Creating A Network Marketing Blog
Creating a network marketing blog is one of the best decisions you can make for building your network marketing business online. Ideally, your blog will become the central hub of your entire online marketing effort. Since your blog is such a critical component of your overall marketing strategy, it is important that you put careful thought and consideration into this piece of your online presence.
A Platform For Your Network Marketing Blog
The first decision you need to make is the determination of what blogging platform you intend to utilize. Although there are free services such as Blogger, it is recommended that you make the small investment necessary to create your own hosted blog. The reason for this being that you will retain ultimate control over your content, whereas a service such as Blogger removes that final control from your hands. The most popular platform is WordPress. WordPress is highly functional and introduces new open source tools on a regular basis. The WordPress software is free, but you will need a hosting account that supports the WordPress platform. Another popular alternative is Quick Blogcast by GoDaddy. Although it is not as functional as WordPress, it will still allow you to set up a very powerful online presence for your network marketing efforts.
Once you have determined which blogging platform and the hosting service you will be utilizing, it is time to choose your domain. The domain is your web address, and one of the most powerful branding tools available to you. GoDaddy is a great resource for domain purchases. On their site, you can search for domains that fit your need. I would recommend that you consider using your name or some variation of your name as your domain name. The closer you can get to your actual name, the more effective your personal branding efforts will be.
The next step in the creation of your network marketing blog is the design. All of the major blogging platforms offer pre-made templates that are high quality and very appealing to the eye. Most of these platforms also offer themed templates as well that will further convey your personality and style. For a fee, you could also employ the services of a web designer or graphic designer to assist you in further customization of your site. Make sure that your picture is in a prominent location on the blog.
Creating Content For Your Network Marketing Blog
The next step in your blogging process is the creation of content. Take the time to create original content. While there are services that will post the content of others to your blog, this is much less effective than creating content that is original. There are two primary reasons for favoring original content. The first reason being that you are trying to build a network marketing business that is built around relationships. When you use outside content, you are not giving your readers and prospects the opportunity to know you on a more personal level, nor are you showcasing your abilities as a leader in the industry. The second reason for original content is search engine optimization. Search engines love blogs, because of their original content. A piece of original content can rank high on a search engine in less than 24 hours when it is handled correctly. Whereas non-original content is viewed as duplicate content and given less weighting in organic search results. Once your content is written, create a keyword relevant category to place that piece of content into. This will provide easy navigation for your readers and also aid in search engine optimization.
Create a response form for each post. To make the best use of your blog, you will want to create a means for your readers to connect with you further. In your email autoresponder, you can create a web form. Place this web form at the bottom of your posts with an offer of further information, additional content or some other incentive for the prospect to provide their contact information.
Finally set up syndication and social bookmarking buttons for your blog. This will not only help you retain loyal readers, but it will also allow for greater exposure for your blog. Onlywire is a great social bookmarking tool that submits your content to over 30 social media sites with the click of one button. This button can be displayed at the bottom of each of your posts. Utilizing this type of tool will allow you to create a buzz about your piece of content.
By creating a solid network marketing blog you will create a powerful 24 hour online presence for your network marketing business.
