about creating gurus or anything else. It's just the shortest path to new customers for most of them.

It never occurred to me that there were so many different ways of looking at a technical web page creation system, but you live and learn.

[Anonymous Affiliate]

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

I think your assumptions are where we're differing.

When I say blog - I'm talking about the content management systems people often use for blogs - like Wordpress - not the way it's used.

Ah ok. If you refer to a "blog" as per the technology or platform behind a website, then I guess you're right.

To me, a blog is not the technology but the actual purpose of the site. Just like we all know what a social website is (Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, etc) even though most of us probably don't know what platform they've been coded under.

I used to run a blog many years before Wordpress came out , but even though it was based on standard Microsoft FrontPage HTML editing, it was still a blog since it was regularly updated with posts and ideas referring to one specific niche.

The technology behind doesnt constitute a blog. Its purpose does.

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Affiliate

The technology behind doesnt constitute a blog. Its purpose does.

Amen to that.

[BethHewitt]

Hi Nick,

I guess it comes down to what you are trying to achieve. I went down the 'You Inc' - personal branding route with my blog, namely because I want to use it as my home for people to get to know me, build relationships with and not to necessarily sell too. I have made a lot of valuable business partners this way.

It also allows me to work on a number of different projects, different niches, be part of a number of network marketing companies, write about different things. I think self branding is very important but it depends on where you are goin.

That being said I totally take on board everything that Andy has said, he sounds like he has lots experience. What ever you do, do your research and work out what your end goal is.

PM me if you think I could be of help,
Beth :-)