I have to admit, I was a reluctant blogger because of my love of the “greased chute” model. I just didn’t want all those links distracting people from the sale, and I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Plus, as I’m sure you all know, I regularly solicited feedback and engaged in dialogue with my market through surveys, telephone interviews, and “field research” (actually going to hang out with people).
So who needs blogs?
Turns out ME.
Seems there’s something to the “readers are buyers” philosophy, and when you continually pump out quality content organized in blog format, people get more and more involved, reading what they like.
The conversion from my blog is unbelievable, and it provides a very nice Quality Score for AdWords landing pages. (Which is what I’m seeing across the board with people who have focussed their content on relevant keyword siloes)
Plus there’s just something more spontaneously satisfying about getting your thoughts out in this format, continually referencing the comments and interactions, and knowing there are hundreds of people waiting for you to say something every day.
Not to mention blogging makes the whole podcasting experience SO much easier.
I stand corrected.
(If blogging, converting blog visitors to sales, and/or getting traffic to your blog is at all still a mystery to you, I’d highly recommend Terry Dean’s Blogging DVD package. I got through it in one long afternoon, and was up and running the next day)
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Glenn, Couldn’t agree more! an easy content management system like a blog takes the hassle out of regular updates. Your blog seems so much more personal than the corporate site, even the photo you chose shows you appear relaxed. My own blog is really paying dividends. I think the clear uncluttered approach is appealing and the ability to direct twitter folks to posts is really simple. In this age of mistrust – I am in the UK and our political folks are going down faster than the titanic- a good sincere blog gives re-assurance.
Keep up the good work. Ps Adwords Checkmate is an incredible product.
what do you estimate the range of possible increase of conversions to be?
Dear Mr. Livingston:
I wanted to ask if you would elaborate on the statement: \"The conversion from my blog is unbelievable.\"
What is the entire process from Adwords campaign to blog? Do you write a killer ad for AdWords and then send that traffic directly to your homepage on your blog? Or do you send it to a post on your blog that addresses the subject in the ad (or relates to the keywords in your Ad Group)?
Many thanks,
Lucy
Hi Glenn,
Interesting thoughts on blogging. For me, one of the best things about having a blog is that it\’s allowed me to get my content syndicated to more places–which has been great for my linking strategy and growing my list.
Thanks for sharing!
Stacy
Stacy Karacostas
Practical Marketing Expert
http://www.marketing-junkie.com
I am thinking about the value of a blog. Now I can proceed. I know that there is not automatic success, but you have to create great content, and use techniques like “content siloing”.
By the way, Me I suggest you change the date’s format? I live in México and for me the comments were written on March (06.03.09 means 6-March-2009 for me), after think about that, I realized that you means June-03-2009.
Anyway, Thanks for share all that information.
I couldn’t agree more. A blog is a great way to increase your search engine optimization and conversion rates. You have to be able to understand how the blogs work. They are a great funnel into your website because you can out a lot of keywords on there.
What I love about blogging is with a few mouse clicks I can add plug ins that take care of a large chunck of my SEO for me . . . or does it? That is the question that always plagues me: How effective is All in One Seo and similar plug ins?
It took me years to find out that a blog is as good, or better than a traditional website. I use Semiologic Pro (SP) for several of my sub-sites. SP consists of a wordpress chasis with various modules included. The modules work together to make it easy to produce a site that gets articles listed on Google in hours. I’ve saved thousands of dollars in costs because I can make changes on the fly by myself.
And last, but not least, a big thanks to Glenn for making your material accessible at a fantastic monthly price!
The best to you and Sharon.
Guy Porter
http://www.porterkickham.com
The best part is that blogs create organic links for natural search results. If done correctly. You can use keywords to drive traffic to articles about product reviews that can bring in big affiliate bucks.
If this is done with Google Ad Words people can see your organic link next to your paid link this creates a trust and allows them to see you as the authority in that search result game over.
John
Business guru Tom Peters is a long time evangelist for extending yourself and giving your best thinking away on a regular basis because it forces you to find even better ways to distinguish yourself. Our experience has always been that one of the real benefits of regular blogging is how much it forces you to be an advocate for your readers. Plus it also simply forces you to come up with new stuff. And only good things come from genuinely reaching for better things for the people you’re in business to help. Blogs are a great platform for this kind of giving. Glenn, you could have stayed in a super successful business dealing as you did with the corporate world. But your venture online has thrown off enormous benefits for us travelling in your wake. Thanks for leading by example!
A few things come to mind I gotta say.
1. I love numbers.
2. Once you have read a “sales page” why, for the most part, go back? With blogs there’s NEW stuff.
3. You can update your blog and send out emails to refering to it. (Thats how I got here.) Or of coarse your RSS feed. How many times can you send someone to the same sales page? (actually stompernet does this great by adding different videos on top of the same sales letter, then sends out emails, I’ve seen Adwords advertisers do the same… food for thought)
4. I followed the link to Terry Deans page above… IT WORKED, that is, I did what Glenn was probably trying to get me to do.
5. I love numbers.
P.S. As a good marketer Terry gives some fantasitic advice FREE!
P.S.S. What would Claude Hopkins do?