How to Start a Blog Right Now

Blogs are one of my favorite tools for marketing.  They are very useful to market your company, a corresponding website, yourself, or an interest you might have and want to bring awareness to. Blogs are types of websites that can be considered a sort of an online diary, however the uses for a blog are infinite and the benefits are just as great. By now many have heard of blogs, and possibly have had an interest in starting one but don’t know where to begin. Luckily there are lots of websites that can allow you to create a professional blog in just seconds. Once you’ve created the blog, there a few things to keep in mind to attract visitors and promote visitor activity within the blog site.

Why have a blog? Well, on a pure SEO (search engine optimization) standpoint, it’s a great way to get backlinks to a corresponding site.  It’s also a great way to rank for keywords in organic and paid searches. From an internet marketing standpoint, it’s a great way to supplement an e-commerce store to educate your consumers on products and trends that relate to the products and services you provide. Through research, you can target relevant terms consumers are typing in to a search query and you can blog about that exact term to show up in search results where consumers can find you, research the product or service, and link to your site. It’s a perfect virtual funnel for a conversion without pressuring the consumer. A blog is also a great way to display a portfolio or resume online. Imagine how impressed an employer would be when you go in for an interview and they ask about your knowledge and experience and you can direct them to your blog to see relevant postings about your industry. I guarantee you will have an edge over the competition proving you are tech savvy and provide another way for a potential employer to get to know you beyond what can be discussed in a standard interview. Blogs are great for celebrities, models, actors, athletes, or aspiring celebs that want to raise awareness of their talents and create a following.

Establishing a blog is incredibly fast, easy, and free! Some popular blog hosting sites are Blogger.com, Bloglines.com, Wordpress.com, even Squidoo.com. For SEO, WordPress, Blogger, and Squidoo would be best because you can add keywords. If you want my favorites, I think Blogger is the best for a personal or professional, non corporate use. It’s incredibly easy to use, has lots of templates available, you can add tags or keywords, and it’s powered by Google. For SEO, I like WordPress because of the tons of templates available, and because of the available functionalities like the SEO All-In-One-Pack that makes SEO for your blog a breeze. Also, in the past, we’ve noticed that WordPress sites show up promptly in search results upon the launching of the site.

Here are some tips for great blogging activity. Always remember that content is king. This term is used very often in internet marketing but it’s valid in more than one context. In this case, once you pick a topic or theme for your blog, try to write interesting and useful content that visitors would search for.  Adding pictures, videos, or a random vlog (video blog) is another great way to boost the look of your site. Pick an attractive and easy to read template that is relevant to your blog. You can search online for template downloads online. For example, enter “wordpress templates” in your search query and many will come up. I see tons of these posted on Delicious.com and Digg.com. Also, at the end of each blog, ask a question to entice visitors to post comments, and then make sure you answer them and keep up with the communication.

Hopefully by now, you realize how easy, cost effective and beneficial having a blog can be. You can literally start one right now, in seconds, absolutely free. The possibilities and topics are plentiful. In today’s economy, whether you are trying to increase sales or get yourself noticed amongst the competition, a blog can you give you a big boost without being a big bust. For more blogging ideas and blog topics, visit the Optimum7 internet marketing blog.