Is your website sharable? “Sure”, you’re thinking. But, really, is it?

We’re all familiar with a wheel-it has a hub, and it has spokes. This model has been used in business, government, and life in general for ages. There is a focus point in the center from which other components branch out.  

Your website should be your content marketing hub.

This is a great model to use when it comes to marketing your business. Your website should be the hub, with all of the spokes representing other aspects of your marketing plan-Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Groupon, Google+, Pinterest, your blog, etc. The goal is to get people back to your website. Once they’re there, however, is there information interesting enough that they’d want to share it?

Your website may be well-designed, easy to navigate, and pretty to look at, but in the big scheme of things, what matters is the content. This is where a blog comes in handy. Your visitors aren’t likely to share details of whatever product it is you’re selling or information from your ‘Contact Us’ page. If you post a video of something interesting, some fascinating trivia, or a compelling article, one of your visitors might be motivated to share it. Just think-the average Facebook user has 130 fans. If one of your visitors shares your information on their Facebook page, it has the potential of reaching their friends. And so on, and so on…

Many people ask me what kind of blog they should use-one independent of the site, or one that’s a dedicated page on the site. I firmly believe in keeping your blog on your site. After all, those that are interested in your product are already on your site. Give those people what they want: more information. Just make sure that information is unique, interesting, and high- quality. And no, size does not matter-bigger isn’t necessarily better. Use as many or as few words as you need to get your point across, but you don’t have to overdo it. For example, let’s say you’re posting a video. Let that video be the focus of the blog, so only add a couple of sentences or so.

Another benefit of keeping your blog on your site pertains to SEO. The more your content is shared, the better your domain will do in the search rankings. If your blog is on your site, your site’s domain will be the one showing up in the searches.

So, back to the original point-make your content sharable. Post distinctive, attention-grabbing, fun, and valuable information to your blog.  Make it so good that others will be eager to share it.

 

Social media marketing is constantly evolving and that makes it difficult for business owners to stay current.  Mari Smith, social media expert, has taken some of the guesswork out of the process by compiling a list of 5 key articles that highlight important points for various social media.

1.    WhyIsFacebookInsightsNotWorking:  basic assistance with the new Facebook Insights.  Currently, Insights are 4 days behind.

2.    How To Run Competitions On Facebook By The Rules: contests are a great way to engage old and new fans alike, but you must follow the rules or risk losing your page.

3.    The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Pinterest for Marketing:  Pinterest is the newest social network to enter the marketing world.  Learn all the basics here.

4.    Google+ for Business: 5 Things Marketing Professionals Should Know About Google+:  regular activity on G+ improves your search ranking. 

5.    50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World: basic blogging tips from standouts on the Web.

Make your marketing plan work.  Utilize the best social media has to offer and you’re sure to reap the rewards.
 

If you don't already have a blog for your small business, or if you're not posting regularly, you should! Blogging has so many benefits - it's one of those opportunities for consistent marketing that you just shouldn't pass up. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Improve communication - Blogging opens the lines of communication between you and your clients/customers. You can offer content relevant to your products and services and readers can offer opinions and suggestions by posting comments. This feedback can help you understand how to provide better service and meet the needs of your readers.
• Increase Exposure - A blog will make it possible for more people to find you in Internet searches. In addition to your Web site, your blog contains key words that customers use when looking for businesses in your industry. With a blog and a Web site, you make it more likely for people to find you. Plus, you also expose your business to a global audience, rather than only reaching locals through traditional media marketing techniques.
• Relevant Content - Your blog offers you the ability to post new, "hot-off-the-presses" information and news. You can show readers that your business is in tune with today's business environment and aware of the latest technology, trends, and consumer needs. And, by consistently adding fresh content, search engines will find you more easily.
• Show Your Expertise - Blogs can establish your business knowledge and build your credibility with readers. By providing accurate, factual information and providing advice based on your education and experience, you can show readers that you are one of the best resources available when they need information about your industry.
• Low Cost - While a good Web site will require a significant monetary investment, a blog is often free. Your blog site can easily be branded to match your site, but your dollar investment is minimal. Of course, it will take attention and time to maintain your blog and keep it fresh, but by planning and writing your posts in advance, you can be more productive and keep a consistent schedule.

