Archive for the ‘Business Blogs and Blog Marketing’ Category

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Blogging (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Doesn’t Woody Allen have a movie by that name?

I got some good feedback over the Interwebs last week for my post on How Do People Find My Blog? Turns out a lot of people had the same question.

So, I expanded the topic to include some other blogging questions I often hear, including:

  • How do I make my blog more search engine optimized?
  • How often should I blog?
  • How long should my posts be?

and a few more.

Whether you’ve been blogging for a while, or if you’re just getting started, you might find some helpful advice in Business Blog FAQ: Blogging Secrets Revealed! (Was the trailing exclamation point too much?)

Rich Brooks
Blogger!

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, flyte news | 1 Comment »

Maine Subaru Deals: Adopt a Subaru from Evergreen Subaru

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Needed: warm and loving garage for some of Maine’s most adorable cars.

Or, at least, that’s the gist of this new blog from Maine’s Evergreen Subaru: Adopt a Subaru. Loving families can peruse litters of both new Subaru vehicles and gently used Subaru (and other) vehicles.

In addition, Maine car buyers can read expertly-written auto blog posts to help them choose the perfect vehicle for their family, like:

If you’re looking for a car in Maine, be sure to check out Evergreen Subaru’s main site and their new Adopt a Subaru blog, designed by flyte and powered by WordPress.

And won’t you take one of these babies home? I mean, I dare you to just look into those headlights and try and say no. They’ll melt your heart, no matter how cold the Maine winters get.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Design

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Web Site Launches | No Comments »

Business Blogging Webinar: Take Your Blog to the Next Level

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The other day I presented at a tourism conference on social media. By a show of hands I asked how many people were on Twitter, had Facebook fan pages, and blogged. I was surprised–and a bit disappointed–that blogging trailed Twitter and Facebook.

Not that I don’t love Twitter and Facebook, but blogging has so much more to offer your business. It offers unparalleled search engine optimization, it’s a great tool for establishing your expertise, and you have greater control over your own content, not relying on the continued popularity of a social media platform.

In my opinion, there’s no better tool in your Web marketing toolbox than a blog.

If you don’t understand why, or you want to know how to attract more readers to your blog, or you need your blog to generate more online leads, than you should check out flyte’s upcoming webinar: How to Plan, Build and Promote a Business Blog. With 60 minutes of content and 30 additional minutes of Q&A, you’ll leave the webinar with renewed blogging energy and ideas on how to make your blog work for you.

Date: Thursday, 2/11/10
Time: 1pm – 2:30 ET
Place: Your desktop
Cost: $50 Now just $30! Save $20 w/discount code “baseball”

There are a limited number of seats (yes, even webinars have “seats”) so register now!

Rich Brooks
Blogging About Blogging Since 2004

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, flyte news | 3 Comments »

How Do People Find My Blog?

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Dear Rich,

This may be a stupid question, but how do people find my blog?

–Blogging in Baileyville

Dear Blogging,

There are no stupid questions while the person asking is still in earshot.

Yours, however, is not stupid on any level. I have been asked this many times. The simplest answer is, “the same way they find your Web site: through search engines.” By creating a new blog post you are also creating a new Web page, and every Web page is an opportunity to rank for another search term at Google, Bing or Yahoo.

To take full advantage of this you should perform a keyword analysis so you know what your prospects are searching for. Once you know the phrases that are most likely to attract the right type of audience, make sure you use these phrases in your titles, tags, categories and body copy. Your post title, which becomes the page title, is half the battle of attracting your audience.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Marketing

Photo credit: James Lumb

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Web Copywriting, Web Marketing | 4 Comments »

New Designs for Affordable Websites from flyte

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Starting at just under $2K, our ProSites have always been a good choice for startups or companies that want to take some of their “Interweb funds” and put it towards some search engine optimization, blogging or email marketing.

This past week we introduced three new designs, Textures, Bright Lights and World Travel, as well as retiring some of our older designs.

Besides the great price point, all of these ProSites are built on WordPress, a simple-to-use content management system (CMS). That means you can add, edit, and delete content, pages, upload images, and embed videos to your heart’s content (or to your business’s needs.)

These sites have been built to be flexible enough to fit almost any kind of business, and you can change the navigation to fit your offerings, whether they’re services or products. They work great for non-profits, too.

But wait, there’s more!

Through the month of February (that’s 2010), we’re going to include a free blog with every ProSite. For search engine optimization, establishing your credibility, and as the hub of your social media activity, there’s no better tool than a business blog, and with the new ProSites, they’re integrated into your website. They’re the perfect compliment to an effective Web presence.

Be sure to check out the ProSites at our Web site, or just reach out now and contact flyte today.

Rich Brooks
Affordable Websites for Small Business

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Entrepreneur & Small Business, Web Design & Development, Web Site Launches, flyte news | No Comments »

SEO and Social Media Consults Giveaways

Monday, January 25th, 2010

This is the last week to enter for two of flyte new media’s Web marketing giveaways:

Search Engine Optimization:

Would you like your site to rank higher at the search engines? Do you wish you could attract more qualified leads to your Web site? Do you wonder why your competition beats you at Google?

If so, register for our Search Engine Optimization Consultation, that includes two one-hour consultations, a review of your site and recommendations, and a mini-keyword analysis from Nicki Hicks, our search engine marketer.

Web Marketing / Social Media:

Are you struggling to understand Facebook? How Twitter can help grow your business? How YouTube can attract qualified leads to your Web site? Whether a blog will increase your search engine visibility or eat up your last remaining free time?

