Social Media Marketing is the arguably the most powerful method for getting your message in front of a targeted audience. It becomes especially powerful for the small business owner who makes money by sharing a message that they are passionate about. As a social media consultant, I see the greatest results coming to professional motivational speakers, life and/or business coaches as well as other professional service providers. (ie: lawyers, real estate agents, nutritionists, etc)
Althought Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn are all powerful components of your social media marketing campaign, they would be almost useless if it weren’t for a blog. Yes, your blog is perhaps the most important part of your marketing efforts.. The reasons are plenty, but for now we will summarize by pointing out that it is the most powerful SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tool, as well as the hub of all your relationship/community building.
Here are the 5 techniques I have found to be most effective in your blogging strategies.
- Use WordPress – WordPress is the best blog to use, for a number of reasons. Here are the main ones to consider when choosing WordPress as your blog of choice:
- Plugins – these are little bits of software that can be added to your blog to improve the functionality of your site. Here is a short list of the ones I recommend and why:
- Sexy bookmarks – This is a visually appealing way to allow visitors to share your message (blog post) through their favorite social media networks.
- All-in-one SEO Pack – A must-have for any search engine optimization that you want to do on your blog.
- Digg Digg – Integrates “Digg Button”, “TweetMeme”(twitter) and a few others, to allow users to share content right to their social network. (Similar function to sexy bookmarks, but different format)
- Community – As an open-source software, WordPress is the most supported platform for blogging. That makes it the most powerful blogging software, the most prevalent, and the easiest to find people to help if you happen to require customization, need help with the above bookmarks, etc.
- Plugins – these are little bits of software that can be added to your blog to improve the functionality of your site. Here is a short list of the ones I recommend and why:
- Educate – Your blog is not a place to sell your services. Your blog is a place to establish your credibility as an expert in your market. You do this by giving away free content, that provides a lot of value to your readers. People do business with those they know, like & trust… your blog, if used properly, will make this a no-brainer.
- Be Consistent – This is important for 2 main reasons:
- SEO benefits – You need to update regularly for maximum exposure in the search engines. Every time you post, you are letting the search engines know that they should come back and visit your site.
- Personal Credibility – If you can maintain a blog on a regular basis, you are demonstrating to your prospects that you are credible by having enough information to share on a continuing basis and not just a flash-in-the-pan trying to get their money. You also demonstrate that you are dependable & consistent… this is a huge character trait that says a lot about your ability to deliver.
- Encourage Interaction – If your blog is just a place for you to post static information, you are missing the power of web 2.0. Your blog should allow for visitors to leave comments… and so should your writing style! Are you encouraging people to share their feedback? Ask questions? Leave links to their sites? All of these things will make your blog a place that people will feel welcome at, so they will come back for more. 🙂
You also want to provide the ability for users to give you their contact information if they like your stuff. A wise blogger never sells directly on his or her sit, but they always give the user a chance to opt-in for some sort of report, download, newsletter, etc. (that’s where you do the marketing & selling… AFTER they tell you that they are interested in what you have to say and believe you have a certain level of credibility) - Syndicate – If you are writing good content, it belongs on as many places as possible. You can automatically, or manually, re-publish your blog content on many different sites including RSS directories, Squidoo, Hubpages, Article directories, etc. You can also import it directly into your Facebook feed, and other social networks.
If you believe in what your message is, and are honestly providing value to others, then you need to maximize the effectiveness of your blog to make sure your content is getting in front of as many people as possible. Your blog should be looked at, and treated, as the central hub of all of your social media marketing strategies.
