Today's edition of Q&A Tuesday is about tapping the power of blogging to promote yourself and/or your business. When was the last time you got your fingers all dirty reading the classified section of the newspaper? Do you even use the phone book's Yellow Pages anymore? I don't know about you, but I usually end up recycling phone books the day after the mailman drops them off! The power of the Internet has changed the way traditional businesses need to reach their customers. More and more are turning to blogging as a way to build and grow their business.
Your Question
Jim from Demystifying Internet Technology writes and asks:
About ezdiyelectricity.com, the most recent 'Weekly Buzz winner'. Is this really a blog?
Thanks for your question Jim! I would definitely consider Wayne's site about Do It Yourself (DIY) Electrical work a blog. I think its a great example of a blog used to promote one's self and one's business. He has a fancy cover page that highlights some of his best content, so on the surface it may not appear like a traditional blog. Darren Rowse of ProBlogger fame has the same format. When you look into Wayne's site a little deeper, he has how-to articles, product reviews, and answers to readers' questions. Yes, I would say this is a very informative blog - just not in the sense of the "personal diary" type of blog often found on free blogging platforms like Blogger.
Wayne is doing an excellent job at using blogging as a form of advertising his business and his services. When it comes to using online media to earn a living, the majority of wealthy online entrepreneurs will tell you that they don't make a lot from their blog directly. Rather, their blog is a platform for them to promote their "brand". In this case, Wayne's brand is his experience as a Master Electrician. I had a discussion about this with Buzz Marketing expert Dean Hunt a while ago, who said:
My blog is very different to most other [make money online blogs]. My biggest revenue generator is actually my brand. I use the blog to build my brand (my name) and I provide services due to that reputation. I have no adverts on my blog, no adsense, no affiliate links etc... I make 6 figures from my services, so $10,000 a year from adsense has zero appeal to me, I prefer to keep my integrity.
Dean and Wayne both do an excellent job of demonstrating their value to potential customers through their blogs. Neither of them care as much about advertising revenue as they do about building a network of readers that have the potential to someday become paying customers. They focus on providing legitimate content that demonstrates that they are an authority on within their respective specialties. This shows potential consumers that they have the knowledge and the skills that are worth paying for. They are giving people as "taste" of what they offer. This is certainly far more effective than a two sentence ad in the phone book Yellow Pages. It is "Business Advertising 2.0".
In addition to providing regular and relevant content, Wayne has taken a few a additional steps to better position his blog to help grow his business. Specifically, he has
I will be covering each of these topics, and many more, in a tutorial I am working on that offers a complete guide to WordPress for beginners and experienced bloggers alike. Be sure to sign up for my feed so you don't miss the start of this exciting series.
My Question
Do you use blogging as a way to promote your company or business? If so, how has it helped you? We'd love to hear some more success stories!
Thanks everyone!
Jeff
