There are thousands of blogging dos and don’ts. This list is specifically for business bloggers and is focused on dos and don’ts that help build relationships with your visitors. Dos 1. (An obvious one.) Do have an opt in and an RSS feed so people can follow you or choose to hear from you again. Even better, offer something for free when they subscribe. I suggest having both of these. Some may just want to subscribe to your RSS, so offer both. 2. Do put Archives & Categories in the sidebar or footer. Many times when visitors come to your…

It seems to me that our comfort levels are our worst enemy. Once achieved, it’s like hull speed on a boat – you can’t go any faster. It is at this point that our brands stand still. You become so complacent that you catch yourself avoiding challenges rather than embracing them. Life on the edge keeps you sharp and opens doors that might not normally be in your path. Have you ever had lunch with a peer entrepreneur and listened to them tell you that they’re in a good place right now. They’ve got their duck in a row. “I’m…

If you have been closely observing the development in marketing in the corporate world, then you have probably noticed that most companies are now venturing to online transactions. Internet marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) have been transforming online businesses into profitable enterprises. Modern buyers are now depending on the power of the internet when looking for anything that they can think of. True enough, a business almost does not exist in the eyes of a digital consumer when it cannot be found online. But how exactly does Internet marketing combined with SEO techniques become effective and successful? Internet marketing…

In a lot of ways starting a business and giving birth to a new brand can be an exciting process. No one knows who you are yet, so they have nothing to build an opinion on. On the other hand, since there is no formal introduction yet, everything about you is essentially rumour at this stage. A good place to start your brand is PR. Having a basic introductory website, and a weekly update to media, will help build interest and keep your information factual. Any contact with suppliers and potential customers should alway be cordial. How you treat any…

Email has been a boon to marketing efforts for many years now, and that continues to be true even with all of the alternatives available today. Businesses report returns on investment of more than $40 for each dollar spent in this marketing channel, and business owners say that email is second only to SEO in converting visitors into buyers. Building and growing your subscribers on your mailing list consistently will encourage greater business success. Use an opt-in list, which requires new subscribers to verify via email that they want to receive information from you about your products or services. Autoresponders…

One thing is sure: You didn’t get into business to be a writer. English composition was not one of your best subjects. Writing is for, well, writers. You know, those eccentric, artistic types you could never figure out. Certainly not you. And then you went into marketing on the Internet and realized, to your surprise and disappointment, that the Internet is made up of images and… words! Before you know it, you find yourself having to write more than you care to–blog posts, squeeze pages, emails to customers, and even silly little tweets. Why Even Non-Writers Can Write For The…

I’ve been distracted for the last few weeks participating in a branding exercise for a new transit agency in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. In the implementation of my process I have witnessed many examples of superior customer service. One great example is my driver, who shuttles me twice daily from my hotel on the Indian Ocean to my office north of the city. He arrives promptly and quickly jumps out of his car, relieves me of my heavy backpack, opens my door and makes sure i am securely seated. If on our way into the office I would like to…

This post is a contribution by Jon Bergan whom we’d like to thank for allowing us to publish his work and the opportunity to share some good tips with you. – Ken Business marketing plays a vital role to the life cycle of any successful organization as it exposes and promotes your products and services to hundreds of potential customers. This statement is obvious to anybody who has ever ran a business before, however the important fact to remember is that marketing is useless if nobody remembers your advertisements. This is the hard truth about marketing and unfortunately it seems…

Most people who know me today tend to think of me as the web tech geek and that’s great – that would mean the foundations of my brand is strong. But like many of you, I’ve worn many hats along the path of finding my ‘true calling’. One of the hats I wore was a Junior copywriter at a small local advertising agency. You see, back then, I was totally enamored with the advertising and PR industry. Those interests have not gone away. I am still very much interested in copywriting. Interest aside, this skill has really helped from the…

Who could use more website traffic? If you didn’t have your hands up then wow, congrats! Almost all site owners big or small whom I know are always looking for ways to get more traffic. After all without traffic you’re not really in business. Just like plants need sun and water to grow your online business needs traffic to thrive. But how? You won’t find a shortage of people proclaiming a certain channel. Social media! Some cry from the roof tops. Blogging! Others shout into their megaphones. Well, they may be right but over time, I’ve learned that there are…