Mozak Design Blog
Remembering Your Audience
When online entrepreneurs speak about blogging, they usually consider all of the ways it can help them. They wax nostalgic about traffic, sales, and their soon-to-be-achieved “expert status.” But what they often forget is always that to achieve traffic, revenue, and attention, you need to provide something your audience wants. If you are centered on your organization and what blogging can do for you personally, you are going to alienate your potential customers.
Here are the most notable five mistakes that bloggers make and the way to prevent them:
- Thinking “What do I want to write?” vs. “What does my audience desire to read?” It’s okay to include some personal information or stories every so often. But remember that your target market doesn’t care an excessive amount of about your brand-new car or your kitten’s coeliac disease – unless it features a direct touching on their life or even the niche you’re currently talking about. If the website is all about natural health cures for pets, then are the gory details of Fluffy’s gastrointestinal distress. Otherwise, concentrate on your readers’ biggest worries and problems and just how you can solve them. Save the chit-chat for your therapist or your spouse.
- Taking “informal” past an acceptable limit. One of the greatest mistakes many bloggers make is to get carried away in their efforts to become informal, with the result that they seem downright unprofessional. By their very nature, blogs tend to be casual, according to conversation and interaction. Just avoid getting sloppy. Be sure to check spelling and grammar, and capitalize words where. Think about it… Would you trust a brain surgeon who cannot be bothered to capitalize and punctuate properly?
- Becoming undependable. You don’t have to blog daily if you do not wish to, however, you have to blog consistently. In the event you blog fifteen times 1 week after which disappear for a a short while, you’ll appear flaky and disorganized. Instead, utilize the scheduling function on your own blogging service to set up a regular posting routine. If you want to take a seat one time a month to publish, that’s fine. But be sure to set up your posts so they really be visible on a regular schedule.
- Ignoring the interactive part of blogging. Blogs should be dialogues. You begin the the conversational ball, and your readers catch it and toss it through comments, e-mails, and even responses on their own blogs. If you write try not to listen or respond, you’ll seem distant and unapproachable. It’s crucial that you care what your visitors and readers have to say.
- Making your blog read being a press release. Customers love blogs simply because they believe they’re finding a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the business. However, if your post reads like a corporate pr release, no one is going to stay around. After all, they can read your annual report. Instead, share with your readers what you are focusing on, the challenges you’re facing and just how you’re overcoming them, and details about your process. Occasionally, you may even request advice on how you can solve a business problem. Asking individuals to provide input allows them to feel like a part of the team and increases brand loyalty.
As you can see, these aren’t difficult concepts to understand. You don’t have to write Pulitzer-winning prose or answer complex “meaning of life” questions. Instead, you should be yourself – your better self! – and keep the readers’ interests in mind.
Maximizing your WordPress Blog’s Marketing Effectiveness
Is your wordpress blog integrated with your website?
By this I mean, is the blog built into the website so it feels like any other page is the site. If it is not, you are missing a valuable opportunity to maximize your blogs impact on your business.
To understand why, let’s look at how traffic flows to your site. Typically, web traffic that goes to your homepage reflects someone who either knows of your business by name or is looking for a specific product or service. Your wordpress blog on the other hand tends to draw traffic based on an interest in a topic or a solution to a problem. In both cases they are each bringing new visitors to your business. What is missed by not integrating your wordpress blog seamlessly with your website is the cross marketing that can occur.
A new client may discover your business by searching for a service you provide. Yet, if you have not been recommended to them, how can you instill confidence that you are an expert? Likewise, a client may have Googled a topic you discussed at length in a blog post, yet how are they to your you offer services as well?
By integrating the two; your website and your wordpress blog you get the best of both worlds. I potential client who lands on your site can see you as an expert and build his trust in you through your business’ blog. Likewise, someone who happens to find your blog will notice that you are a business and offer relevant services. By having the two pieces presented the same way they work together to showcase your business.
What is Twitter?
Let’s start with a definition from Wikipedia.
“Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.”
Twitter is a micro blog platform. You are limited to 140 characters per post. This forces you to be concise and keep each tweet (Twitter post) to just one topic.
The key to effectively using Twitter is to understand that it is a conversation between people. It is about sharing information. It is not a sales platform although some will disagree with that. I am not saying that you can’t use it to sell but you need to do it the right way.
If all you are planning to use Twitter just as a platform to send out your links forget it now. Just like a blog you need to supply valuable information and build your reputation as a valuable resource.
Do that and when you occasionally recommend something people will be interested. Just send links and very few will continue to follow you.
It works like any type of networking. It is most valuable when you are sorting information about your niche for others. Just like a blog if you find valuable resources from others and let people know about what is valuable to your readers on your blog or followers on Twitter.
Just like off line networking you don’t go to the local Chamber meeting and introduce your business. You talk to people there and ask about theirs. Have an idea that can help them – share it. Do that and you develop relationships that will help your business not because you pitched your business but because you became a valuable resource that others will recommend.
Twitter works the same way. I encourage you to jump in. Start following people whose thoughts you value and begin sharing yours as well.
If you want to follow me you can do so at: http://twitter.com/mozakdesign and I’d be happy to follow you back!
Good Copy Tip #1: It’s not about you
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I often see website homepage text that reads more like an “About Us” page. While the history of your business and all the services you provide have their place in; make sure the homepage is engaging to your viewer. Speak to them. Why have they sought out your business? What needs do they have? What solutions to you offer?
By writing content that speaks to clients on an emotional level you can connect with them. If they feel understood then they will think … Wow, this business gets me – I’d like to work with them.
Are you Watching your Twitter ROI?
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