Another way to make money through your blog is to integrate affiliate marketing links. You can do this within individuals posts, or you can make them more permanent by adding them to your side bar. When readers click on the links and purchase the products, you will earn a small commission from the company.

Affiliate links work best if you are reviewing a product or a book and recommending it to your readers. Once you have offered your opinion on the features and benefits of a product, or explained how you have used the concepts in a book to build your own business or become more productive, your readers will likely be interested in checking it out for themselves. Providing the link to the product or book is convenient for your readers, and marketers appreciate the referral, so they are willing to pay a commission for any purchases made through your link.

With most affiliate links, you have complete control over which products you advertise. This is important because, as stated in our last blog, the items that you advertise on your site can reflect your values, priorities, and ethics. Once again, it's important to think ahead and understand how your readers will interpret your marketing techniques and view your business. That's why we recommend choosing items that you are familiar with and have actually used to develop your business.

Companys operate their affiliate programs differently, so you'll have to read the fine print to find out if there are restrictions on how to use the links. If you're interested in affiliate programs but not sure where to look, investigate your vendors. Where do you purchase the supplies you need to run your business? They may have programs that match your needs. Here are a few for consideration:

Amazon.com
Audible.com (audio books)
RingCentral.com (phone service)
GoDaddy.com
Office Depot

Blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your business Web site and it really does boost your search engine rankings if you post regularly. However, the return on your investment into the time it takes to write posts may seem elusive. That is, you have a hard time pinpointing exactly how your blog is making you any money. Indirectly, you are because you driving potential clients to your site and building customer relationships and loyalty. However, if you want to get a little more out of your blog, it is possible to make money directly from your blog.

For example, you can sell advertising space on your blog. Here are two ways to do this:

• Approach potential advertisers and submit a proposal. You will need specific stats to show the popularity of your blog, and you'll need to match advertisers with the needs of your blog's target market. This process could take some time, but once you find a few good matches, it will be mutually beneficial for both you and your advertisers.
• Use Google AdSense. AdSense will allow you to choose categories that relate to your blog content so that the ads will fit your target market. It's a free service, but you don't much have control over which ads appear on your site.

One thing to consider - how will your readers react to advertising? Consider your target market and the reasons they are reading your blog. Will they be turned off by seeing ads on your site? Will the ads reflect your business values and opinions? You'll want to ensure that the ads displayed are not promoting a product or concept that conflicts with your business image. Although Google Adsense is an easy way to post ads on your blog, working directly with advertisers is the only way to guarantee ad content.

What do you think? Do you advertise on your blog, and if so, how do you accomplish this? We'd appreciate your input!

If ads don't seem like the right thing for your blog, we'll have more money-making suggestions in the next few days.

Blogs are a great way to create publicity for your self and your business, so it's very important to fully develop your "About Me" page associated with your blog. Readers will look here first to get a more complete picture of who you are, why you are blogging, what you have for credentials. This is also where readers will look to find your contact information if they have questions or want to discuss networking opportunities.

Your "About Me" is your chance to build a relationship with your readers by helping them understand why they should trust you and value your advice. Be sure to show your passion and excitement for your blog topic. Here are some things to include on this page:

• A short biography to help readers learn more about you
• A description of your business
• A short explanation about why you blog, or why you love your topic
• Your education credentials and experience
• Links to your other Web sites, blogs, or articles that you have written
• Links to other blogs that you frequently read
• A picture of yourself, so readers can connect your name with your face

Make sure that your "About Me" page is easy to find with a prominent link available on both your home page and the other pages of your blog.

Social media is all the rage, and if you're not already using it in some capacity to promote your business, you should seriously consider it. But even if you aren't ready to join the ranks of MySpace, Facebook, or Linked In, you can still promote your blog, and your business, through social networking.

If you do have a social networking profile, you should definitely add your blog link to that profile. Your recent posts can appear in your profile, which gives you free exposure to an automatic audience. Many of the connections you've already made will be curious and interested in what you have to say.

If you aren't interested in establishing these profiles just yet, then focus on social bookmarks. These are sites like Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon. These are places that allow people to indicate their favorite Web sites, blogs, videos, and other media. After submitting your entry, others can view it and voit on it as well. The more popular your entry, the higher your rating and the more likely it is to be seen by lots of people!

