Get More Clients Online

Blog Marketing: 4 Best-Kept Secret Strategies to Double Your Blog Subscribers

Despite the popularity of RSS feeds, it seems as though many blog readers still prefer to get blog updates via email.  I know that I do, if the 21,000+ unread blog posts in my Bloglines account is any indication.    Plus, I have no idea of how many people read my blog through an RSS reader, as there is no way to track that number. Having realized these facts, I began to do some research on how to better harness my blog subscribers and increase my subscriber base.

The solution was easier than I imagined, using the service I already use for email marketing, GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.  This service has now built in a blog marketing feature that is included at no extra charge with your email marketing account.  Unlike the other blog-to-email subscriber services out there, this one permits me total access to my subscribers and well as total control of how the email broadcasts look.

Here are the 4 strategies you can implement to double the number of blog subscribers to your blog:

1.  Blog newsletter.  Your blog's success depends largely on your ability to drive visitors to it to read your posts, click on your ads, and purchase your products and services.  With a blog newsletter, you can merge the best of email and RSS and convert your blog's RSS automatically to an email newsletter. You can schedule your blog newsletters to publish on a regular basis, or as you publish new posts.  You can also track web site clicks using your own domain name, and see who clicks your links and opens your messages. The most powerful feature is the ability to segment subscribers based on who clicked (or didn't click) on a link and send followup emails.

2.  Blog subscribe page.  Just like the subscribe (or squeeze) page for your ezine, your blog needs a squeeze page, as well, to sell visitors on the value of your blog. Some visitors will get to your subscribe page from one of your posts, and others will arrive there from your signup form, where you link to your subscribe page for people who want more info before deciding to subscribe. You might even throw in a freebie for subscribing.

3.  Opt-in form at end of each post.  One of the most effective strategies is to place an opt-in form at the end of each post.  If someone reads to the end of an article, she must have been particularly impressed with the content. So, why not make it easy for her to subscribe at the end of the post?

4.  Share function. When you ask your current subscribers to share your blog, you’re likely to get new subscribers just like your current ones, who then share your blog with other people in your target market. A quick way to do this is to have a sidebar in your blog newsletter asking your readers to share the post, and then request readers to visit your blog squeeze page to receive future posts.

These four strategies for increasing your blog's readership aren't widely discussed, yet those who have used them have experienced significant gains in their blog subscriber numbers.  Discover how your blog readership grows by implementing just one of these strategies today!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:  Internet Marketing for Introverts Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals who are introverts learn how to authentically market their business and get found online without sacrificing their introverted soul.  Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results for introverts? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==>http://www.TurbochargeYourOnlineMarketing.com

Drive Traffic to Your Site with a 6-Step Blog Comments Blueprint

One of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your web site is by commenting on other people's blogs.  However, a vast majority of people don't do this the right way.  Their primary traffic strategy is to leave meaningless comments on the posts of blogs in their niche just to get a few clicks from the passing traffic.  I get these comments all the time on my blog, and wonder why the commenter bothered.  I just delete the posts because they add nothing to the conversation, or, worse yet, are a blatant attempt at promoting someone's site or product.

Serious bloggers value great content over everything else, and only value those comments that are on topic and enhance or add to the conversation on their blog.  Any comments on the blog should meaningfully continue the conversation started by the blogger. So, you could say that the secret to blog comments that successfully generate traffic come from establishing meaningful relationships through pertinent comments on blogs in your niche.

Here's your 6-step blueprint to driving traffic to your site via blog comments:

1.  Use blog-specific search engines to find blog posts on which to comment.  Some of the more popular ones are Google Blog Search, Technorati,  Blog Catalog, and Ice Rocket.  In your search, make sure that you blog is read by potential clients, not your peers in your industry.  As they say, there's no use preaching to the choir.  As you decide which blogs to choose, pick blogs that seem to get traffic (as determined by Google Page Rank or Alexa ranking) and are getting a fair number of comments currently.

2.  Pick your posts.  Once you have identified 10-15 blogs that are relevant to your target market, identify posts that contain relevant content.  Not all of them will, so be picky and choose the best posts.

3.  Batch your research. This strategy works best if you dodo all of your searching at once and then do all of your commenting.  Then, open a number of posts before reading and deciding to comment. 

