Welcome to the Blogosphere
Blog, blogger, blogosphere. I thought these were the strangest sounding words when I first heard them. And I admit, it took me a while to warm up to the whole “blogging” idea. I actually imagined the whole blog scene akin to a supernova that would take the Internet by storm but die out as fast as it came in. But, alas, that has not been the case.
A blog (short for web log) is a website where entries are made and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as personal online diaries. Blogs make it much easier for your prospective clients and customers to find you! First of all, when you publish a new website the traditional way, it can take Google a few days to index it (include it in search results). When you publish a new blog site or add a new post to your blog, it is indexed almost immediately.
Next, you can use your blog to improve your traditional website’s ranking because you can link to your website from your blog. The more “incoming” links (from other websites) your website has, the higher it will rank. What’s more, you now have a new way of inviting people into your marketing funnel.
A blog is also essential for creating and deepening your relationships with your current and prospective clients and customers. You can start a conversation in every post, and they can reply by adding their own comments right on the page. Before you know it, you’re at the center of a community of people who all have a similar interest in your area of specialty.
To get started as a blogger, the first thing you’ll need to decide is the question I’m asked most frequently about blogging – “Free or Paid”?