Another option is to start "tweeting" with Twitter. Also known as "microblogging", this is a service that allows you to send short updates about what you are doing or what's on your mind. Or, maybe you're looking for feedback on a blog. You can send a note requesting that your followers check it out and get back to you with their opinions. Twitter is a very powerful social networking tool if you know how to implement it as such, so we'll focus on its potential in future blogs. Stay tuned!

And last but not least, definitely register your blog with blog directories such as Technorati, Blog Catalog, Best of the Web Blog Search, or Blogged.com. It may be a little time consuming, but search for "blog directories" and you'll find some of the most popular. Spend some time each day submitting your blog URL so those who are looking for you and your topics can find you.

Blogs are a great way to generate traffic to your site and interest in your business. Search engines love blogs because, if you consistently post, the content is new and fresh. And by taking a few quick extra steps each time you add an entry, chances are good that the search engines will reward your efforts by helping you get noticed by potential customers. There are a few ways to optimize your blog to make it more search-engine friendly:

• Make sure the popular search engines know you exist. Register your blog's URL with Google, Yahoo!, Technorati, and MSN Live and other search engines so they know where to find you.
• Optimize your writing with relevant key words. While you don't want to over use them, you need to include words and phrases that people commonly use to search for your services or business.
• Use images and add labels or titles as you use them. While they can add visual appeal to your blog, they can also be used by the search engines. For example, when people search for an image using Google or Yahoo's Image Search, your image may fit the search criteria and lead them to your blog.
• Tag or label your posts. Most blog providers have spots to add these keywords, and they are just another way to attract search engines.
• Use links in your blog, and use them often. When you link to articles by other bloggers, they notice, which can help you get noticed. They might add a comment to your blog or mention you a future post. Search engines like to see genuine link reciprocity, as it helps demonstrate the popularity of your blog, which can lead to higher rankings.
• Maintain your blogroll. If you read and enjoy other blogs, add them to your blog roll. Again, it's another way to encourage reciprocal links from other bloggers.

One thing your blog readers will appreciate is your ability to direct them towards helpful resources, ones that you trust and find accurate and informative. A blog that is continually posting links to meaningful articles and business tools is not only valuable to the reader, but also shows your readers that you are on top of things and willing to investigate trends and learn more about your industry.

It's no small task to find resources worth posting. You could do a Google search, obviously, but the top search results don't always mean the site is worth referring. so stick to researching topics that are relevant to your industry and that you know a little something about so you can judge a site's credibility and worthiness.

But don't think that you can only refer people to online tools. Whenever you consult a book that relates to your business or industry, whether you read it from cover to cover or just pick a chapter or two, offer your 2-cents. Feel free to quote the book (with the correct citations of course) and tell your blog readers how it applies to you or your industry. Your readers will appreciate your honesty, so don't sugar coat it.

And now, I'd be remiss if I didn't conclude this post with a few blogging resources of my own:

Blogging Tips for Beginners a blog post by Darren Rowse with tons of links to help you better understand the world of blogging.

Business Blog Consulting demonstrates how business owners can effectively use their blogs to communicate with customers and market to new customer prospects. Lots of examples of business and corporate blogs, as well as resources to help you learn more.

The Blog Herald is another blog that mostly posts about blogs, blog authors, and other social marketing topics.

And finally, a list of the "top 50" female bloggers. These aren't necessarily blogs about business blogging, but they are well-known and well-respected authors. You can follow a few of your favorites by topic and learn by their examples.

Blogs are useful for establishing your company or personal identity. If you're writing for business reasons, you can give clients and customers a feel for who you are. They can see a little bit of your expertise and get a glimpse of who your other clients are and where you go for reliable information. This is important because how you write and what you write about will give them a preview of your personality and work philosophies before they decide to contact you.

Now, some of you might be afraid that this could mean that you'll lose out on opportunities because some people might not contact you. To the contrary, the contacts that you do make from your blog will be more likely to be the ideal client. One that already likes your personality type and has a good feel for the services you can provide. And let's face it, these are the clients that will be the most profitable for you.

So remember that your blog is always a subtle marketing tool. Even if you don't expressly marketing your products and services in every post, you are always selling yourself. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through and offer your opinions, recommendations, and experiences.

