You are here: Home / Archives for Making Money on the Internet

Company’s Website Busted by Blog Traffic

April 10, 2012 By 6 Comments

“How much blog traffic does your company’s blog receive?”

A blog is an easy way to provide information to current customers and potential customers. It can also:

  • Increase your company’s page rank.
  • Help your company gain media attention.
  • Position your company as the ‘expert’ or ‘go-to’ business within your industry.
  • Increase sales and profits.
  • Assist you with keeping on top of customers concerns, needs, and wants.

Most customers expect businesses to have a blog on their website or a link to a blog. If your company doesn’t have one, it’s time to ask, “Why not?” Taking advantage of blogging is a cost effective marketing tool. Used properly, it can increase company sales and profits.

Boost Your Blog Traffic Today With Three Simple Steps

How to boost blog traffic

Client's Blog Busted by Millions of Visitors Photo by John Evans-Stock Exchange Visit www.thetippingpoint.co.uk

Provide killer content for your target audience.

Customers and potential customers want quick, valuable information that will help them solve whatever problem(s) they have. Give them what they want!

After you’ve polled or surveyed your customers, think about blog topics.

Example … If your company is a graphic and web design firm targeting small businesses, you could have blog posts on the following:

  • How to get your small business noticed with a logo that stands out.
  • How color psychology can boost web traffic.
  • How a redesign of your blog can boost blog traffic.

The next step is to write headlines that stop readers’ in their tracks.

Using the above ‘graphic and web design company’ example above, possible headlines for the blog post topics are:

Company X’s Logo on Billboard Stops Rush Hour Traffic

Company X’s Website Makeover Attracts Celebrity Shoppers

Company X Big Fat Blog Traffic Results in 20 Million Hits

Use short and simple sentences.

Use bold headings and bullet points.

Don’t use industry jargon if your audience won’t understand it.

Tip: Think of writing blog posts like writing screenplays. There’s a beginning (Act I, introduction; plot point or big event), middle (Act II, conflict; arc of the story; midpoint), and end (Act III, the resolution).

Remember, blogging isn’t about your company. It’s about helping your customers solve whatever problems they need solving. Blogging is also a good sales and marketing tool.

Optimize content with SEO.

Search engine optimization or SEO can be both time consuming and a pain in the neck. You want to optimize your blog posts. But on the other hand, you want to provide valuable content to readers. The good news is you can do both. However, I suggest putting more emphasis on content.

You can research keywords using Google AdWords Keyword Tool or another program to find the ‘best’ keywords/phrases for your blog. Select keywords/phrases and test them in blog posts. An “A/B” testing is a good way to analyze traffic to see which blog posts received the most blog traffic.

In addition to using Google Analytics, check out HitsLink. The company provides you with in-depth analysis of your blog/website. Reports are easy to download. In my opinion, HitsLink doesn’t seem as cumbersome to use as Google Analytics.

Find the right ‘tone and voice’ for your blog.

Keep your target audience in mind when you think about tone and voice. Tone is the ‘author’s attitude (or mood) towards a subject. Voice is the personality, point of view, or style of writing. Examples of voice are:

  • Funny
  • Upbeat
  • Serious
  • Trendy
  • Dark
  • Snarky
  • Matter-of-fact

It’s usually recommended that blog posts have a conversational, friendly voice. However, there’s a difference if your blog’s audience is for those in finance organizations vs. parents of toddlers.

Conduct research on what your target audience is reading. See what others are writing in your industry. Test blog posts to see which ones receive the most comments and traffic.

Extra Blog Traffic Tips 

1. Who is your target audience? Are they chefs or stay-at-home moms? If you don’t know ‘who’ your target audience is you can’t provide them with awesome content. This is where newer businesses stumble. They don’t know ‘who’ their target market is.

2. What problems are you solving? What problems do your customers need solving? How do you find out? Take a poll or survey using Survey Monkey, a provider of free online survey solutions. SurveyMonkey offers customers more features with one of their paid subscription plans.

3. Once you know ‘who’ your target audience is build a relationship with them. Or, continue to develop the relationship with a successful blog that provides killer content. Hook visitors with brilliant content, and they’ll come back for more.

Warning! If you use these three simple steps to increase blog traffic, your website could be busted overnight. You have a webmaster in-house, right?

Has your website experienced blog traffic overload? Share.

Subscribe to Amandah Tayler Blackwell’s Savvy-Writer Blog:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Related articles

Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriter, Overcoming Obstacles, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Warning: Twitter Followers Could be Unnatural

March 29, 2012 By 1 Comment

You may be shocked to know that some companies and entrepreneurs buy their Twitter followers. Can you believe it? Talk about being fake and unnatural! Why would anyone by followers? Well, it gives the ‘illusion’ of having a strong Twitter following.

