Think of the word “blog” and what comes to mind? Mommy bloggers?
People posting funny cat videos? Well, no more. Today’s savvy job
seekers are putting their skills to the test and blogging their way to
success and job opportunities. Here’s why a blog can get you your next
job.
1. It’s your resume, only better: Everyone has a resume.
But a blog allows you to highlight the skills on your resume, times
ten. For example, if you’re a writer, you can flex your writing muscles
and post examples of your creative writing. Even if you’re a tax
accountant, you can write your thought-provoking opinions on some of the
new tax laws or add a testimonial from a happy client. Just be sure
what you write is accurate and well-supported.
2. It gives you a positive digital footprint:
Whenever you apply for a job, the first thing a recruiter will do is
investigate you online. Having a blog will give potential employers a
fuller (and positive) picture of who you are and how you carry yourself,
both personally and professionally. And unlike being tagged in an
unflattering — and public — image of yourself on Facebook, your blog
contains content that you can completely control to project yourself in
the best light possible.
3. It helps you build a network: Employers are not
only looking for employees who bring knowledge and a superior skill set
to the table, but they also want someone who is well connected. So while
you might have 500+ connections on LinkedIn, having a blog that has a
dedicated readership shows that you know how to create — and keep —
connections, both in the digital world and the real world.
4. It keeps you current — and sharp: If you’ve been
scanning and searching the Internet for job postings for a while, it’s
easy to let your skills slip a little. Blogging will not only keep your
knowledge current, but it will also keep your skills sharp as you create
cool new content for your readers on a consistent basis. It can also
help you stand out as a career expert in your industry.
5. It makes you interesting to employers: When
hiring managers read resumes every day, it can get really boring, really
fast. If you have a blog that represents not only your skills but also
(hello!) your personality, that makes you stand out more than the other
seekers who submitted their resumes on fine linen watermarked paper.
Suddenly, you become a person — and a possible job candidate they’ll
call in for an interview.
Creating and customizing a blog makes you attractive to potential
employers. It will help set you apart from other candidates and give you
that added edge in finding a job.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Blogging Using Only the iPad Mini
Tablets have become the de facto post-PC era devices that took the
technology world by storm ever since the first iPad was introduced by
Apple. Since then we've seen a lot of new tablets hit the market,
including Android devices along with the latest Surface Pro from
Microsoft. Still, the iPad is to this day the most popular single tablet
device out there, and since the iPad Mini
has been released, it has become a very portable way to stay connected.
One interesting question however is whether the iPad Mini can really
become your go-to computing device for all of your blogging needs.
As a blogger, there are several things that you may require from your computing platform, and on the surface it may be dubious whether the iPad Mini really answers those needs. First, you need to be highly mobile, since many bloggers like to cover news, community and press events, things that require you to go outside and drive somewhere. Another very important criteria is allowing you to write your blog posts easily. Finally it needs to provide all the secondary functions such as image cropping, resizing, uploading, the ability to handle video, make Skype calls to contacts, and everything else a blogger typically does.
Where the iPad Mini shine is obvious: It's a small, highly portable device, which provides you with a big enough screen to do real work, something that can be painful to do on a phone. By adding a Bluetooth keyboard, you can easily type a whole blog post, and it is powerful enough to keep up with anything you require. With its LTE connection, it has the same connectivity and benefits as a phone, and the larger screen and wireless keyboard makes it into a small laptop. When it comes to apps, iOS usually wins with the most apps out there. You can Skype, many different image editors, and so on. Plus, there are even apps that are made especially for bloggers. Blogsy for example is a popular iPad app that provides a very nice interface for almost any blogging platform out there including WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and so on.
As a blogger, there are several things that you may require from your computing platform, and on the surface it may be dubious whether the iPad Mini really answers those needs. First, you need to be highly mobile, since many bloggers like to cover news, community and press events, things that require you to go outside and drive somewhere. Another very important criteria is allowing you to write your blog posts easily. Finally it needs to provide all the secondary functions such as image cropping, resizing, uploading, the ability to handle video, make Skype calls to contacts, and everything else a blogger typically does.
Where the iPad Mini shine is obvious: It's a small, highly portable device, which provides you with a big enough screen to do real work, something that can be painful to do on a phone. By adding a Bluetooth keyboard, you can easily type a whole blog post, and it is powerful enough to keep up with anything you require. With its LTE connection, it has the same connectivity and benefits as a phone, and the larger screen and wireless keyboard makes it into a small laptop. When it comes to apps, iOS usually wins with the most apps out there. You can Skype, many different image editors, and so on. Plus, there are even apps that are made especially for bloggers. Blogsy for example is a popular iPad app that provides a very nice interface for almost any blogging platform out there including WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and so on.
Best Practices to Promote Your Business Through Blog Marketing
Blog marketing is no mean feat and online marketing
is certainly not for the faint-hearted. There are thousands of blogs,
websites, podcasts, and social media channels competing for the
attention of online prospects and audience. Basically, this means that
the average prospect or customer is bombarded with information and noise
from every corner. So, how do you rise above the noise to get your blog
noticed? In the next section, we shall look at the best blog marketing practices that will help you promote your business effectively.
If you’re selling products or services online then it is indispensable for you to use blog marketing to promote your products or services (through guides or tutorials in your blog). You don’t have to worry about competitors stealing your documentation because you will be doing your online marketing community a great service. Ultimately, this marketing strategy will improve your site traffic and solidify your lead as a niche marketing authority.
Similarly, you should use blog marketing to inform your target consumers or loyal audience about any newly launched product or service release. You can write a product review or just a feature post that highlights the major features of the new product so that consumers will find direct value of the product in your post. Alternatively, you can create a blog marketing demo video and embed it on your post as part of your online video marketing strategy. This will spur interest among consumers and elicit questions and reactions among followers in your niche blogging community.
One way of promoting your business through blog marketing is highlighting one of your key customers in your blog post. Sadly, many bloggers just write one-way traffic posts without caring to listen to what some of their consumers think or feel. Highlighting a major customer is an online content marketing strategy that will reveal the human side of your business and also help you build a deeper connection with customers and audience in your blogging community.
Organizing promos or offering exclusive discounts is one surefire blog marketing strategy that will boost your internet marketing efforts greatly. It’s also a great way to promote your business and to give back to your online community. I have no doubt that customers would love to participate in contests where they get cool prizes or get surprise coupon codes for new or existing products. However, don’t be too salesy in blog marketing as it will erode the value of your blog. Remember, consumers want to enjoy a great blog post for the overall value it serves, not just the promos or discounts it announces.
Writing and publishing guest posts is another fantastic blog marketing strategy that can promote your business online. To drive readers into your blog, you have to write solid, attractive, and thought provoking content. Guest posting will not only build your credibility but will also enhance the value of your brand (as it shows that your content is actually worth reading). Besides that, this blog marketing strategy also opens a new avenue to engage and elicit responses from new internet marketing prospects.
Blog commenting on other people’s blog and providing backlinks to your website is one of the best blog marketing strategies available to you. Though commenting may not necessarily translate into more revenue, it increases the visibility and traffic to your business website. You can easily get attention from other readers by embedding a post title (link) back to your blog post which answers some of the questions raised in the current blog post.
As a rule of thumb, you have to optimize your blog posts for major search engines and for readers. I believe that your blog will only generate much traffic from natural search for targeted set of keywords and titles. So, make sure that you include all relevant keywords and metas in specific areas of your posts preferably opening paragraph, title, and your post conclusion.
Embedding links to your posts is the best way to merge your social media and content marketing campaigns. You only need to publish your post, grab the URL, and embed it on the post section of your social media accounts. When used consistently, I believe this blog marketing strategy can grow your web traffic and boost search engine rankings for your business website. It also has the potential to increase engagement with your brand.
