Business And Blogging - Building Your Credibility With Your Business Blog

By Connie Ragen Green

Blogs have replaced websites as the best way to have visibility on the internet. I think of my blog as my home online. People find me by using my keywords when they are searching for information on my topic, or else they find my blog because I have commented on another blog, written something in a forum or in a social networking site, or given out my business card when I was speaking to a group.

The most important thing is that they now have a place on the internet to find out more about who I am and what I can do for them. I set up my blog in an organized way from the very beginning so that it would be easy for readers to quickly get what they need.

Having an opt-in box at the top of the blog is important in order to build your list. I ask for the person's first name and email address, and offer a free teleseminar in exchange for this information. This gives them the opportunity to hear me on a call and ask any questions they may have, and allows me to begin sending them regular email messages with tips, ideas, free reports, and information about upcoming courses I will be offering. This makes it a win-win situation for both of us. If they decide they are no longer interested, they can simply click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

Categories are another feature on your blog that will help readers to find the information they are looking for. When I started my blog I created about 10 categories. These are the topics that I discuss in my blog posts. This number has now expanded to 32 categories, but it makes it very simple for someone to click on a particular category and see all of the posts I have made on that specific topic. You will want to think about your categories from the very beginning of creating your blog so that you can also benefit from the search engine optimization that goes along with having your keyword phrases listed on the first page of your blog.

It is also important to have a way for people to share your post with others through social media sites such as StumbleUpon, Digg, and others. You can set this up on your blog so that your readers can help you to be known on an even wider basis throughout the blogosphere.

Blogging is the very best way to get your message out to the world. You share your knowledge and expertise with your readers and promote your products and upcoming events in a conversational way. I encourage you to begin blogging in a serious way to build your online business.

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Connie Ragen Green teaches you how to write articles and eBooks to build an online business, as well as how to use the technology needed. Visit www.EbookWritingandMarketingSecrets.com to find out more.