Tips for Starting Business Blog - Internet Marketing

The Power of a blog _ nasongo.blogspot.com

I have a friend that is an experienced corporate marketer who started a new business. His stall just opened, and being that good pal that I am he requested for some tips on marketing on the web – specifically with regard to blog marketing.

Considering this as a small business, he had to think more about the costs of putting up a completely independent website, its functionality, flexibility and its ease of marketability. In my opinion, the website was to be simple but comprehensive with regard to his business product menu as it needed to be an online representation of the business. In such a case, I gave him my recommendation for a low cost, easy to use and search engine friendly online content management system. The Blog software.

Let’s face it, what often happens when a friend ask for advice regarding web marketing? Different answers will emanate from this question with regards to internet marketing. But have you ever thought of the blog?

I am herein going to give recommendation in support of this technology since once I give such advice, the next question probably after a week , several or months will be, “So, how is your blog or web site doing?”

My friend for instance started the blog using Blogger.com, which by itself is not a problem according to online marketing parameters. The problem was with the name. While setting, a blog, you need to change the default URL selection and use your business name in that place. My friend forgot to change this and instead used the default one - nameofstore.blogspot.com.  By all means, this is not your business name but a guide on the way to go about it.

You need to consider your name on the URL as this is your online representative. Just like your business has a name, your blog also needs a name, the blog is a kind of sub domain but a reliable, cheap and user friendly platform for internet marketing. It is therefore advisable that you consider the face of your business on the internet as much as you do to your physical office.

However, picking a third party domain for the blog address goes against one of the most important rules in sustainable blogging. I advice that you always host the blog address with a domain name that is under your control. By this, I mean, example.com/blog or blog.yourbusinessname.com or yourbusinessnameblog.com.

Failure to which, you give up the control of your domain.
You need to always have the “what if” mentality when setting this up. For instance, What if the blog host goes down? You know, free services rarely provide support. If you were in these shoes, and this happens, what option would you be left with?

Among other reasons for you to keep your blog address as part of your own domain name is your ability to change your blog software services without necessarily having to change your blog address.

You also enjoy the benefit of search engine optimization if you host the blog as a sub directory of your main company domain name. You need to know that blogs are very linkable entities and other bloggers tend to be enthusiastic about linking. You can then perceive other links to your blog as a vote of credibility to your main web site since your blog and the web site can share the same domain name.

You may see blogs as simple and stupid internet marketing options but in the long run, they definitely work. As my friend asked on what they were supposed to do next, especially after receiving numerous hits on the blog, it becomes clear that the blog is not as simple as perceive it to be.

 As it turned out after the talk with my friend, the blog became the company web site with time. With increased business, with more and more businesses coming, it became practical, cost effective and functionally efficient way to manage your online presence.

You see, simple stupid, excellent!!!