If so, register for our Web Marketing / Social Media Consultation, with your man about town, Rich Brooks. We’ll talk about social networking sites, blogs, video and anything else you need to drive more qualified leads to your Web site and grow your business.

Both contests wrap up on Sunday, 1/31/2010, so be sure to take advantage of this offer if you’re looking to build your business in 2010.

Rich Brooks
Web Marketing for Small Business

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Entrepreneur & Small Business, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Web Marketing, flyte news | 3 Comments »

The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make – Revised!

Monday, January 4th, 2010

11 Biggest MistakesOne of the most popular downloads on the flyte website for the past few years has been The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make. In it, I document some of the most egregious mistakes I made as I started flyte’s own blog on Web marketing for small business (and how to avoid them!)

During last year’s BlogWorld, I revised some of my thinking on how small businesses (and non-profits) can use a blog to grow their business (or organization.) Some of the mistakes in the original report were no longer relevant, while new ones had appeared.

For example, SEO (search engine optimization) had become much more essential to a blog’s success, especially as competition in the blogosphere had increased. Likewise, when I first wrote the report social media was almost non-existent, at least as far as today’s landscape goes. Today’s successful blogger needs to be active in Twitter, Facebook, and even YouTube.

If you have been considering launching your own blog, or wondering why your current blog isn’t as effective as it could be, be sure to download your free copy of The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make. (Email subscription is your only requirement…and you can unsubscribe as soon as the download is completed!) If you’re already a subscriber to flyte log, our almost-award winning email newsletter, I’ll be sending you a link to where you can download the revised report soon.

Rich Brooks
Mistake Prone

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, flyte news | 4 Comments »

Web Marketing Six-Pack: Get 6 Months of Webinars for 50% Off

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

6-packWe just posted our editorial calendar of Webinars for the first half of 2010; everything from SEO to Social Media to Google Analytics and beyond.

As I was looking at the fresh list last night, I realized that although any one of them is powerful, taken as a group they offer a huge competitive advantage. So here’s what I did:

We’re now offering all six Webinars for 1/2 off. This includes:

Together those Webinars list at $300, but for right now we’re offering them for $150.

But wait, you say. I can’t make all of those dates!

Not to worry. Everyone who signs up for the Webinar Six-Pack will receive the audio and slides from each presentation which you can listen to…forever! And at your leisure!

This is, as they say, a limited time offer. And remember: a six-pack of Webinars makes the perfect stocking stuffer.

Get your Web Marketing Six-Pack Now!

Before they’re all gone…

Rich Brooks
Using the Interwebs to Talk About the Interwebs

Photo credit: bbaunach

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Posted in Analytics, Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Email Marketing, Entrepreneur & Small Business, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Web Marketing, flyte news | No Comments »

Web Marketing Articles: The 2009 Edition

Monday, December 14th, 2009

2009If you’re looking for some Web marketing advice, from which content management system to use, to how to leverage Web video, to how to build a business blog that generates leads, we’ve got you covered.

I gathered the last twelve issues of flyte log, our monthly email newsletter on how small businesses can use the Web to build their business.

Hopefully you’re already subscribed the flyte log, but if you’re not, there’s no better time than the present. Once you do, you can download the following articles:
  • 10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site
  • The 11 Commandments of Writing Web Copy for the Non-Copywriter
  • The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make
So what are you waiting for? A prosperous 2010 awaits!
Rich Brooks
That Web Marketing Guy
Photo credit: Mosieur J.

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Email Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, Web Design & Development, Web Marketing, flyte news | 5 Comments »

How NOT to Leave a Comment on a Blog

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Some things to keep in mind:

  • Incoming links (links from other Web sites to yours) have search engine benefits.
  • You can create links from someone else’s blog to your site by leaving a comment.
  • People respond to incentives.

Thus, it’s no surprise that unscrupulous marketers (and even some with scruples) leave a lot of comments on other blogs for the sole purpose of increasing the search engine visibility of their own site or blog.

Never mind that almost every blog in the world uses a no-follow ref tag in the comments section, basically neutering the SEO benefits of a comment.

That being said, not everyone seems to have gotten the memo. There’s still benefits to leaving a comment, however:

  • Adding to the conversation the blogger started
  • Getting the attention of the blogger and perhaps beginning a mutually-beneficial relationship
  • Having people admire how intelligent, insightful and on message  your comment is, and possibly following the link back to your Web site or blog.

That last bullet point needs to be repeated, this time with some emphasis:

  • Having people admire how intelligent, insightful and on message  your comment is, and possibly following the link back to your Web site or blog.

And that’s the trick. You need to be intelligent, insightful and on message. Although every blogger has his or her own rules for when to leave a comment up there, I’ve always been open to destroying a comment with extreme prejudice if they seemed more interested in promoting their own work than continuing the conversation I started.

For example, I recently received this comment on a post on How to Add Photos and Videos to Your Tweets:

How Not to Leave a Comment

Besides the atrocious grammar, it’s hard to take someone serious who:

  1. Recommends a product which also appears to be his URL
  2. Has a generic sounding gmail address
  3. Was named “Mass Email” by his parents

Not to mention it has nothing to do with the post at hand. If this were a post on email marketing, or bulk email marketing tools, this would be perfectly appropriate.

If you are going to leave comments on other blogs, please add something of value. It helps the blogger, his/her audience, and may actually do some good for you as well.

Rich Brooks
Small Business Blogger

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Posted in Business Blogs and Blog Marketing, Business Philosophy, Entrepreneur & Small Business, Web Marketing | 8 Comments »

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