Five Ways to Use a Blog to Market Your Business

1. A blog helps your site to rank higher in the search engines
   When Google bought Pyra Labs, developer of Blogger, many didn't understand why they'd want something that we seen as most as an online journal. Didn't teen girls fool around with those blogs??
   The times, they are a changin... By the end of 2005 you'll be hearing much more about business blogging. It's because google and the other search engines love blogs because it's continually updated content. The more you blog, the more visitors you'll get to your site. The more visitors to your site, the more you rise in the search engine rankings.
   
   
2. A blog expands your customer
   You'll reach people through your blog with frequent updates. You'll also get visitors who searched for a word that was mentioned in your blog post. They have no idea who you are, but stumbled upon you because of your post. Write and link to relevant content and they will find you.
   
   
3. A blog helps brand you
   It's a form of stealth marketing. It should provide your reader with valuable content. Blog about what you know and are passionate about. Link an article or free ebook in your blog for your readers to download. This isn't the time to sell. That's not what true blogging is about.
   
   
4. Like a diamond, a blog is forever
   Post as often as you can. I suggest three times a week. The newsreaders indicate how many days it's been since your last blog. It's hard to look at that and see you haven't blogged in three days. At least that's what I try to do.
   
   
5. A blog attracts new opportunities
   A blog makes your business visible. It will attract the attention of people who may become joint venture partners, or who will have other opportunities for you.
   

The time and energy that you invest in your blog can bring results beyond your wildest expectations. Create a blog - it's your hardest-working, and most cost-effective online marketing option.

Additional Reading: Blogger's Edge

10 Innovative Ways To Use Your Autoresponder

1. Collect leads with your autoresponder. You will get
   an e-mail digest of everyone's e-mail addresses who
   requests information from your autoresponder.
   
2. Publish a price list of all the products and services
   that you offer. You could also include order forms,
   product descriptions, and other sales material.
   
3. Publish free reports in autoresponder format. The
   reports should be related to your business or web site.
   Giving away free stuff will quickly increase your traffic.
   
4. Collect vital customer satisfaction information by
   publishing a survey in autoresponder format. This type
   of information will help you serve them better.
   
5. Instead of answering every customer question that's
   e-mailed to you, publish "Frequently Ask Questions" in
   autoresponder format. This will save time and money.
   
6. You could publish your testimonials or endorsements
   in autoresponder format if you don't have the room in
   your ad copy. It's more effective to include all of them.
   
7. Provide back issues of your e-zine archives in auto-
   responder format. This will give your subscribers and
   web site visitors easy access to them.
   
8. Publish your entire web site in autoresponder format.
   Sometimes visitors don't have enough time read your
   entire site. They could print it out and read it offline.
   
9. You could offer your ebook in autoresponder format.
   Your visitors won't have to download it or have the
   software to read it right away.
   
10. You could publish the terms and conditions to any
    business transactions in autoresponder format. This
    could include return policies, purchases, refunds etc.
    

I highly recommend GetResponse.com. I've been using it for several months now and am very please with how it works.

Photographing with the D-Flector

Are you looking for a great way to photograph items for your web site or ebay store? I've just finished an online store for a client using the D-Flector for the product shots.

This is a fabulous, portable photography studio. The superior results achieved using the D-Flector is amazing. It makes the clean up of your product shots a piece of cake.

Take a look at their site and let me know what you think.

Freedom Builders Violate CanSpam Act

If you have been arbitrarily subscribed to Freedom Builders' newsletter, without your consent or knowledge, please let me know.

Freedom Builders host their site at rackspace.com. This is the rackspace.com acceptable use policy.

It is a violation of the CanSpam Act to send unsolicited e-mail. Freedom Builders is attending networking events, gathering e-mail addresses and then arbitrarily subscribing unsuspecting business people to their newsletter. Twice I've unsubscribed myself, only to have them re-subscribe me. I sent them two e-mails. The first one they were terse in their response letting me know I was unsubscribed. The second one they assured me they wouldn't spam me again. NOT!!!

If you want a networking group that abides by the CanSpam Act, I'd suggest looking at Leads Club If you go to the Leads Club web site, you'll see that Leads Club uses a double opt-in subscription form. You can't be subscribed to Leads Club's Ali's Ceiling Saying without your knowledge.

You may ask what is an opt-in subscription. Opt-in means that you've chosen to receive e-mails from a business. When you submit your subscription request, an autoresponder is sent to you asking you to confirm your subscription. This is the appropriate way to add people to your e-mail list. When you receive the autoresponder, you have the opportunity at that time to remove yourself from the list by ignoring the confirmation request in the autoresponder.

You may want to consider what type of business would try to subscribe you several times without your permission. I know what type of business I consider Freedom Builders to be...

Leads Club is an ethical, above board networking organization. They provide small business owners with a tried and proven method of networking that actually grows small businesses. Check them out if you want to increase your business income!

Unleash Your Internet Marketing Success

Internet Marketing can be a little overwhelming for someone new to the web. Internet Marketing is so much more than search engine optimization. Internet Marketing can be a way to start your own business while working the typical "9 to 5" job. Think it's too much? Think again!

I've got an ebook for you to read to help you navigate the world of internet marketing. Unleash Your Internet Marketing Success will teach you the "ins and outs" of using the internet to market your business and create an income online.

You can do this! Read the book and let me know what you think. Leave your comments!