Did you know that followers could be spam accounts? What happens when clients or customers start to follow some of the accounts that follow your company only to find out they’re spam? They probably won’t be too impressed with your company for too long.

You can increase your Twitter followers the natural and organic way by following the steps below. You don’t need artificial Twitter followers!

How to Gain Twitter Followers the Natural, Organic Way Instead of Buying Them

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...

Image via CrunchBase

Upload your company’s logo.

Please don’t use the ‘egg’ which is the default image Twitter uses. You don’t want your company to be labeled as a ‘spam’ account. If this happens, you risk not having any followers.

Uploading your company’s logo is easy to do. Adjust the size to Twitter’s max size of 700k.

An eye-catching bio attracts followers.

Tell everyone on Twitter about your company in 160 characters or less. If you’re not sure what to write, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • What makes your company unique?
  • What sets your company apart from other companies within your industry?
  • How do your employees contribute to the success of your company and its customers?
  • What do you offer that other companies don’t?

Write or hire a freelance writer to write a compelling bio that ‘shows’ everyone on Twitter ‘why’ they should follow your company. Don’t forget to include links to your company blog, other web pages, or other social media accounts.

Tip: Hold a contest and ‘tweet’ about it. People love to enter contests. More importantly, they love to win free stuff!

Use Twitter on a daily basis.

How much time do you spend on Twitter? Many social media experts and gurus will advise you to hire a community manager or social media manager who’ll spend 30+ hours per week on social media. Before you do this, answer the following questions:

  • How large is your company in terms of sales and revenues?
  • How many employees do you have?
  • How large is your client, consumer, or customer base?
  • What is the vision for growth for the next three to five years?
  • Where do you see the company in five years?

If your company is as large as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, etc., you may want to hire a social media manager (or outsource) who’ll work 30+ hours per week handling your social media networks.

Small business owners, consider hiring a part-time employee to handle your social media efforts. Spending 15 minutes per day on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, etc. can increase your web presence and traffic. You can adjust the amount of (+ or -) time needed to be spent as your social media networks grow over a period of time.

Engaging with clients and customers shows that you’re doing everything possible to interact with them; you’re taking an interest in them. They’re not just a sale to you.

Share valuable content that will be retweeted.

Having a blog could work for your company. If you’re not interested in having a blog, consider posting free articles or giving away eBooks, white papers, tutorial videos, power point presentations, etc. Just give something away that readers will find valuable.

Tip: Retweet your followers’ posts share their content as well.

Don’t be afraid to add “Please Retweet” at the end of a tweet because studies have shown that ‘tweets’ without it receive less retweets. There’s no harm in asking your followers to share what you’ve posted.

Upload pictures.

Don’t be afraid to ‘tweet’s pictures from your company picnic or charitable event. This is a great way to show how your company ‘thanks’ employees for their hard work. It’s also a good way to show how your company and employees support a charitable organization within the community.

If your company started its own not-for-profit as a way to give back to the community, Twitter is smart way to ‘spread’ the word about it. Ask for the community’s support in terms of volunteering and or donating money. This is a good way to show how your company cares about the community and everyone in it.

Remember, sometimes a picture is worth more than 1,000 words!

Have patience.

You could grow your Twitter followers overnight if you buy them. However, it’s always best to grow followers the natural, organic way. Think about the following question:

What’s more important, quality or quantity?

You could buy Twitter followers and suddenly have 25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 250,000, etc. followers. However, what good does it do if you’re not converting them or receiving leads and referrals? If you want authentic followers, be patient and grow your Twitter followers over time.

These are some tips on how your company can gain Twitter followers the natural and organic way. No preservatives added!

How has your company increased its Twitter followers? Share.

Subscribe to Amandah Tayler Blackwell’s Savvy-Writer:

Delivered by FeedBurner

“Discover the Secrets of a Freelance Writer!” Subscribe to Amandah Tayler Blackwell’s Savvy-Writer by Email

Related articles
Filed Under: Overcoming Obstacles, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Is Your Company Afraid of Blog and Social Media Commitment?

February 22, 2012 By 1 Comment

When I’m approached by business owners who want to start a blog or rewrite their blog content along with increasing their social media presence, I usually think to myself, “Hmmm. How committed are they to developing and maintaining a blog? Are they ready for the commitment that social media requires?” When it comes to blogs, most business owners, especially small business owners, subscribe to the “If you build it, they will come” thinking. Unfortunately, it takes more ‘thinking’ your way to millions of blog readers, likes, and followers. It takes time, dedication, perseverance, and trust.

