The Secret to Using Your Blog to Generate Sales

This is a guest contribution from Karl Staib of Domino Connection.

You’ve probably been at a party where some fool is talking his face off at everyone he meets. He talks about his trip to Spain and how he is such an amazing photographer. He never asks, “What you do or what interests you?” He just blathers on and on about himself.

On a good day I silently chuckle at this guy’s lack of social common sense. On a bad day I snap and scream, “PLEASE listen to me for just 10 seconds!”

When all you do is talk about yourself, you send people running in the other direction. If you don’t care about other people they for sure won’t care about you.

This was how the old school way of marketing worked. Megaphone style.



Image by nem_youth

Many of you might not think of your blog as a business and I understand, but one day you might want to create a ebook, product or use your blog to leverage a new career. When you improve your engagement your blog it becomes a tool to help you level up your life and career.

Spray and Pray

Back in the day, companies used to spray and pray. They sprayed their message in as many places as possible (magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, etc) and prayed that they picked the right advertising spots. Larger companies could afford to pay for market research, so they were able to make sure most of their efforts paid off.

Smaller companies didn’t have this luxury. Straight out of college, I worked in the marketing department for a high pressure valve company. They grossed about 10 million a year in sales. Not too shabby, but nothing compared to the bigger players in the industry.

We had to carefully choose our national magazines and our marketing company told us who read the magazines and which ones we needed to advertise in. We had to believe them. We had nothing else to go on.

This style of marketing has been turned upside down due to blogging and social media. Every business has the opportunity to measure their engagement on their website, email and social media accounts. The problem with all these new tools is we have the wrong attitude toward them. Companies are afraid to be transparent and engage with their customers.

Why? Because it’s hard work.

Truly Listen

Mr. Blather Lips, from the introduction, had a great time at every party he went to because he didn’t have to gauge people’s emotions. He just blathered on until he found someone to listen or it was time to go home.

Now businesses actually have to listen to their customers because if they don’t, a social media storm comes crashing down upon them. Just ask Netflix if they wished they had a better plan for when they doubled their prices.

Listening to your readers isn’t just for dealing with social media storms. It’s also so you can anticipate them and avoid them before they even happen. Now, every business has the opportunity to do market research. You can ask specific customers if they would be willing to fill out an online survey. You can ask them direct questions on your blog or social media that help you figure out what they want from you.

You don’t have to guess what you think people need. You can ask them directly and find out. You can even include them in the process of creating your product.

Invitation to Join In

Threadless created their million dollar t-shirt company from this idea. They have people send in t-shirt designs, have the users vote on which designs they would like to buy and print only the most popular ones. They already have a built in audience for their t-shirts. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The company prints the most popular, making some good cash and the buyers get a limited edition t-shirt that they are proud to wear. Even the winning t-shirt designs are helpful to the designers. They can add this accomplishment to their resume.

You probably knew that engaging your ideal people was wise, but now what?

Now you have to go out and find them and start a conversation, but before you do you need to find out where you can connect with them.

1. Write a description of the ideal client for your product

You have to ask yourself some specific questions to help you gain clarity:

• What does she look like?


• What motivates her?


• What does she do for fun?


• What are her career goals?


• Where does she hang out? (Facebook, conferences, Twitter, etc.)


• How do you engage with her? (light banter, philosophically, monetarily, etc.)

The hard part is making the mental switch from talker to engager.

I’m not just talking about being a better listener. That’s a good start, but to engage with people you have to be listening and asking great questions. It’s part art and part science.

If you want an example of someone who understands her community then visit Mayi Carles to see how she is creating content that engages and builds trust. You’ll notice that she creates content around branding and business building. All a perfect target market for her.

Engage Your Readers

Image used with permission

If you want to engage your readers, start by asking questions to show them how much you care about their success. Ask them:

1. What topics they would like you to cover?


2. What products you could create to help them?


3. How you can improve your services?

By keeping the focus on your readers you’ll improve engagement, find new ways you can help them and use your blog to grow your influence.

You will also learn the type of language they use. It’s this copywriting trick that you need to use to engage your ideal readers.

Using the language they use in the copy on your sales page will increase your conversion rate. It’s that simple.