4.  Format your comments.  It's important to remain consistent as you post comments throughout the blogs your selected. Brand yourself by always using the same name and same email address.  I also use my self-appointed title as a part of my name to give readers a quick view of what I do.  Most importantly, always leave a comment that adds to the blog post or the conversation that is happening in the comments. Don't write things like "nice blog" or "great post" -- those comments are a waste of everyone's time.

5.  Link to your site.  Always leave a link back to your  web site, but link to different pages, not always your home page.  You might link to an offer page or a blog post or article that you've written about the topic of post on which you're commenting that would add additional information to the readers of the blog.

6.  Frequency.  More is better -- more comments mean more backlinks and more visits. Try to leave at least 5 posts a day at least 2 times a week.

For this strategy to be effective, blog commenting should be something that you add to your daily marketing activities. In just 30 minutes a day, you could add 3 to 5 comments to other people's blogs, resulting in 15 - 25 opportunities per week for new high quality links, more chances for direct targeted traffic, as well as connections to take your service business to new heights.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:Internet Marketing for Introverts Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals who are introverts learn how to authentically market their business and get found online without sacrificing their introverted soul.  Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results for introverts? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your
FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==>http://www.TurbochargeYourOnlineMarketing.com

Best Wordpress Themes

Q:  What are the best  FREE (or low- cost) wordpress themes.  What do you use?
Shawna

A:  Hi Shawna--

Actually, I don't use Wordpress at all -- I use Typepad for my blogs.  I think Wordpress is a a viable option for a blog or a blogsite.  However, because it's open source software and is free of charge, that means you have to provide your own tech support, or hire someone to do that for you. For example, I read last week about a worm that was impacting WP blogs that had not been upgraded to the latest version. If you did not know how to do this, you could lose use of your blog until you figured out how to resolve this issue.  

I use Typepad because the tech support is built into the fee that I pay.  Generally, I've seen that WP is easier to customize and more people seem to know how to do this than they do with the customization of a Typepad blog.  However, I love being able to email tech support with any problem I have, rather than having to dig out the answer in the support forums. And, with the purchase of a custom header for my Typepad blog for around $50 and then going in to change the colors to correspond, I can have a fairly customized blog (with tech support) pretty quickly.

The Wordpress themes I see regularly and think highly of are the ones purchased from ithemes.com, , WooThemes,  Thesis Theme,  and StudioPress.com.  While these aren't free, they encompass the type of layout that I recommend to clients who are using WP as a blogsite.

Here's a great article by Jill Chongva on the topic of free vs premium Wordpress themes.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.

8 Secrets to Fill Your Business in 60 Days

Recently I was asked in an interview to imagine that I was starting all over again, and as a newbie, how I would fill my business in 60 days. Things have changed tremendously since I began my online business in 1999, mostly for the better. Most of the steps, however remain the same. Best of all, the strategies I recommend to fill your business are the same ones that can be applied to any business, and then applied again and again to other online ventures. Here are 8 secrets to filling the prospect funnel in your business in 60 days:

1. Success mindset. Don't gloss over this strategy -- it may be the most important of all. If you truly want to succeed in your business and are passionate about what you do, nothing will hold you back. This often means that you have to step out in faith that you'll succeed, and most importantly, believe in yourself as a success. Sure, you may stumble, or even fall, but you must be willing to pick yourself back up and persevere -- even without a safety net hanging under you.

2. Target market. The biggest mistake that business owners make is wanting to sell to everyone. If you've tried this, you have no doubt discovered that casting your net around everyone is a very difficult task. Narrowing that group to a more manageable number will actually serve you much better, believe it or not. If you can identify a smaller group of hungry prospects who are willing to pay for the solutions to the problems that keep them awake at night (or those who are willing to pay for more information about a hobby or interest that occupies much of their free time) AND who are reachable in groups (associations, membership sites, magazines, newsletters, discussion forums or lists, social networking groups, etc.), then you have made a key discovery that will catapult your business forward.

3. Client Attraction Device. You've heard it said time and time again that "the money is in the list." This still holds true today, as well. Without a list of interested prospects to whom you can market, you don't have a business. The quickest way to begin to develop a list is to give something away. Yes, you heard me correctly. If you have content you have already created, dig through that to see if you have something appropriate for your chosen target market.

If not, identify a problem of your target market, and create some content that answers one of those problems. Perhaps it's a checklist, a Top 10 list, an ebook or special report, an audio interview, a podcast, a video -- do whatever is easiest for you. Just ensure that it is in a plug and play format , i.e. don't make your prospect download some weird software that's not commonplace to read and view this material.

