Blogs may be Web 2.0, but bloggers should not ignore some of the good old internet direct marketing tactics that have worked with online marketing in almost a decade or more.
Here is the absolute 101 basics you really should not ignore ...
1. DO NOT FORGET E-Mail Delivery
Bloggers are often abandon or completely ignore e-mail as a tool to deliver their content to their readers.
While RSS provides us with many unique advantages, it has yet to reach mainstream adoption. Until that happens, advertisers and publishers should not even consider abandoning e-mail delivery, or is likely to ignore most of their potential read
ers.
If you're still wondering why you need e-mail, consider the potential you may be wasting no. Someone visits your blog, like the content and would like to be notified as new content of interest becomes available, and he does not know what RSS is, or even treatment. If you fail to capture his email address and consent at the exact moment he would never again return to your site, either because he forgets it, or because dozens of other sites capture his interest even before the next day.
2. E-zine Publishing is still a MUST
Publishing a blog is not a substitute for an e-zine. If nothing else, publishing a weekly or monthly e-zine of your top blog posts that exist in a single easy-to-consumer format.
Some simply do not have time to watch your blog regularly, and others will just want to get a quick overview to get only your best and most critical content. Publish an e-mail e-zine will do it for you, allowing you to communicate with the widest possible long-term audience for your blog.
3. Email and RSS SUBSCRIPTIONS
To e-mail (e-zine) and RSS subscriptions is important for the success of any blog. But none of these will do you much good if your visitors do not actually see it and if you do not give them enough incentive to subscribe.
Foremost display your e-mail e-zine and RSS subscriptions information at the top of your blog, instead of somewhere far down where nobody can see them.
And second, use enticing copy to get visitors to subscribe. Briefly explain the benefits of subscribing, what kind of content they can expect to receive, and do not forget your privacy disclaimer, calming potential subscribers that you will never abuse their personal information.
4. EXPLAIN RSS
Most Internet users still do not know what RSS is or how to use it, and thus the RSS buttons on your blog mean absolutely nothing for them.
To solve this problem by creating a special RSS presentation page and link to it next to the RSS Subscribe button. On this page explains:
What is RSS
How visitors will benefit from using RSS
Where they can get a free RSS aggregator (recommend one yourself!)
How they can install it (provide step-by-step instructions)
How they can subscribe to your RSS feeds
Why they should subscribe to your RSS feeds
So, on the same page that contains links to all your RSS feeds.
5. Top Content
If you update your blog frequently, keeping your less recent top content being pushed down and down, where most of your blog readers will never bother to look for it.
Overcome this frequent blog problem by creating a list of your top posts, clearly displayed and accessible from each of your pages. Depending on the topic you cover, you may want to place these headlines as close to the top of your blog as possible, in order quickly to entice your visitors to start reading the best of what you have to offer, and then use this content to convert them to loyal readers and subscribers.
6. The overall
The website or blog headline will tell your visitors what they can expect to read your blog and will answer their key question: "What does it mean for me?"
Make sure that your blog headlines gives this reason, the story compelling enough for your readers to keep reading.
7. Lead your visitors to your MDA
MDA is the most desired action you want your visitors to take on your site, ranging from a subscription to your e-zine to requesting more information about your services or ordering your product / getting more information about it.
Your blog will be of great help in this area, but only if you actually lead your visitors to this action. Provide this information in your menu is simply not enough.
Experiment to make some copy for your MDA directly below each blog post (on your permanent blog post archives pages), and also a prominent place in your left or right column.
If you are providing more services or products that promote each of them next to the appropriate posts, based on the following topics.
And yes, it is more important than having dozens of Google AdSense ads on your blog ... if you want to use your blog as a part of your marketing mix.
8. Look different
Blogs are usually not very constructed and most of them look exactly the same. While light design is one of the positive sides of blogs, you should invest some effort to make your blog stand out visually. Do not cram it with design, but make sure it is different than any other blog on the market.
9. Use your own domain
Have a subdomain.typepad.com type sub-domain might be the easiest choice, but remember that your domain name is your permanent online address and part of your online brand.
Therefore, investing a few dollars to get your own domain name, to enforce your brand and make it easier for your readers to access your blog.
10. DO NOT FORGET YOUR KEYWORDS
Which keywords do you want your content and blog can be found on the search engines?
Do not forget to implement those keywords in titles and body content of your blog post. We are not saying you should write your posts to please the search engines, but at least keep them in mind and use them where possible, without taking anything away from the actual content.
11. Interact with your readers
If you're blogging for business, so do not forget about business oriented reader interaction.
Mainly, ask questions from your readers concerning your area of expertise, and then respond to you via your blog. Post interesting client case studies. When you receive a notification after it or link to it. And so on ...
12. BLOG specific marketing instrument tactics 101
a] Intensively market your RSS feeds
b]
13. DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE CONTENT
And of course, none of the above, will not make any difference at all if you do not provide high quality, interesting and frequent content.
These 13 points are of course only the most basic things, but enough to help you in marketing optimization train.