For example, let’s say Problogger gets a lot of questions on how to create content for their blog. His ideal people might not reference the word “copy” they might use the word “write” or “blog”. If this is the case then the key to writing a great sales page is to insert these words into the page so they feel comfortable with the sales copy.

Your Turn

How have you learned to increase your visitor’s engagement on your blog? (Please share in the comment section.)

Check out Karl Staib of Domino Connection and his e-course “How to Create an Amazing Product Launch,” You can also click here to download the Domino Connection sales page checklist for free so you can create a compelling sales page that converts potential customers into buyers.

Source: Darren Rowse at ProBlogger

Top 10 Blogging Tips for Beginners

I'm excited to finally get this post written! I frequently get emails asking for advice on starting a blog, and I always wish I had the time to respond with a really helpful answer, more than just a paragraph. And, now I can direct readers to this post.

There's obviously a lot more I can learn about blogging, but I definitely have a few thoughts I can share. One of these days I'll do a post about blogging, beyond the basics. Until then...

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1. Write about what you love. Stay true to your blog.

What is your blog about? Cooking? Parenting? Crafting? Government? Boogers? Whatever it is, make sure it's "you." Maintaining a blog is a lot of work and if you don't love boogers enough to write about them several days a week, until the end of time (or you quit), don't start. If you don't have the passion for your topic, you don't have much to offer your readers... and, they will soon be gone.

I personally LOVE coming up with ideas and giving advice. I always have. It may sound weird to some, but that is "me." When I get a phone call from a friend in need of ideas or advice, I get a rush. Really. That's how much I like it. People ask me all the time I ever worry that I'll run out of things to write about, or ideas to share on the blog, and I can easily say "no." I feel confident that I can spew out ideas for the rest of forever, assuming I'm never bound by duck tape and gagged with a smelly sock. That may be a big assumption. Clearly, a blog about ideas would suit me well. And, it has.

So, think about where your passion lies, and blog about it. One word of caution I have is to not get caught up in the linky-party or giveaway trap, in an effort to gain readers. I've seen several great blogs quickly go downhill, because they become obsessed with hosting giveaways and linky parties. Their content suffers and I don't know about everyone else, but I take off, in a flash. See ya. It's fun to host giveaways, every once in a while. It's fun to host linky parties, every once in a while. But, unless you are a blog dedicated to those things, that is NOT why the majority of your readers are coming to you. They are coming for your content, to revel in your passion. Don't leave them hanging. What you want is readers who LOVE reading what you write about, not readers who sign up because they have to, in order to enter the giveaways. That's not how you build an audience. I do giveaways now and then, as a treat to my readers, to build some excitement, and hey... to get some free stuff for myself. I may do a linky party someday, haven't yet. But, I want to keep it minimal. I know that's not why y'all are here.

Anyway, my whole point... write about what you love and stay true to your blog.

2. Be different.

Whatever you choose to blog about, the truth is, there are probably already a zillion other blogs on the same topic. So, spend some time thinking about ways your blog can be different than the rest. If you're doing a craft blog, see if you can come up with some ideas that most other craft blogs don't do. Recently I stumbled on a craft blog that was dedicated to little boy crafts. I thought that was so clever, because really... lots of the crafty stuff we see if more appealing to little girls. Look at other blogs, in your same genre, and change yours up a little. Maybe if you're doing a cooking blog, you could host monthly reader submissions, where they submit their recipe for say... lasagna. You try it, pick a winner, and give them a prize! That sounds fun... never heard of any one else doing it. Ya know what I mean? Maybe the premise of your blog will be basically the same, but just see what you can do to come up with something different, like the submission contest I just mentioned.

For me, I knew there were a ton of women's blogs giving their readers "ideas." Nothing new. But, I decided to do a few things different. First, I wanted to have a post ever day, not just a couple times a week. Second, I wanted to give even new and undiscovered bloggers a chance to share their ideas on my blog. As opposed to only accepting guest posts from superstar bloggers. Third, I wanted to address topics beyond just cooking and crafts. If I wanted a post on infertility, potty training, or complimenting people, I would do it. I wanted each day's post topic to be a surprise to the reader. So, that's that. That is what my goals were, as far as "setting myself apart," and unless I'm delusional, I think that my readers have liked it.

