There are a lot of posts out there about online marketing. Many make it seem like there are silver bullets and quick fixes for getting more traffic, leads and sales.
There are some folks out there that feel blogging can be a silver bullet for online marketing. If you’ve read through this website and have thought that at any time I apologize. That is not the intent on the content on this site.
The intent is to provide information for how business blogging works, how it can work for you and what the proper expectations are for your business blog.
Blogging is not a silver bullet solution. It’s not quick tip. It’s not a secret online marketing trick.
Business Blogging For Traffic, Leads and Sales
There is a growing segment of the business world that is accepting business blogging as a real marketing business model. Companies like SEOmoz, KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg and others are using blogging, guides and other forms of content throughout the sales process to get new customers. For these companies, business blogging is a way to grow.
You can read about these success stories in business publications. Marketers have been reading the stories so business blogging really isn’t a secret anymore.
Business Blogging Is Not A Quick Tip
There are some posts around – including a few of my own probably – that mention blogging as an online marketing tip. You’ve probably read a few lists out there that have blogging as an item for businesses to do if they want to do online marketing the right way.
While it’s true that blogging is good for online marketing it really isn’t a quick tip. In fact, there is nothing quick about blogging. It’s a long-term strategy so it’s important to put the expectations in the right place from the beginning of your blogging efforts.
That’s why you see so many dormant blogs out there. Their owners get excited about blogging. They write a few posts. Then they run out of ideas or they realize blogging is more work than they originally thought and on top of it all they realize that traffic doesn’t instantly appear on your site.
The truth is it can take six months to get traction with your blog. That’s how long it took for Sarah Lynn Design. Even that is pretty unusual. It can take more like 12-18 months to really start getting the traffic you want.
The blog on GBW accounts for a 53% increase in traffic on the site, but it’s taken years of blogging daily in a really niche market to get to that point.
No Silver Bullets
There are no silver bullets with blogging. In fact, there are no silver bullets in online marketing, offline marketing or in business. Even things like software and apps aren’t really silver bullets for your business. There is nothing that will replace hard work combined with a long-term approach.
That’s how you have to approach business blogging. It’s how we approach it with every client by using the same process:
1. Discuss the Company, Industry and Customer
2. Create a Blogging Strategy
3. Provide Titles and a Schedule
4. Deliver Risk-Free First Post on a Trial Basis
5. Ask for Feedback on First Post
6. Follow Ongoing Post Schedule
It’s a long-term strategy that works for our business blog and the blogs of our clients.
Stop looking for a silver bullet in online marketing. It’s the wrong approach to getting more traffic, leads and sales.