Why Turn To Blogging as a Marketing Tool?

Professor Moolha knows that independent Professionals have to spend most of their time not with clients but in marketing.  Except for the few lucky ones, Professionals are constantly battling to develop new clients and build a bigger business.

Time is the important issue here.  Most people who want to become independent and become professionals do so because they don’t like something in their current organization.  The overwhelming dislike is the fact that they have to spend so much time for someone else.  It may be time in working, it may be in efficiency, it may be the fact that they don’t like to show up to work and be there during a normal work week (9-5 on the time card but we all know that it is more like 8-7 most days).

So how do we become independent workers and make enough money to make us happy?  Develop a blog and utilize the new social internet (Web 2.0).

What will your blog get you?

1. Reach More People – As you build your blog you will build readership.  Utilizing this readership you will be able to reach more people at one time.  It is like meeting someone face to face and telling them about your business in a story format.  By doing this with a blog you will be telling many people about your business at the same time, but it will feel as if you are talking to one person at a time.
2. Targeted – People look for very specific things when they go on the internet.  If you have what they want then they will find you.  You will in turn get a very focused and targeted group of people reading your blog.  Since you have good content they will want to come back time and time again to read your blog and see what you have to say.  This will only focus their attention more.  You will not be spending time trying to target and convince a group of people who really are not interested.  If they stay with your blog you know they will be interested.
3. Subtle – Everyone is bombarded with ads these days.  No one likes the hard sell.  We are simply a smarter Nation now.  By using your blog to market your business, and if applicable, sell products, the sell is very subtle.  Instead of saying “this is the best product you need to buy it or your life is ruined” you will be writing about he need for a product.  Oh by the way we just happen to have it.  Or maybe you have a satisfied client who will let you use their story (if you can get a picture it is very powerful).  Don’t sell your services or product here.  Let them sell it.  Let them say what is great about you.  It is the soft subtle sell.  A great success story.  Everyone wants to be successful.
4. Less Time – You will be spending less time.  A blog post will only take maybe an hour to map out, write, edit, and post.  As you do this more your time spent will be less and less.  You will not have to spend a whole bunch of time sitting down with a marketing consultant or an ad specialist to develop a strategy.  You simply get an idea and write about it.  That is it, that is all a blog is.  It is an ongoing conversation with you as the leader and your audience as the listeners.
5. Anytime – Blogs are great because you can post any time you want.  We recommend if you have a big chunk of time write a few posts, you can set WordPress to spread them out over time using their post date stamp function (more about that will be on the way).  You don’t just have to work from 9-5, but you can do it anytime.  Write a post just before bed, or when you wake up.  Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to be productive?  No one else is awake so what do you do?  Write a blog post.
6. Anywhere – I personally love to sit at the beach or in a coffee shop to write my posts.  It gets me out of the house, I get a good cup of java, or a milkshake and let my surroundings inspire me to write.  There are fewer distractions and I get done quicker.  Plus the fresh air is great.  I can even take my dog and we both get a benefit.
7. Free – Everyone likes free.  Blogs for the most part are free.  As we get into some more advanced topics we can see how we can begin to charge for a “premium blog” but for now lets just get started.  As long as the content is coming, and it is free, there will be people to read it.  Free is good.

There are probably many more reasons to have a blog, these are just the ones that I have come up with and that I find the most compelling.  It is a great way to spend your time marketing and developing your business.

Prof Moolah.