3. Write the same way that you talk.

I love reading a blog where the personality of the author shines right through their written word. You feel like they're right in front of you, sharing their thoughts. The posts are more engaging and easier to read... is that redundant? Either way, let your personality shine through. Let your readers build a connection with YOU, while they read your content.

I get emails, all the time, from professional writers wanting to offer their content. Now, they obviously have their place in the blogging world, but their professional articles don't fit here. Part of my vision for this blog is to have people feel comfortable. To have women introduce themselves, and share with y'all, just as a good friend would. Nearly all of us are women, many of us are mothers. There is a lot that we can share, to help each other out. When a post is overly professional, it is hard to relate to, and not an easy-read. So, my advice... keep it casual. People will love it. That doesn't mean to be a foul-mouthed yucky, just be you, in a good way, casual.

If for some reason, you have really bad spelling (and won't use spellcheck), can't remember the difference between "lose" and "loose," or have a hard time organizing your thoughts, maybe you should wait on the blog-thing. Readers are fairly forgiving of misplaced commas, and the likes. But, don't you dare mix up "their," "they're," or "there." You'll be in a world of trouble from the grammar-police. There all over the internet. ;)

...did you catch that?

4. Good content is key.

Write content that YOU would want to read. Avoid the painstakingly obvious. It stinks to get really excited about a post title, only to find the content so obvious and worthless. Hmmm... I don't know, I imagine that someone, somewhere, could think that about any given post I write. You'll never please everyone. But, really put effort into being creative. Let's say you are doing a post called, "5 Great Games for Kids." In my mind, I'm like, "sweet!" I open the post and suggested is: Ring-a-Round-the-Rosie, Mother, May I?, Simon Says, Hide and Seek, and London Bridges. "Okay, really??? That's what you have to offer??" No, thanks. See what I mean? The internet (and, magazines, for that matter) tend to be full of the obvious. Make your blog stand out with GOOD, creative, helpful, inspiring content.

5. Improve your photography skills.

If you want your blog to grow, your photography skills need to improve... unless, you're already a pro. Looking back at the posts, from the first year I blogged, my photography sucked (to put it lightly.) I had no idea how crappy it was, until I got better. And, still... sigh... I have a LONG way to go. But, I can't tell you the wonders that good photography will do for your blog. You want your readers to share your content. If it's super great, with crappy pictures, they will still share it. But, they will share it a hundred-fold, if you've got attractive photos to go along with it. Think of recipes. The best recipes could have the worst pictures, and some of the worst recipes can have some of the best pictures. But, guess which ones people are most likely to make and to share? That's right. There are lots of great photography books out there, online tutorials, and classes you can take. Here's a link to some free online photography lessons, from Two Peas in a Bucket. Also, you could just do a Pinterest search, and find some great ones out that other people have loved. The more professional your pictures look, the more professional your blog seems.

6. Nice formatting is more inviting.

The more time I have spent blogging, the more I have become opinionated about formatting. So, maybe some of you don't care at all. But, to me, I love a post to be aligned to the left, with the pictures centered. (I used to love centering all of my posts, but then realized it looked like I was writing poetry, which I was clearly NOT.) Posts that are aligned to the left are just easier to read. Also, using headings (with large font, bold, or underline) can help readers follow your post, and jump back around to key points. For example, you're explaining how to make Bacon Stuffed Bacon. Sounds good, right? Well, make a little heading for all the ingredients needed.

Ingredients Needed:

Bacon

Bacon

another example...

Bacon Fried Bacon

Bacon

Bacon

Directions: Fry your bacon. Wrap it in more bacon. Fry that bacon.

Headings help separate key information or explain what is about to be read. They also break up long blog posts, and make them seem more readable. They're great. I love them. It seems like common sense, but I still think headings are under-used. Something that makes me absolutely queasy, is a blog post that rapidly changes font colors. I would avoid that. Try to convey your cute personality through your writing.

7. Do your research. Study other blogs, and stop when you start to feel lame.

One of the best things you can do to help your blog grow, is to study bigger blogs. What are they doing that you like? What do you not like? Look at lots and lots of them, and take notes. Maybe they have some cool widgets that would be helpful to you. Maybe they are running a contest that is really exciting their readers. Maybe they are using an advertising agency that you've never heard of, and want to look into. There are so many things you can learn! Obviously, you don't want to copy every thing someone else is doing, but pick out your favorite things from several different blogs, come up with ideas of your own, and even learn things you would never want to do.