These days, many small businesses have some type of Web presence. Many business coaches and consultants will tell you that it's essential to be online in someway, shape, or form if you want to grow and attract new clients and customers. And with the advent and explosion of the social networking craze, small businesses that are unsure about being online can take small steps to establishing their Web presence.

One of the best ways to get started is by blogging. Barely even 5 years ago, very few people understood what a "blog" is, but now, it's becoming a common concept and many people are at least familiar with the term. A blog is simply a Web site that contains entries written by a specific author or group of authors with a common interest. The entries can be personal accounts of thoughts, activities, discussions, and opinions, or they can be business-oriented and offer tips, advice, suggestions, articles, and other resources for readers.

One of the great things about blogs is that they are easy to start, maintain, and update, even if you don't have a background in Web design, CSS, or HTML. Most blog services start users out with a simple template that can be customized with color and logo preferences. To add entries, the user simply clicks a link and writes an entry is a small text editor window. The simplicity of this process makes establishing a blog attractive to those who want to have a Web presence but don't know where to start.

Blogs are also important to businesses for other reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to connect with consumers to help them get to know your business, your staff, and your products and services. Blogs give you a chance to provide updates, post announcements and educate consumers. Blogs are a valuable marketing tool because they can quickly distribute targeted messages and receive immediate feedback through the comment process.

E-websmart uses this blog to keep you updated on the latest news related to our business and the Web design industry. We also want to keep you up-to-date on the latest technology and online marketing tools. So, during the month of February, we will be blogging about blogging! We invite you to offer your own blogging tips and suggestions as you read ours. And if you're ready to start blogging, give us a call!

Did you know that approximately 1.25 million small business owners (100 employees or less) publish a blog? (For those of you not familiar with this term, blog is short for web log. It’s an online collection of frequently updated commentary, pictures, and/or video.)

While many casual blogs—those posted by your average Joe/Jane—are little more than personal accounts of day-to-day events, more business blogs are emerging every day that boast informative content. Blogs are an excellent marketing technique, and an inexpensive one, too.

Maybe you’ve considered launching a blog. You’ve heard about this online phenomenon and wondered whether having one would be beneficial to your company. Still not sure what you think about blogs and business? We’ve compiled a few Q & A’s to help you become familiar with the basics of blogging.

Does my business need a blog?
Well, Entrepreneur magazine thinks so:

Several years ago, the mantra was “Every business needs a web site.” Today it's “Every business needs a web site with a blog.” No matter your industry, your prospects have come to expect a blog from your business.

We can’t say for sure if this is true. It’s unlikely that a site lacking a blog will deter clients from doing business with you. But publishing a blog—especially one with interesting and informative content—certainly can’t hurt.

A blog provides an outlet to share your knowledge and thoughts on your industry. And as you gain readers, they can chime in, too. This dialogue can be invaluable as it’s a way to gain direct feedback from readers (read: potential clients!).

Are there blogging “rules”?
Bloggers have a lot of creative freedom. You can pretty much write what you want. There is no predetermined structure to follow. Although most posts are relatively short, you can post as much information as you’d like as long as it’s well-written and organized. Including relevant links and images will help keep things interesting, too.

It’s also worth noting that the writing styles on blogs typically adopt a conversational tone. So, save the sales-speak for cold calling and stay a bit more casual when in blogging mode.

What should I blog about?
You can use your blog to announce new products or services. You can also ask for feedback from readers. Blogging falls under the Web 2.0 umbrella, and the comment feature is key in allowing—encouraging, really—readers to respond to posts.

Here are some other ideas for blog content:

• Audio or video clips
• E-books
• Pictures
• Facts, figures, and stats
• Industry news
   

Need more ideas for blog content? Check this out.

Ok, I’m convinced. How do I get started?
It couldn’t be easier to set up a blog, and many services are free.

WordPress – free basic account; upgrade to extra features starting around $10/year.

TypePad – packages start at $4.95/month, but a 14-day free trial is available. Try it and see if you like it.

Blogger – free accounts, easy to use, some features. Great for new bloggers who want to deal with as little tech stuff as possible.

And if you’ve totally got blogging on the brain, check out these excellent articles on the Duct Tape Marketing site.

Now that you know a little more about the business of blogging, tell us your thoughts on launching your own blog. Or, for those of you who already have a blog, has your business benefited from it? How so?