Nextwave Media - Creative Internet Solutions

Smart article over on Small Business Bliss. You’ve probably heard it all before in a dozen different places, but maybe never as succinctly. Here are the basic reasons a blog solves all of your major online marketing needs in one simple, compact package. If you want to know why a blog must literally be the beginning and end of your basic online marketing approach, look no further.

Those clients of ours blogging successfully will know how important this strategy is, and those readers who arent clients of ours but blog successfully will also know. It really is the basis of your social media platform and essential.

Read the article in detail and talk to us about setting up a successful blog strategy.
5 reasons your business needs a blog.

Selling online is getting harder these days. As more and more big-box retailers shift their focus to ecommerce, remaining competitive takes more than low prices and a website. This is especially true if your products are not unique.One easy way to break out from the pack is with a blog.

Why a blog?

An ecommerce blog can really make a difference if it’s done right. That means keeping it updated keeping it fresh, and posting interesting and relevant material that your customers want.

How can a blog help your online store? Here’s 5 ways it can have an impact…

1. SEO SEO SEO

It’s no surprise that a blog can help with your search engine rankings. Google loves updated content. They also love content that is written in a way to be appealing to living, breathing humans.

Just read an interesting post for those clients just getitng started with their blogs. Perhaps a bit basic not for the more advanced bloggers but I’m sure you will be able to find some takeaway points to assist you in getting the most out of this valuable social media tool. Its called “Best practices for a killer corporate blog” you can see the post over on Imedia Connection.

If you havent yet taken the plunge into the personal publshing world of blogs then get in touch with us today for a free consultation. Blogs form the basis of a successful social media strategy and will only get more important over time.

Instead of putting an entire offer or promotion in your email, use teaser content that points to more information on your website or blog. This has the added bonus of providing customers and prospects with more of a reason to click a link and make their way over to your site. It also creates the possibility of up-selling other products and services on your website.

Inbound Marketing University has some great free classes for business owners wanting to know more about marketing their business on the internet. You can stream them free over the web or download them all to watch offline. There is even an exam at the end if you wish to get certified but you dont have to complete it.  Watch the classes to increase your awareness of the various strategies your website will need to be sucessful. Indeed unless you have a large marketing budget it will be up to you to put some of these strategies into place and refine over time.

Am I marketing my product differently based on unique audiences?

Am I creating valuable content for my site?

Am I blogging effectively?

Am I converting enough of my visitors to customers?
These questions and more are be answered in the 17 free hour long classes each covering a particular aspect of online marketing.

Targeted marketing is the most effective way to drive potential customers to your site. Use the search engines to find related forums and blogs, and sign up for as many you find. Participate by adding useful information, comments and advice, and be sure to include a link to your website!

Talk to us today if you aren’t sure where to start.

Several of our clients lately have asked us whether or not it is a good idea to have a blog on their site. Our answer is an emphatic yes! A blog on your website can greatly increase the performance of your site, and it is surprisingly easier to upkeep than you might think.Here are a few advantages of adding a blog to your site:

• Build the Content of Your Site - If there is one thing that search engines love, it’s great text content! Blogging allows your site to fit better into the original purpose of the internet - a hub for information. While building informative articles, the search engines will give you a little extra love.
• Become the Industry Expert - The more knowledge you share online, the more people will come to respect you as the industry expert. If you are an expert, people (and search engines) will trust you, which in turn leads to more customers.

Benefits of a blog
Relative to static ecommerce sites, search engines consider blogs more real and trusted because blogs tend to have fresh content and there is a less financial, more informational link between a blog and its readers. An ecommerce site should take advantage of this tendency by adding a blog to augment the overall site.

A focused, well-written blog can get readers hooked on the blog and promote repeat visits to the website or garner subscriptions via RSS feeds and email newsletters. These recurring communications will help to tie potential customers to your site, encourage natural link building and increase repeat visits. Journalists are also more likely to follow a blog or subscribe via RSS than to visit the corporate site repeatedly. So, several avenues of search optimization and online marketing can be addressed with a single blog entity.