But... sometimes just when you're feeling excited about your blog, you decide to check out some other ones, and then you start to think, "Gosh. Mine stinks. I shouldn't do this anymore." That's when you get off their blogs and focus on your own. Blogging is not a competition. It's a fun way to express ourselves and share our passion with the world. There's room for everyone. Maybe your blog will never be HUGE, but it can still make a huge impact on your readers. So, focus on that. The minute I start to try and mimic someone else, is the minute I suck. You will always get the best response when you're being yourself.

8. Fake it 'till you make it.

Is that lying? I guess, in some situations. But, more what I mean is put your best foot forward and be overly confident. It can get you far. Your blog may be as small as a pea, but make it look as big as the best. Obviously, money can be an issue. But, just do what you can to have a nice layout, and an attractive header. When this blog first started, I designed it all myself. I read lots and lots of tutorials online and learned how to make a header, do a custom layout, and such. It was great for my beginning blog look, but eventually I realized I needed to step it up. I started shopping for blog designers, and found one who suited my taste. I think it ended up being $600 dollars.

Another year later, the time came again when things had to change. I had learned a few things and decided the blog would be more efficient and professional if it was designed differently. I hired Dan, from Single Dad Laughing, to design the blog, as it is now, and am still loving it. But, each time, I always felt like the blog looked better than it really was! :) But, it kinda forced me to rise up and improve everything else. Besides motivating you to continuously improve your blog, a professional looking blog attracts more people. It makes them think, "there must be some good stuff here."

When this blog was new, I didn't have any advertisers, of course. But, I didn't want advertisers to think my blog wasn't worth advertising on. Boo. So, I faked it. I advertised for my mom, my brother, and all of my friend's small businesses. For free. I made it look like a potential place to advertise, for some of the small-time businesses, like small Etsy shops. And, it worked. I had some small shops advertising on my blog, and as the blog has grown, I'm now able to get some bigger fish. And, there is more growing to do!

When the girls on the morning show, Good Things Utah, noticed my blog and emailed me. They asked if I liked to cook. The truth was, I kinda did. Kinda. The blog hadn't been around that long, and I hadn't made lots of recipes, ever. I would have never considered myself a "cook" enough to go on a TV show, that's for sure. But, I took a deep breath, and faked it. I said, "With my eyes closed." I was scared out of my mind. But, it worked. Not only did it help my blog, but it boosted my confidence. I started cooking, like crazy, and now... as you've noticed, the blog has tons of recipes! And, I've done several other TV appearances, and had many other opportunities, which have all been fun. I could literally tell you several stories about times I've had to pry myself out of my sweatpants, into my fancy pants, to seem impressive. Inside, I'm totally unsure of myself, but I suck it up, put on my confident face, and things are better because of it. I learn a lot, get new opportunities, and things improve. Try it.

9. Be a force for good.

There are so many super great blogs on the internet. There are also a lot of crappy ones. And, by crappy, I don't mean new and undeveloped. I'm talking depressing, bitter, foul, make-you-wanna-die blogs. And, sometimes I can't believe how many followers those blogs will have, until I remember that "misery loves company." Sure, everyone has a bad day or a rough patch, and it feels good to let out a good rant. I do it myself, sometimes. It's just so disheartening to stumble upon these blogs that are dedicated to their bitter attitude. Sometimes it's super blatant, other times it is a constant underlying theme. There was this great quote being passed around on Pinterest, that said it perfectly... "Promote what you love, instead of bashing what you hate." Blogging is a fantastic platform, use it for good. And, whether you believe in luck, karma, or blessings, remember that goodness brings about goodness, not only to others, but to yourself.

10. Make friends. Be kind, be personable, be humble.

Remember, never find yourself too cool to respond to your readers questions and comments. Your readers will love to hear from you, and will be impressed that you addressed them specifically. Interact with them on your social media networks, like Twitter or Facebook. Visit their blogs, if you can, and leave a comment. Be complimentary and humble, and all of those good things. Not only does it make you a better person, it makes people more likely to want to read your blog, and tell others about it.

Last of all, have fun!

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