Blog Talk – Why Blogging is an Important Element to your Overall Marketing Plan

Blogging is an excellent method to gain recognition, establish yourself as a professional in your industry, and drive traffic to your business. It’s obvious that VBS on Demand is dedicated to and enjoys blogging. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we would write a blog about the importance of incorporating blogging into your overall Internet marketing plan.

If you have never before blogged, you may be wondering what all of the fuss is about. You may be thinking, “How does blogging fit into my marketing plan?” or “I don’t have anything useful to write about”, but the truth is blogging, essentially a website with a content management system, is an excellent addition to any marketing plan. And especially if you own or run a business, we can assure you have something to talk about! Not only is it beneficial to offer advice and information on your own blog site but it’s a great idea to comment and offer information on other blogs as well! (We’ll get to that part below)

Here are three big reasons why blogging is good for business:

Drives Traffic

Blogs are excellent platforms when it comes to driving traffic to your business. Blogs are very SEO friendly as they are (or should be) updated regularly, provide room for tag content, provide room for comments, are easy to post outside links and offer RSS feeds.

Provides a Personal Setting

A blog offers a personal setting for customers, clients and the general public to comment and discuss your business product or service. Blog posts should be kept informal, allowing visitors to gain a glimpse into the personality behind your business. Establishing a personal behind-the-scenes relationship with clients, both potential and current, will help build trust and understanding; both of which are important to developing a unique online presence.

Make Room for Comments

It is important to allow visitors to comment and provide honest feedback about the product and service you offer as it helps you develop your business and meet the needs of the individuals and companies you serve. It is important as well for you to offer your own comments and feedback on other blogs. Make it a habit to browse blogs and when you find information that interests you; don’t hold back from writing a comment. Be sure your comments hold weight and include your URL and other relevant information.

Syndicate!

Blogging is extremely effective when you share it with the world! One of the best ways to do this is to syndicate your posts. It is easy to syndicate your blog posts to social networking sites by adding your blog URL to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles; leaving comments and your blog URL on other blogs relevant to your niche; placing your “Subscribe to RSS” information in a prominent location in your blog; and bookmarking each post to bookmarking sites like Digg, Google Notebook and StumbleUpon.

Blogging is an effective addition to a business’ Internet marketing campaign. More information and tips on creating and maintaining the ‘perfect blog’ can be found in the VBS on Demand Internet Marketing 101 Study Guide.