Make sure that your Client Attraction Device has some valuable content in it. Nothing is more frustrating to me than to read a free giveaway that only serves to remind me that I have a problem and offers no solution unless I pay for it. Don't be afraid to demonstrate your expertise by giving "how to" information away. Trust me, if you are truly good at what you do, there's no way that you can share everything you know on a topic in one short information product. Your Client Attraction Device starts your prospects on the like, know, and trust road that is imperative for them to travel before they will decide to buy something from you.

4. Email marketing system. You must have some way to collect your prospect's information and a system by which you can stay in contact with them. The best way to do this is by purchasing email marketing services. I use GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.  Do not use a free service for this, nor try to send emails out of your Outlook program. If you want to be a serous online business owner, invest in the most important asset in your business -- your email marketing system.

5. Blogsite. A blogsite, which is a website/blog hybrid, is the quickest way to build an online presence. The two most popular blogging platforms, the fee-based  Typepad and open source software,  Wordpress, can be used to create a blogsite very quickly. If you want either of them customized with a particular look or feel, that may take a bit longer and require a greater investment. However, either will work well to get you started, and both will permit you to enter your email marketing system's signup code onto a page so that you can immediately begin to collect contact information from prospects who have requested your Client Attraction Device.

6. Stay in touch. Whether you do this by submitting regular blog posts or publishing an email newsletter (or both), you need to reach out and touch your prospects at least weekly (or several times a week if you are blogging). Give them some insights about what's happening with you personally as well as sharing some aspect of your expertise with them by creating a content-rich article or answering their questions. And, don't forget to sell -- offer some product or service in each email newsletter, or submit regular blog posts that remind your readers about what you are selling.

7. Social networking. Never before have we had the opportunity to connect with others online easily and inexpensively as we do now with social networking. Create profiles on the social network(s) used by your target market, do research to add friends/followers in your target market, and use the status updates to be useful to your followers, i.e. by sharing resources, asking questions, and updating them about how you help clients/customers.

8. Drive traffic to your site. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but my favorite starts with writing an article. Once it's written, I publish it in my ezine, my blog, and to my website and syndicate it on article directories all over the Web through GetMoreClientsArticles.com. Then I have the option of making a podcast with the content; creating a screencast video or "talking head" video from it; writing and submitting a press release; creating a teleclass; create a Q&A radio show interview opportunity; breaking up the points as separate Twitter posts, or Tweets, and tweeting them to my followers; or sharing it on my Squidoo lens or other information-sharing portals. The point here is to work once and profit, profit, profit. Repurpose one article as many ways as you can to drive traffic back to your blogsite and thus get more and more prospects to sign up on your list and ultimately convert them to customers.

The advent of the Internet makes it easier than every to create and promote a business online with very little startup capital. And, if done correctly, the strategies will results in you filling your business in 60 days with eager and willing prospects ready to buy what you are offering.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:  Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps baby boomers create profitable online retirement businesses by demystifying the steps needed to successfully market a baby boomer business online. Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at == > http://www.OnlineBizU.com

Free email marketing service

Q:  I am looking for a free e-zine site that contains automatic subscription sign ups,counts click throughs and can be set up to look like a website. I subscribed to Yahoo Groups but thet don't have the ability to build out to look like a web site or to add features that would collect newsletter subscribers. Do I have to pay a contact site?

Rev.Dr.B.Goldstien

A:  Hi Rev Goldstien--

I'm not aware of a service that has all the features that you mention that is free of charge.

Here are a couple of options for you:

1.  Email Marketing Service:  Subscribe to an email marketing service like GetMoreClientsCart.com or GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.  The first of these is a full-fledged shopping cart, which includes the ability to send out newsletters and has the ability to create a subscription form, which you can add into your site.

The second of these is an email marketing service only and also offers the ability to create a subscription form, which you can add to your site.

2.  Create a blogsite.  You can create a blogsite (blog/website hybrid) by using either the open-source version of Wordpress.org, or by purchasing a subscription to Typepad.  While neither of these programs offer the option of automatic subscription signups, counting of clickthroughs, etc., you can get some of that functionality by integrating free services like Feedburner or Feedblitz to handle your blog feed subscriptions.  In this way you can "publish" an email newsletter as a blog post and anyone subscribed to your feed will receive the issue.

