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Be Proactive - Blog

vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
You can use blogs in various ways... to announce, to inform, to converse (with customers/ potential customers), to entertain, or pass on news/information from other sources.
 
The subject matter can also variety from very specific to your business to general information on a wide variety of topics.
 
How you use your blog depends on you and your target audience... and your purpose (to build a relationship, to get new customers, etc).
 

An important benefit of a blog is it`s affect on search results... and bringing traffic to your site. Blogs can be a way to "notify" the world / and search engines that you have something to say.
 

Proactive rather than reactive

In general terms, when you post a blog entry... your blog sends a message to blog search engine that a new item has been added. This is different than changing text on your website, where you have to wait to search bots to read your site for new content (reactive)... a blog can actually "push" your new post out to the search engine (proactive).
 
So be proactive and blog!
 
~Roland

Comments

  • minimegeologyminimegeology subscriber Posts: 26
    I`ve just started blogging over the past few months but I think it`s fun, too.  I hope that it will help the businesses over time.  I usually post articles and information from our newsletters.  I have been doing those longer so I have a backlog of items I can post.  You can use the blog to answer questions about your products that people ask, or to tell them about a sale or special you are running, or just to tell them the background of a product.  I think I wrote one the other day titled "Why I love Staurolite."  It is the coolest mineral, but you can read my blog to find out why. 
     
    Roland, I do have one question for you though.  One of my blogs get about 50-100 spam comments per week.  Any way to stop that?  Luckily, they don`t post because I have to approve all comments.
     
    Janie - I would definitely read a blog about jerky.  I`ve never tried it (I`ve lived a sheltered life, I know) but my husband likes it so I would love to read entries about what to try if you`ve never had it or what types the experienced jerky eater would like.  You could have a very cool blog.
     
    Tracy
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    Tracy, 
    Yes you can stop some spam. If you use WordPress there is a function that filters spam. Use the Akismet comment filter... that comes with WordPress.
     
    ~Roland
  • minimegeologyminimegeology subscriber Posts: 26
    Thank you Roland!  I had it chosen that on one blog but not the other which makes sense why that one was getting tons of viagra ads!
     
    Tracy
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    It is best to post on your own blog (hosted at your domain).
     
    Alternatively or in addition, you can post comments on any blog...assuming that blog allows posts. To get a search engine benefit, include a text based link to your site in your post (if allowed on the blog).
     
    ~Roland
  • WebJunkyWebJunky subscriber Posts: 8 Member
    this is an interesting post.  while there are some blogs out there that are doing well and while i dont mind blogging much (in fact i write mostly in blog format), there is a long standing debate of whether you should be spending your limited quality time blogging or building a website?
     
    there are several discussion points to be made on either side of the fence and i am not sure i am fully convinced of one or the other.  an excellent read to consider is the following article on blogging vs. building a website.  definitely eye opening and makes you think. made me think at least.
     
    in the end, i think anything you dedicate yourself to works. and like ron said, be proactive...trying something (no matter what) is better than not trying at all.
  • THMBJINCTHMBJINC subscriber Posts: 2
    I am glad someone ask this question.
    How do I incorperate my web site and a Blog.
     
    Where do I start
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40

    I am glad someone ask this question.How do I incorperate my web site and a Blog. Where do I start
     If you already have a website, it`s as simple as adding a link to your "blog" (and visa versa). You may want to have the blog match your site`s design / look and feel. ~Roland
  • THMBJINCTHMBJINC subscriber Posts: 2
    can  a PR be apart of my blog?
     
    Roland how do I get this blogging up and running
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    A "PR" as in press release? Yes, you can have a press release as a post on your bog.
     
    To get a blog up and running, if you have an existing website, check to see that your web host supports a blog script (like wordpress). Install the script - usually in a sub directory like /blog or /news or something appropriate to your site and content.
     
    Then just start posting.  Of course, you may want to have the blog made to match your site`s graphics and design.
     
      ~Roland
  • Frank630Frank630 subscriber Posts: 2
    Hey Roland,
    Thanks for the tip on blogging. I am interesting in knowing how does a blog push out information any different than a website (via spiders crawling web and putting stuff in their cache). Are you referring to RSS? I am considering blogging because I need the human involvement. THanks to all above for your contributions, I too a look at all your sites.
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    Hi,
     
    A blog can actually notify (ping) various search engines informting them that your blog has been updated/changed. This happens automatically when you post new content on your blog.
     
    There are a few ping services that you can use for this like:  pingomatic.com
     
    ~Roland
     
     
     
  • anushkachhakrabartianushkachhakrabarti subscriber Posts: 219 Silver Level Member
    Blog is the main source of backlink in seo.

    Target your content
    Google Adwords
    Link to other sites
    Link to internal pages on your site
    Use alt text
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