HOW TO GENERATE TRAFFIC, LEADS AND BUSINESS FROM YOUR BLOG.

Whether you’re looking to increase your online visibility, establish your credibility or generate more leads, a business blog is one of the most effective tools out there. If you haven’t gotten the results from your blog that support this statement, then please read on.

1. Create keyword rich blog post titles. Keep in mind that every blog post is another web page and every web page is another opportunity to rank well for another specific question your prospects are asking at Google. By using the same words your prospects use at the search engines, you’re more likely to attract that traffic. If you’re not sure what your prospects ask on Google, then you owe it to your business to have a keyword analysis done.
2. Create compelling titles that people will want to read and share. A well-written, intriguing title is the difference between success and failure. While there are some tried and true methods—numbered lists, how-to’s and “insider secrets,” you should experiment on your own to see what works for your audience. For more on writing killer titles, check out How to Write Magnetic Headlines at Copyblogger.
3. Make it easy for people to share your blog posts. Leverage social media with popular sharing tools that can be automatically added to every blog post. I recommend adding a “Retweet” button to the top of every post so people can easily share your content on Twitter. Next, add a Facebook “Like” button to the top of each post; after all, half a billion people can’t be wrong. And even if they are, they can share your content with their network and drive more people to your post. Last, add a ShareThis button to the bottom of each post. That will allow people to share your post with the network of their choice, such as Reddit, StumbleUpon or over 100 other social media sites.
4. Use Keyword Questions when you’ve got blogger’s block. This tool from Wordtracker Labs shows you questions asked at the search engines that include your best keyword phrases (see tip #1). Write a cooking blog? Here are the next 50 blog posts you should write.
5. Make your RSS easy to find and use. RSS may be a godsend for those of us who know how to use it, but the majority of your readers have no idea what RSS even stands for (Really Simple Syndication). Make sure your RSS feed appears “above the fold” (no scrolling required) and that you add an Email to RSS option for the vast majority who don’t know how to subscribe to an RSS feed. Feedburner, Feedblitz and AWeber all offer one. (And if you don’t know how to subscribe to an RSS feed, here’s how.)
6. Use NetworkedBlogs to syndicate your blog to your Facebook Business Page. This free tool will update your business page with your blog posts automatically. A nice benefit is that when one of your fans “likes” your post, it gets shared with her network as well.
7. Use the LinkedIn apps to publish your blog posts to your profile. You’ll find “Get More Apps” under the more tab on LinkedIn; from there you can add WordPress and TypePad blog posts to your profile. As long as you’re using one of these platforms you should be all set.
8. Tweet out new blog posts. I recommend using the Retweet button to do this; that way there’s always going to be at least one retweet for every blog post. Although there are tools to automate tweeting, I’m not a big fan as I prefer to craft my own tweets. Also, seeing a Twitter feed that’s only “new blog post!” alerts is very lame. Stop it. Add something more to the conversation.
9. Use Ping.fm to reach additional networks. Ping.fm allows you to update some or all of your networks at once. While this is great, don’t overuse it. It may be OK to tweet 20 times a day or more, but if you try that on Facebook or LinkedIn you may find yourself shedding friends quickly. Use it when all of your networks would benefit from your brilliant new post.
10. Engage your commenters. When someone takes the time to leave a thoughtful comment, consider it a present and write a thank you note. A good blog is like a cocktail party, and a gracious host greets his guests and makes sure they’re having a good time. At the iHostUrDomain we’ve been using Disqus, a 3rd party commenting tool that allows you to like or reply to a specific comment.
11. Comment on other blogs. Leave intelligent comments on other people’s blogs. This will help drive traffic to your blog (your name becomes a link to your blog when you complete the comment form) and will get the attention of the other blogger. (Or the ire, so don’t be a jerk.) Getting good attention from another blogger could lead to guest blogging opportunities, and this cross-pollination can bring in new readers.
12. Blog consistently. Make a plan to blog two to three times a week if you can. But even once a week will give you 52 keyword rich articles for increased search engine visibility at the end of the year.
13. Funnel your blog traffic to your web site. Without being too “salesy,” make sure that your web site is easy to get to from your blog. Link important keywords to relevant pages on your web site. Include calls-to-action (as appropriate) to your contact form, reservation tool or online store. In looking at our own statistics, traffic that comes from our blog is nearly 7 times more likely to complete our contact form and nearly 8 times more likely to sign up for our email newsletter than the average site visitor. That means that our blog is delivering the visitors who are most likely to convert into customers.

In Conclusion

Blogging is a powerful marketing tool when used right. By writing to your prospects, leveraging the promotional tools that are out there, and engaging your readers you’re sure to build a blog that will build your business.

If you need help with a keyword analysis for your blog, installing any of the tools mentioned above, or just want to consult to see what you could be doing better, please contact iHosturDomain.com today.