As our society continues to become more married to the web, so do aspects of our everyday lives. Because of this tech craze and a particularly challenging economy, many people are entering the world of online business and online entrepreneurship. While at one time blogging was considered more of a hobby for stay-at-home moms and angsty teenagers, today it has become both a hobby and a career for true professionals. Many of those angsty teenagers and stay-at-home moms have found blogging niches and concepts that have really lifted off. Whether you are a business owner trying to create a more pervasive web presence or a stay-at-home parent trying to give useful advice to other parents in a similar situation, your blogs today have the potential to really earn some money when done correctly.
Blogging has become one of the strongest and most successful marketing strategies for business owners online. It has also become a very successful venture for individuals’ seeking a nontraditional career path—but it’s all about doing it right. Consider these business tips to take your blog a step further in the world of business and profit earning.
Networking, Networking, Networking
Successful blogging and, frankly, successful business-running today boils down to strong networking skills. This day-in-age, it’s all about who you know. This is not to say that your blog will skyrocket into success just by knowing a famous blogger out there, but the connections you make can play a huge role in your success. The key to a successful blog is traffic. You want people to find your blog easily, see it, stick around for a while, and come back for more.
One way to gain a wider audience and thus gain more traffic is by sharing networks with bloggers in your same area. In the online world of business today, networking and promotion are one in the same. Get to know other bloggers online and forge a relationship with them. Use each other’s web space to mutually benefit from sharing followers. While many bloggers already consider networking a significant portion of their blog, there is always room for more. Invite guest bloggers, write guest posts, connect through social media—make the effort.
Figure out Where the Money Is
This sounds very business-like. It’s all about knowing where the money is. While this doesn’t really sound like a blogging tip, it’s certainly a business tip. Look at your blog in particular and other successful blogs throughout the internet and figure out where the money is coming from. What aspects of your blog are making you the most success? Consider offering advertisement space on your blog. Of course, you don’t want to compromise any creative elements of your blog, but understand that advertising is one area that can really pull in some profit. Compile (if you have not already) a strong mailing list and offer people the chance to pay for a small subscription to include their business on one or a number of your blog pages. Advertising doesn’t have to be a negative thing on your blog. Work with your network to find businesses that make sense to advertise on your page. Find things that can be useful and intriguing to your readership. You can also consider running sponsored posts on your blog for more income.
Patience and Persistence
You’ve likely heard it time and time again. But, patience and persistence really are key in blogging. With so many bloggers out there on the web, it can take some time and effort to really find your footing and create a following. You have to be patient with your business blogging efforts. You aren’t going to be able to create an amazingly successful business out of your blog overnight—in fact, you probably aren’t going to make a super successful business from your blog in six months. It takes time and it takes effort. Be persistent with your posting, advertising, marketing, and networking. If something really isn’t working, consider something new. Part of building your blog into a business involves educating yourself on business blogging matters. Try to understand the business. Learn about search engine algorithms and techniques. Try to learn about new social media and social networking trends. Staying up on the new things online will benefit your blog and business that much more.
Part of being a successful business owner is preparing for things in the business world that might not be easily anticipated. Bloggers and online business owners often overlook the usefulness of things like business insurance, business credit cards, and other “regular” business measures other companies take. By carefully following the tips discussed above, individuals are able to create blogs and business pages that are that much more successful. Be sure that you consider all aspects of business after your blog begins to really gain traction online. Things like small business insurance, liability insurance and other types of safeguards can be very important to running a successful business blog as well.
About the Author: Carol Wilson is a freelance insurance business writer who is in the midst of creating her very own business insurance guide for consumers. In the meantime, she likes to share her knowledge of business insurance and other business related topics such as marketing to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other corporate moguls. She welcomes your comments at wilson.carol24 @ gmail.com.