Is using a blog for marketing a viable alternative to buying a domain and creating a fully fledged website? In this article I look at why using a blog for marketing can be just as effective provided you get the layout right and optimise the content.
Why use a blog Blogs are both free and easy to set-up and are ideal if you are still testing the waters on a marketing campaign.
Investing in a domain and web hosting not only has an initial cost but you are stuck with them if you choose incorrectly ...
and you need to know about Web design, etc.
For blogs, I use Blogger.
com which is also ideal for beginners.
Setting up a blog as your marketing platform Now, it is not the purpose of this article to show you how to create your very first blog account and I am not assuming you already have one or know how to do it either.
The fact is, the process is so easy and Blogger.
com take you through it in a 3 stage process.
So, there is no point in me replicating that here...
However, before you set up your blog think very carefully about the Blog Title and Address...
So, if your niche is 'sausage making' select that for your title and address.
So your blog will be 'sausagemaking@blogspot.
com' A relevant title and address are very important, so choose wisely.
(If you make the 'wrong' choice or think of a better one later on you can always set up another blog.
) Creating an effective layout for your blog In Blogger 2, it is now possible to add text elements other than actual Blog posts.
So add at least two at the top of the blog to welcome people to your blog and describe its purpose.
These will then remain static above your blog posts.
It is very important here to add relevant text that contains your main niche keywords.
Add an opt-in form and display it prominently.
If you don't capture your leads you are missing an opportunity to make potential additional sales.
Add a links section.
This will contain the links to your recommended products.
You can add as many elements as you wish but keep things as simple and relevant as you can.
Publish your blog and start adding some relevant posts.
You can add articles, reviews, chat posts, anything you want.
But keep it relevant to your topic and keywords at all times.
By following these simple steps you can make a blog look exactly like a landing page in a website with the added benefit of being able to easily add content in your blog posts.
As such, using a blog for marketing can be just as effective as a website if not more so.