Before I begin writing a blog, rewriting blog posts, or handling social media management, I ask a lot of questions. This is a good way for me to assess if the ‘potential’ client understands the amount of work that goes into building and maintaining a blog and social media pages. Here are my questions:

  • Do you have a blog? If yes, how many blog posts do you have? If no, how many blog posts would you like?
  • What blogging platform do you use or prefer?
  • What is your goal for the blog?
  • Do you have keywords/phrases? If yes, what are they? If no, is this something you’d like me to research?
  • Do you have an SEO system in place? If so, who’s the company and what have they done for you? What analysis has been done thus far? If no, are you looking to hire an SEO company? What do you want them to handle?
  • Do you have social media accounts? If yes, what are they? If no, which ones would you like to use?
  • What is the goal of social media? More likes? More followers? More leads? More conversions? Both? All of the above?
  • How patient are you when it comes to growing the blog and social media sites?

Sometimes clients, especially small business owners, become overwhelmed because they don’t realize the commitment involved with having a blog and social media websites.

Fact: Did you know that most social media managers spend 30 or more hours per week on social media? It’s important to stay connected with current fans and followers in addition to gaining new ones.

How to Use a Blog and Social Media to Drive Traffic and Build a Web Presence

Blog
English: Blogs on JoopeA

Image via Wikipedia

Take advantage of WordPress plugins like Yoast. I’ve been testing out the plugin for a few weeks, and I’m enjoying it. The plugin forces you to write better headlines, preferably SEO, along with body content. The plugin analyzes the content to ensure the following:

  • The focus keyword/phrase was used.
  • A picture with an alt tag was used.
  • The keyword density is on target.
  • The page content is at least 300 words.
  • The URL contains the keyword.
  • The meta description includes the primary keyword/phrase.
  • The primary keyword/phrase is in the beginning of the page title.

These and other metrics have helped me hone my SEO writing skills. When it comes to SEO, there’s always more to learn.

Use email lists. If you’re not sending out a monthly newsletter, you may want to consider it. If you have a newsletter, include an ‘excerpt’ from a blog post and link back to your company’s website. This is a good start to driving and building web traffic.

Link building. Many companies pay for link building; however, if you’re not linking to your current customers’ blogs, you’re missing out on traffic and strengthening your relationship with them.

Tip: Link to relevant blogs within your industry and become active on them. Leave comments on blog posts and forums. Show that you’re an authority in the industry that shouldn’t be ignored.

Advertise your blog. Marketing materials such as business cards, postcards, and brochures should contain your blog’s URL in addition to contact information. You could also include it on your email signature, purchase orders, invoices, receipts, at the end of a Power Point presentation, etc. to gain more visibility.

Social Media

Twitter. Not only could you tweet your blog post, you could ‘retweet’ your followers. This is a great way to build a following. Tweet during ‘peak hours’ for your business which could be in the late morning or afternoon. This is something you’d want to test.

Facebook. There are 845 million Facebook users. If you’re not using Facebook or using it properly, you’re missing out an opportunity to market your business. Consider having a Facebook like/lead page that will knock the socks off of visitors and entice them to visit your website and read your blog.

LinkedIn. If you’re not taking advantage of LinkedIn, do so now. It’s a social media site for professionals and you can connect with others within your industry. Be helpful by answering questions in the ‘Answers’ section. Show off your expertise.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writing, Overcoming Obstacles, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is Article Marketing Dead?

October 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: Is article marketing dead?

Answer: According to Jeff Herring, “No, it’s not.” However, the way you approach article marketing needs to shift if you want to attract the ‘right’ people to your website. These people will purchase your products and services.

Article marketing includes the following:

• Content creation includes audio, text and video. Content is king; however, building trustworthy relationships trumps content.

• Online visibility means people need to be able to find you online. It doesn’t matter how good your web design or layout is. If people can’t find you, no one will purchase your products and or services.

FYI: Write compelling articles and you’ll have something of value to add to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Digg, your Blog, etc.

• Traffic generation matters. Even if you’re receiving 1 million hits per day, don’t stop utilizing article marketing because you want to continue to earn an income.

• List building: Who do you want on your list? It’s important to connect with the right clients and customers. Stop wasting time marketing to those who won’t purchase your products/services or can’t afford it right now.

Tip: Review the traffic rankings on Alexa. For example, Google is #1, Facebook is #2, Twitter is #9 and LinkedIn is #13. Post your articles to these websites or give a synopsis of your articles.

