If you’re just starting to market your business online, the most effective strategy is a combination of blogging, email, and article marketing. In one word:
- Blogs will get your content up and running quickly so it’s immediately available to people (potential customers) who are online and looking for information about your areas of expertise and topics that interest you.
- Weekly (at best) or monthly (at least) emails to your contact list will help you keep track of people who have visited your site and are already interested in you.
- Article marketing will drive more traffic to your website and/or blog, where people can join your mailing list, learn more about you, and stay in touch.
Here’s how to put it all together:
1. Get a Typepad account – I have a Pro account for $14.95 per month, but you can choose the one that works best for you. Consider whether you want to use your own domain name (you’ll need at least the Plus account, $8.95) or customize the design (you’ll need at least the Pro account).
2. Get an AWeber account (starting at $19 per month) and set up the blog broadcast feature to send new posts from your blog as soon as you publish them.
3. Create an editorial schedule of one topic per month. Take advantage of vacation times when people are sure to be arguing or looking for help. You can also be strategic here and map out possible chapters for a book.
4. Set up four separate idea catchers (eg, draft posts in your blogging program or four pages in a notebook) to collect your thoughts on these four types of blog posts:
- A full article exploring the whats and whys of the topic (e.g. what is the problem/solution/strategy/problem, what is the impact, why is it important)
- A list of tips that explore the how of the topic (eg, how to apply the solution, how to practice the new strategy, how to further explore the problem with coaching questions)
- A list of related resources (online and offline)
- Case studies, stories or examples from your own life.
5. Every week, develop one of those blog posts and post it on your blog. As soon as you do, AWeber will email them to your mailing list.
6. At the end of the month, compile the content of some or all of your blog posts into an article and submit it to EzineArticles, searched by thousands of visitors each month, including newsletter publishers, consumers, and the media. each article will be your biography and a link to your website or blog.
Using this combination of strategy, planning, and automation, you’ll be on your way to building an information empire in no time!