Wordpress.org is free of charge because it's open source software, but you need some technical know-how to install it and customize it, and as with all open source software, there's no tech support for it, except what you must find yourself by searching through user forums.  You'll also need to buy a website hosting account to host it.

You can set up a Typepad blog for as little as $4.95/month. Hosting and tech support are both included with your account.

If you'd like more info about how to set up a blog or email marketing service to help you get the word out about your business, consider a membership to OnlineBizU.com.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.

How to Create a Blog

Q:  Is it better to design a website and add a blog link to the navation bar or to build a website using Wordpress and include a blog page?
William

A:  Hi William--

The answer depends to some degree on your level of web design experience and your ability to update your own site or contract out the updates.  For clients who want to perform periodic updates themselves without the learning curve of an HTML design program, I tell them to create a blogsite, or a blog/website hybrid.  I think Wordpress does this job the best. Once a Wordpress theme has been customized and everything is uploaded, it's pretty seamless to go in and add or update static pages as well as submit blog posts.

The nice aspect to a blogsite is that both your website and your blog sit on the same domain, so you get traffic credits for both, rather than having them split over 2 domains.  This increased traffic should result in a higher Google Page Rank, Alexa ranking, and Compete Rank, which should move your site up in search engine results.

If, however, you already have a website, I would just add a blog to that which sits on the same hosting account either in a subdomain (i.e. http://blog.yourdomainname.com or in a subdirectory, i.e. www.yourdomainname.com/blog.).  I don't know if one is more advantageous than the other. You can then link to the blog from your site's navigation menu.

Here's an article I wrote that might help you:  7 Reasons Blogsites Attract More Visitors and Help You Get More Clients Online.

And, if you'd like a referral to a WP blog designer, contact me and I'll give you my recommendation.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.

Blog or newsletter?

Q:  A blog versus a newsletter? Which should I start?
Bob Deneen

A:  Hi Bob--

I actually still prefer both, although many people have given up on email newsletters.  Print newsletters, however, have risen in popularity. especially subscription-based ones.

The answer to your question depends on your target market.  Which do they prefer?  Personally, I know that I read newsletters before blogs, even though I've got 150+ blogs marked to follow in my blog reader.  Realistically, unless it shows up in front of my face via email, I usually don't read it.  So, I guess that makes me old school..LOL  However, asking your list of contacts is probably the only way to get real direction here.

The downsides to an ezine are that your open rate is probably going to hover around 30% (only 30 percent of your list will open any given email) and you must use an email marketing company with a proven high rate of deliverability.  I use www.GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.  The upside is that if the email gets through, there's a greater likelihood of it being read, especially if it has a compelling subject line that's personalized.

The downside to a blog is that if subscribers don't check their RSS readers, they may never see your posts.  The upside to a blog is that the search engines love them and will index posts much more rapidly than tradtional web pages.  So, if you optimize your post properly for keywords, there's a greater chance of finding new subscribers.

Whichever one you decide to start with, remember that you can repurpose one to the other.  Shorter blog posts can become more in-depth newsletter articles,   And, sections of your newsletter can be posted on your blog.

For more in-depth info on how to create both an email newsletter and a blog as well as access the 60-minute teleclass I held on repurposing your content, try a membership to OnlineBizU.com.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.

How many blogs to create for multiple businesses?

Q:  I've read several of your articles already and the TurboCharge toolkit. Although my husband & I have had an online Ebay business for 12 yrs, at 41 I'm just starting to learn blogging and making money from it. I'll be tuned into your info like glue.

I have one question to start me off on this road. My husband and I would like to promote 4 interests: our online retail business, our real estate interest (we've been flipping houses on the side and would like to promote and past and present work in this area), our upcoming pet ezine, and our upcoming swap/recycling ezine. So do we 1) create blogs using our personal names, or 2) create blogs using each of the 4 business names?  (And do you think my husband and I should do half & half, or present everything together as a couple?)

I really appreciate your guidance. I know I can learn this with your help.

Krys Bleda in rural New Mexico

A:  Hi Krys--

Many people will create a personal blog under your given name and link your biz blogs to that and it to your biz blogs.  In this you can update customers, friends, family, etc. on what's happening with you personally, if you like.

In terms of the business blogs, you need to have a dedicated blog to each of your business interests.  There doesn't appear to be any overlap in your businesses, so to have 1 blog promoting 4 diverse businesses would be confusing, to say the least, for your visitors.

Pick a keyword rich domain name for each blog, and then use either Wordpress.org to download and install the WP software on your hosting account (check to see if your hosting account already has this installed) or use a service-based platform like Typepad (my blogs are hosted here) and pick the $14.95/month package (if you pay up front it's only $149.50/year)that will permit you to create as many blogs as you desire.

I use Typepad because I love that it's user-friendly and doesn't require hiring a blog design expert to install it and customize it for you.  You can easily use one of their many templates out of the package.

With either option, one of you will be the primary writer and the other can be set up as a guest author.  On the Typepad platform (I don't use WP so I can't speak to how it works there), the primary author has full control over the blog, including changing the look of the blog, adding categories, adding and editing pages, etc.  The guest author only has posting privileges.  So, you might want to decide which of you has the most knowledge about these 4 businesses and designate that person as the primary author on those respective blogs.

Good luck in creating your blogs!

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.

20 Best Blog Post Ideas for Small Business Blogging

"So, what do I blog about each time?" is a question I often get from clients.  To keep your blog active and healthy, I recommend blogging at least 3 times per week.  However, that notion is overwhelming for many.  Even though you may be an expert in a topic, your mind may go completely blank when it comes time to blog, and then at other times when you're not blogging, your idea cup runneth over.

The primary thing to remember is that blog posts don't have to be long and complicated.  You're not writing an article, a report or a thesis.  Many times a blog post is only a paragraph consisting of a few sentences that contain your thoughts about something.  Now, doesn't that sound easier than composing a 600-word post each time you sit down to blog?

Here are 20 ideas you can use to help you create a blog post when you're stuck for an idea:

1.  Current events.  Can you link what you do in your business to a current event?  Open up your daily newspaper or your RSS news reader and see what's happening in the world, your country, your state, or your city. Give your opinion about the event and a solution, if you have it, and relate that to your business if you can.

2.  Trends in your industry.  I read constantly and subscribe to more industry publications than I have time to review. However, there are a handful that I do regularly read, and it's to those that I look to for what the trends seem to be.  When you blog about the trend, put your unique perspective on it, or write a rebuttal post, disagreeing with the relevance of the trend.

3.  Get personal. Tell a story about what's happening in your life or in your business that would be useful or instructive for your readers. Chronicle both your highs and lows, your wins and your struggles.  One key to successful blogging is getting personal with your readers. The more "real" you are with your readers, the better your reader gets to know you and begins to like and trust you. You become a "real, live" human being to them who faces similar issues that they face.

4.  Top 10.  Most of my writing is in the form of a Top 10 list because it's an easy way for me to outline the points I want to make and then go back and fill in the details for each point. In this case, each of your points for a topic can become an individual blog post, and when all the points are complete, you can compile the full list for an article for your ezine or website.

5.  Frequently asked questions.  If you've been in business for awhile, you know the questions that clients and prospective clients ask you to answer over and over again. Instead of repeatedly responding to the same questions, write a series of blog posts that answer your target market's most frequently asked questions.

6. How you helped a client solve a problem.  Clients hire you to solve a specific problem they're having, whether they do that when they buy your service or your product. List 3-5 most recent problems that you have helped your clients solve. Create a post that talks about the problem and the solution you provided (either with your client's permission, or by making it generic enough to hide the client's identity) that becomes a learning experience for your readers.

7.  Interview an expert.  What people do your know and admire in your industry?  If you admire them, chances are that members of your target market do, as well.  Contact them for a short email or recorded interview and ask them 3-5 questions that you'd like to hear them answer about their lives, their businesses, industry trends, or how to solve a particular problem.  Publish the interviews as blog posts, adding audio and graphics if you have them.

8.  Solicit and answer questions.  Ask your ezine subscribers or blog readers to ask you their most pressing question related to what you do. I do this and get questions for 1-2 blog posts per week, and it helps me stay in touch with the needs of my readers, as well.  You can ask me your most pressing question at AskDonnaGunter.com.

9.  Review something.  Read a good book lately related to your industry?  Just purchased a product to help you solve a problem?  Reviews aren't limited to the critics at the New York Times. Blog about your experience with a product, book, or service, highlighting both the high points and low points, and whether you would recommend that others use or purchase it.