• Product creation:  What problems are you solving? You could solve your clients and customers problems by offering them a book, eBook, online or home study course, teleseminars and webinars, etc.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that article marketing is dead. What has changed is how articles are written. They have more of a ‘sales’ undertone to them without selling to your target market. Remember, most people are tired of being sold to. They want to know, “What’s in it for me? What problem are you solving for me? How does this benefit me? Why should I care?” Pay attention to the above criteria and you’ll be successful with article marketing.

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Overcoming Obstacles, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tips to Writing an eBook That Leads to Sales … Hire a Freelance/Ghost Writer

September 14, 2011 By 2 Comments
eBook printing experiments

Image by proboscis via Flickr

Every writer begins a book or eBook differently. Sometimes, I start at the beginning or end and then write the middle. If you want an eBook, it’s best to begin at the end. Why? This is a good way to figure out the goal of your eBook is. When you know what he end will be, the beginning and middle can be written.

Answer the following questions:

  • What do I hope to accomplish by having an eBook?
  • Who is the target audience?
  • What problem(s) need solving?
  • What will readers get from reading the eBook?
  • Why should readers give their name, email addresses and other pertinent information in order to receive the eBook?
  • How does my eBook differ from the countless ones already available online?
  • What is the log-line (two to three sentences) for the eBook? This clearly defines what it is.
  • What kind of staying power will my eBook have?

Most eBooks are 5,000 words or less. Writing a lengthy eBook could work against you because your target audience may not have the time to read it. Most people want to get in and get out because they lead busy lives. Also, make sure you avoid long sentences and jargon because your eBook could get lost in translation. Include graphs, charts and other media if it will enhance your eBook.

Tip #1: Mind your words. In other words, “Say what you want to say and say it.” Avoid using fifty-cent and dollar words because simpler terms work best; unless, of course, you’re writing an eBook for linguists.

Tip #2: Hiring a freelance or ghostwriter is how you’ll avoid writer’s block. You get to sit back and relax while the writer writes her little heart out.♥

Another important aspect of creating an eBook is the design and layout. Please use a fresh, clean design and layout. Your target audience may not appreciate a ‘lime green’ theme with bursts of florescent blues and yellows. Choose a tasteful design with a splash of color but not too much that it will scare your audience. You don’t want them using their sunglasses in order to read your eBook.

Tip #3: An eBook could be created in Word, Power Point, Adobe InDesign or some other multi-media program.

Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to incorporate hyperlinks and call-to-actions within your eBook. Don’t overwhelm your audience with these — use them sporadically.

Tip #5: Use a creative, eye-catching title for your eBook. You can always use the same old, same old titles such as “How To and Tips and Tricks” or try something new and exciting that will stop readers in their tracks. Creating at least 10 different titles is a great way to find the right title for your eBook.

Editing and proofreading your eBook is a must. Not only can a freelance/ghost writer write your eBook, they can edit and proofread it. You’d be amazed by the amount of errors that appear in fiction, non-fiction and eBooks. Mistakes happen from time-to-time, but it’s best to present an error-free eBook.

Tip #6: Stay objective by hiring a freelance/ghost writer. The writer won’t have an emotional vested interest in your eBook like you would. You may be too close to your eBook’s subject to write it.

Tip #7: Use a landing page to attract your target audience. Keep it clean and simple — think of your landing page like the front and back of a book cover. The title of your eBook should be clear. Give visitors a ‘snippet’ from your eBook, a first chapter or quote from an expert that was interviewed for the eBook. Incorporate social media icons and a call-to-action form that collects enough data for you to follow-up. Give readers a chance to read your eBook before you begin contacting them. Some readers may not read your eBook the same day they download it.

Tip #8: Market your eBook through social media sites such as Twitter, StumbleUpon, Facebook and others. Use email campaigns and create a ‘special’ newsletter. Also, use a press release. Your freelance writer could write this as well.

Tip #9: Analyze your eBook and ‘tweak’ anything that needs it. Perhaps, the design didn’t win readers over. Maybe, your marketing campaign needs to be revamped. Correct and learn from mistakes and move forward.

Tip #10: Use your eBook wisely. Revise certain chapters and post them as blog posts or articles. Perhaps, you could post some of the material on article marketing sites such as Ezine Articles. Be willing to ‘contribute’ to the work of others by allowing them to incorporate an ‘excerpt’ from your eBook. This is great way to generate ‘publicity’ for you and your eBook.

Once your eBook is complete, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Hire a freelance/ghost writer (for example, me) because communications is their business; writing is their passion. You may as well take advantage of their services so you can concentrate on marketing your eBook. Of course, a freelance writer could help with this too!

Related articles

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriter, Overcoming Obstacles, Publishing, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »