All Entries Tagged With: "Blog Consulting"

What Does A Blogging Consultant Look Like?

by Chris McElroy

You know, normally you can find a definition of a word or phrase by typing “define: your phrase here” into google and come up with a lot of results. Currently there are millions of blogs and there are hundreds of people who call themselves “Blog or Blogging Consultants”, yet when you type “define: Blogging Consultant or Blogging Consultant” into google you get no definition.

That is probably a good thing for most blogging consultants because without a definition, there is no standard to hold them to. I’m not claiming to be the blogging guru of all time or anything of the sort. So before you “blogging consultants” out there start getting defensive about this, think before you write. If you get too nasty about the post I may ask you to define “blogging consultant” and without google many of you couldn’t do it.

Now that is out of the way, lets talk business. Every business should have a blog. There are so many reasons for your business to have a blog it would be hard to write them all in one blog post, so lets assume you know your company needs a blog.

So do you hire a blogging consultant? What qualifications do you look for in a blogging consultant? What does a blogging consultant look like? How much should I pay a blogging consultant?

Lets start with “Should you hire a blogging consultant?”

The quick answer is yes, but lets go into why first. There are a lot of things that go into making a blog popular. Technorati tags, submissions and pings to bloglists and blogsearch websites, learning how to get on the right blogrolls, etc.

If you are new to blogging it takes awhile to catch on to most of these things and most blogging consultants say that all of the above is necessary if you are going to have a successful blog.

There are more things to add to the list but this article isn’t about how to run a successful blog, it’s about blogging consultants. Hiring a blogging consultant can save you from making a lot of early mistakes and get your blog found a lot quicker than trying to do it on your own.

Now all the blogging consultants are liking me again. I can tell. But will it last?

What qualifications do you look for in a blogging consultant?

Here is where things get ugly between me and the blogging consultants. Most blogging consultants are . . . well . . . bloggers. Many of them have what they think is a successful blog although many bloggers have different ideas for what success is.

Some think it’s defined as how much they made on google adnonsense last month. Others count success by number of visitors to their website or the number of comments that appear on their blog. Still others measure their success by what the other bloggers think about them.

What do all of those bloggers who are blogging consultants have in common? They all think that having a successful blog automatically makes you a qualified blogging consultant. I told you it was going to get nasty. After this article if I measured my success by what the other bloggers think of me then I’m doomed!

Fortunately I don’t measure my success in terms of what the other bloggers and blogging consultants think. Lets get back to those qualifications for a blogging consultant.

First of all a blog is a website. It is a website that is updated often in most cases, but it is still a website. Each blogpost becomes a page of that website. So with a blog you are creating more webpages to your website as often as you post to your blog.

Now I have a question for you. Would you first look to hire a blogger to do search engine optimization for your website? Would you first look to hire a blogger to handle your AdWords campaign? Would you first look for a blogger to build your website for you?

The answer to all of the above is probably no, unless the blogger also has experience in those fields and not just for their blog. Actual websites they have built, optimized, and marketed for themselves and for clients.

A blogging consultant should not just be a blogger. They should also have all of the skills necessary to run a website. Now the blogging consultants are all mad at me again. But think about it. Many bloggers know how to write. They know how to get into the right circle of blogger friends who will link to them. They know about blogging.

So if all you need to know is how to write a blog, then hiring a blogger who knows how to write is the answer, but if you need someone who is going to manage your blog for you including posting to the blog, search engine optimization, link popularity, (and not just from blogrolls), and marketing, then you need to hire a webmaster who also blogs.

Okay, How much should I pay a blogging consultant?

How much do you have? Just kidding. A lot depends on the type of blog you want or have. A corporation blog has to pay more, not because they have more, but because there are all kinds of legal and policy matters that have to be considered with every single blog post and every single link to or from another blog or website. A small business blog doesn’t have many of the same issues as the corporate blog, but still has certain standards that need to be met.

If you have ever hired a webmaster, not a web designer, a webmaster, (Thats another article), or a Search Engine Optimization Company, or a Search Engine Marketer, or even just a Marketing Consultant, (The just was in there just so I could make consultants mad again.), then you have an idea of what a blogging consultant should cost.

Now keep in mind, if you are hiring a blogging consultant to strictly teach you how to blog, then it’s not worth as much money as when you hire a blogging consultant who is also going to perform all of the services a Webmaster and Internet Marketer would provide plus search engine optimization.

Ha ha! I still didn’t say how much it costs. It’s coming. Read on.

What does a Blogging Consultant look like?

He or she looks like someone who has more than just a blog or blogs. Someone who also owns and manages several websites for themselves and for clients. As I said before a blog is still a website.

Why A Blog Is A Necessity For Marketing Online

Here’s a great article on why you should have a blog if you own a business and do business online.

Why Blogging is No Longer Optional If You Do Business Online

By Christine Gallagher

I know, I know. I can hear some of you groaning now! Many of you already have a blog and understand its importance in gaining visibility for your business. But I know many others are still resistant to the idea. You believe it takes too much time and effort, you don’t think you are a great writer, you don’t know how to set one up, you don’t know what to write about….I understand all of the reasons that may be holding you back.

If you already have a traditional, “brochure” style website for your business that’s great. You should keep that as a place for prospective clients and customers to visit to find out more about you and what you offer. I use my blog as my main site, meaning I don’t have a separate, static website. That’s a personal choice. Many people choose to have both, with the blog being linked to from the main site.

If you don’t currently have a blog, there are several important reasons why you should consider it:

Visibility: If you are doing even just some of your business using the web then you obviously need to have an online presence. Having a blog that you post to regularly is a wonderful way to capture and keep the attention of your prospects. When they see that you are posting consistently updated content, they are more likely to return to your site.

Search Engine Optimization: This doesn’t mean you need to study up and implement a ton of SEO techniques yourself. But blogs by their very nature are dynamic, meaning the content is updated often. In Google’s eyes, this is a very good thing-it shows that their users are getting fresh information. A blog is a great way to get your business to rank well in the search engines.

Community Building: By allowing comments on your posts you are promoting conversation and encouraging feedback. It can even help you to perform “market research” and find out what it is your target market needs from you. This feedback can also be helpful for coming up with ideas for future posts.

Positions you as the Expert: Something interesting happens once you begin posting useful content regularly and attracting subscribers. You become seen as a thought leader in your niche. This leads to more opportunities, more relationships and more business. It’s a terrific way to communicate the value of what you have to offer to prospective clients and customers.

Personality Sharing: Blogging gives you a chance to be seen as a real person and not just a business. Be willing to express opinions and let your true self shine through. This will go a long way towards humanizing you in the eyes of your readers.

In my opinion, the best thing about blogging is how simple and quick it is to publish a post at the push of a button. It’s also wonderful to be able to track exactly how many people are coming to your blog and where they are coming from. Just install Google’s free Analytics tool and you can see detailed statistics on your visitors and traffic.

Just begin and get it going. Aim to post once a week. They don’t have to be long posts and they don’t have to be earth-shatteringly brilliant. As with anything, you’ll get better at writing the more you do it. Jot down any ideas that come to you for posts as you go about your day. I keep a file of topic ideas that I think of and I find this helpful to look at if I get stuck for what to write about.

Blogging should be something you carve out time for just as you would any other marketing activity. If you really feel you would have nothing to say to people who may want to hire or buy from you, then perhaps it is just not for you. But I encourage all small business owners who are doing business online to at least give it a try. You never know, there may be people out there just waiting to hear your voice.

Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches solopreneurs and small business owners how to use online marketing and social media to communicate effectively and authentically and attract more business. For FREE tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Gallagher

If you feel like you can’t write or you don’t have time to write your own blog then you might be a prime prospect for a ghostwriter. The fact is, however, that a blog is the best online marketing tool you can have. Bar none. I firmly believe. Even a poorly SEOd blog is better than a static website with no promotional efforts at all. But if you’re going to have a blog it’s best to learn how to write a blog post that is search engine optimized.

Blog Content Provider not only will write your blog content for you, but if you want to write your own blog content we will consult with you and teach you how to write search engine optimized blog posts.

If you are doing business online, there is no reason not to have a blog. You should write to your blog daily, but once a week is better than nothing. The important thing is to start a blog and start posting as often as you can. The longer you wait the longer you are putting off your own success. Learn more about how to get premium blog content today.

Blog Traffic: What’s Wrong With This Article?

I absolutely believe in this guy’s advice, but can you tell me what’s wrong with this article?

Traffic to Blog – 3 Easy and Fast Ways to Drive Traffic to New Blog Today!

By Brandon Jamison

#3 – Video Marketing

This is one of the greatest ways to drive traffic to the blog. People will go to your video on these following sites:

• YouTube
• Google Video
• Veoh
• Daily Motion
• AOL Video

Or many of the countless video websites around the web. It’s a great tool that you should definitely think about starting today. Video marketing allows your visitors to visually identify what you and you blog is about, it makes you look professional, and in the end – you can use keyword targeting to recommend people to your blog as lifetime subscribers!

#2 – Social Bookmarketing

It’s actually social bookmarking but you are actually social bookmarketing. You want to establish a community, relationship with tons of friends, and even book mark other websites. Social bookmarking websites with “do following” links are the best because you can build up backlinks and attract the social bookmarking website links to your website.

You should definitely start today as well! Search engines find these social book marking websites and eventually find your blog, this can instantly bring traffic to your website, and bring you a great deal of lifetime subscribers who are eager to click, read, buy, shop, or do whatever you want them to do!

#1 – Google AdWords

This is for those advanced users. If you want a sudden influx of traffic, then you will want to read everything you need to know about Google AdWords. This is not something that is easily done – otherwise everybody would do it.

Now that’s not to say you can do it, or even succeed your first time. You simply have to sign up for Google AdWords, find the correct keywords to what you think people will type in who are interested in the content you have to offer – and in the end; you’ll enjoy the amount of people who visit your blog over a lifetime.

So the question is, why not start today and find out how many people you can get to your blog!

Learn how to make $10,000+ or more using a step-by-step blogging system that’s designed for beginner and advanced bloggers alike. Learn how to create Professionally Designed, Traffic Pulling Blogs in a matter of a few clicks .

For more information, visit: http://bloggingbasicspro.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Jamison

I certainly agree with this advice, but there is one fundamental thing wrong with this article. Before I tell you, however, let me add:

Viddler is another good video website that I see a lot of video bloggers using today. Secondly, social bookmarketing is one of the best ways to accomplish your marketing initiatives online and many of our clients are taking advantage of that service.

Now, have you figured out what’s wrong with the article? Hint: He’s not taking his own advice.

See the link where he tells you to go for more information? If you click that link and read the page he tells you to buy a domain name to sell your product. He didn’t buy a domain name, but he’s telling you that you should. I agree that you should buy a domain name, but why isn’t he following his own advice?

This is one example of how not to do article and blog marketing. If you tell someone else to do it then build your own credibility by following your own advice.

Ask about blog consulting.

Blog Consulting: Learn What You Need To Know When You Need To Know It

From time to time we get a contact form from somebody who just wants us to consult with them. We’re always happy to help someone who wants to learn how to blog, even if it’s just on a short-term basis. If If you have a small budget and can’t afford the monthly blogging service or you’ve tried the monthly blogging service and found that your sales cycle is longer than you’d expected or your ROI isn’t what you thought it would be then we can consult with you to help you write better blog posts. Here’s what a consultation will cover:

• Setting up a blog – If you want to set up your own blog then we’ll spend some time going over the set up process with you to help you get a good start.
• Choosing a template – Choosing a template involves more than just going through the list of what is available and selecting one you like. You aren’t picking curtains for your living room. A good template must be optimized. We’ll teach you how to go about discovering whether you’ve got the right template or not and how you can fix it if you don’t.
• Setting up your link structure – The link structure between your blog and your business website is very important. We’ll show you how to set up your link structure properly for the maximum SEO benefits.
• Optimizing your blog post – Properly optimizing a blog post is more than tossing in a few keywords here and there. We’ll show you the elements to look for and how to incorporate them.
• Writing effective blog post titles – It’s an art. Anyone can write a blog post title, but not just anyone can write one that gets attention. We’ll show you how to write blog post headlines that get people to read.
• Social bookmarking – Social bookmarking is a new social tool that bloggers can take advantage of to spread the word about their blog and business. We’ll show you to get the most from your bookmarking efforts.

There’s a lot more we could teach you too. There is so much to learn about effective blogging that it would be hard to put it all into one blog post.

When it comes to blogging for business, expectations can get the best of you. I’ve talked to business owners who thought that after two months of blogging they should be getting more business than they can handle. Would you have the same attitude if you opened up a hardware store on the busiest street corner in your neighborhood? If so then you may not understand business. There is more to it than simply throwing up a sign and opening the doors. There are certain things that have to take place and many of them require time to fully germinate.

For a blog consultation, call 786-317-8774 or visit Blog Content Provider.