10.  Read other blogs.  Go to Google's Blog Search or Technorati and find other blogs related to your industry or your target market.  Add those to your blog reader and take an hour or two each week to read the posts on those blogs.  Do you agree or disagree with the post?  Have another point of view?  Think the blogger was on target but you want to expand on her point of view?  Reading other blogs is a great way to generate ideas for your own blog.

11. Keep an idea file.  Sometimes a blogging idea or concept will strike you when you don't need (or want) to blog.  Begin a blog idea file by creating a document or spreadsheet to track your ideas and thoughts.  If you're in the zone, go ahead and write the post, and then you can post it to your blog on a day when the idea well is dry.

12.  Create a tutorial.  There's always something you can tell your target market how to do.  Create a written, audio, or video tutorial of the process as your blog post.  Depending on the complexity of the tasks, the tutorial may need to created in multiple parts, like Part 1, Part 2, etc., which would make for multiple posts to your blog.

13.  Share a positive/negative email.  I often share exceptionally positive or negative emails I receive from people (without names to protect their identity as appropriate) either to celebrate kudos I've received or to demonstrate how I responded to a particularly nasty or upsetting comment.  I get the most mileage out of the negative emails, and I often ask for feedback about how my readers might respond to the situation.

14.  Take a tour.  Take a self-made in-person or virtual tour of something useful to your readers.  For example, if you're a dating coach, tour the top 5 online dating sites and report your experiences as a client in each.    If you're a restaurant consultant, visit 3 local restaurants and evaluate what's often overlooked in staff training based on your experience as a customer.

15.  Write about a Twitter or Facebook update.  You only get 140 characters in Twitter to write about something.  If you need more space, or want to respond in greater length to someone's Tweet or Facebook status update, do so in your blog.  Thought-provoking questions are often asked on Twitter, and the answers may inspire you to blog.

16.  Create a "Best of" list.  What are the top 7 blogs to read in your industry?  How about the top 5 people to watch?  What about the 10 most useful online tools you use?  Nothing attracts attention on a blog quicker than a list, so create one yourself or ask your readers to help you in the process.

17.  Report from an event.  Attending a professional trade show, conference, or networking event?  You can report live about your experiences at the event on your blog.  Talk about the workshops your attended, the vendors you met, the speaker you heard -- the sky's the limit!

18.  Debunk a myth.  Each industry is plagued with myths and fallacies about success/failure or what does/doesn't work that the industry professionals would like to see vanquished once and for all.  Use your blog to  debunk some of the most common myths/preconceptions/notions in your industry and set the record straight.

19.  Talk to newbies.   Picture yourself as a newbie in your industry once again. What do you know now that you didn't know then? What questions did you ask? What knowledge do you have that you think everyone knows? Getting back to the basics can help bring all of your blog readers up to speed.

20.  Write about a client conversation.  Many times I'm inspired to blog as an expansion or continuation of a conversation I had with a client. The blog post focuses on a topic of the conversation, not the conversation itself. Typically the strategy/idea/technique you've discussed with one client will benefit your blog readers as well.

This is just the tip of a very large ice burg of ideas for posts to your blog.  Take a look around your life, your business, conversations with clients and colleagues, and what's happening in the world around you. You'll soon begin to see more potentials for blog posts that you ever thought possible!

Moving from newsletter to blog

Q:  I am transitioning from a newsletter to a blog. What suggestions do you have so that my subscribers stay with me?
Scott

A:  Hi Scott--

I am making an assumption here that your newsletter is an email newsletter.  Here are my suggestions to help you with your transition:

1.  Make sure that your newsletter readers know about the transition.  Give them at least 2 months' notice about the transition, and remind them about the transition in each issue of your newsletter.

2.  Make it easy for them to subscribe to your blog.  Devote part of your newsletter to recommending a blog aggregator, like Bloglines, www.bloglines.com (that's the one I prefer) or Google Blog Reader, www.google.com/reader, which they can use to receive and read your blog.  Give them step-by-step instructions on how they can capture your RSS feed in one of these readers.

3.  Offer an email subscription for blog updates.  If you use aWeber for your newsletter, they now offer this feature.   Feedblitz.com also offers this feature.

4.  Once you've transitioned to the blog, continue to email your list with your blog updates and remind them how they can continue to follow you.  You'll also need to give them a deadline by which they need to subscribe to the blog, as you'll no longer be emailing them via this list by that date.

5.  Put your blog URL in the signature file of all of your emails and encourage everyone you email to subscribe to it.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.