Unless you create compelling and stimulating blog marketing content, you cannot expect to engage followers or attract new readers for your blog. Simple things such as your choice of post titles, organization of content, and use of infographs can influence your promotional efforts. Many people love image-rich and easy to read content that delivers great value directly. So, take time to socialize your blog marketing content so as to improve readership and searchability in the search engines.
If you are a business professional then you should not also hesitate to use blog marketing interviews or industry-specific discussions with other professionals or niche authorities to promote your business. You can transcribe video interviews into blog posts or embed links to the interview videos on YouTube or other video sharing platforms. Similarly, you can invite professionals to answer questions to some trending but controversial issues in your field or industry. This blog marketing strategy will generate buzz and increase site traffic.
To maximize views and readership in your blog, I encourage you to add share buttons and RSS blog marketing feed to your blog posts today. As simple as it seems, sharing has the potential to increase followers and generate buzz about your business. Remember, if people don’t see your posts, then they can’t read or share it.
I believe that blog marketing is a powerful tool to promote your business and products online. It is one of the easiest and most effective online marketing channels that guarantee good traffic and better web visibility. As you can see, it’s not difficult to increase traffic or maximize the visibility of your business. Just adhere to the foregoing best blog marketing practices and you will see a remarkable improvement in your business visibility, levels of engagement, and ultimately, ROI.
Write a Tutorial About Your Product
If you’re selling products or services online then it is indispensable for you to use blog marketing to promote your products or services (through guides or tutorials in your blog). You don’t have to worry about competitors stealing your documentation because you will be doing your online marketing community a great service. Ultimately, this marketing strategy will improve your site traffic and solidify your lead as a niche marketing authority.
Talk About a New Product launch
Similarly, you should use blog marketing to inform your target consumers or loyal audience about any newly launched product or service release. You can write a product review or just a feature post that highlights the major features of the new product so that consumers will find direct value of the product in your post. Alternatively, you can create a blog marketing demo video and embed it on your post as part of your online video marketing strategy. This will spur interest among consumers and elicit questions and reactions among followers in your niche blogging community.
Highlight a Great Customer
One way of promoting your business through blog marketing is highlighting one of your key customers in your blog post. Sadly, many bloggers just write one-way traffic posts without caring to listen to what some of their consumers think or feel. Highlighting a major customer is an online content marketing strategy that will reveal the human side of your business and also help you build a deeper connection with customers and audience in your blogging community.
Share Exclusive Discounts and Promos
Organizing promos or offering exclusive discounts is one surefire blog marketing strategy that will boost your internet marketing efforts greatly. It’s also a great way to promote your business and to give back to your online community. I have no doubt that customers would love to participate in contests where they get cool prizes or get surprise coupon codes for new or existing products. However, don’t be too salesy in blog marketing as it will erode the value of your blog. Remember, consumers want to enjoy a great blog post for the overall value it serves, not just the promos or discounts it announces.
Write Blog Marketing Guest Posts
Writing and publishing guest posts is another fantastic blog marketing strategy that can promote your business online. To drive readers into your blog, you have to write solid, attractive, and thought provoking content. Guest posting will not only build your credibility but will also enhance the value of your brand (as it shows that your content is actually worth reading). Besides that, this blog marketing strategy also opens a new avenue to engage and elicit responses from new internet marketing prospects.
Comment on Other Blogs
Blog commenting on other people’s blog and providing backlinks to your website is one of the best blog marketing strategies available to you. Though commenting may not necessarily translate into more revenue, it increases the visibility and traffic to your business website. You can easily get attention from other readers by embedding a post title (link) back to your blog post which answers some of the questions raised in the current blog post.
Optimize Your Blog Posts
As a rule of thumb, you have to optimize your blog posts for major search engines and for readers. I believe that your blog will only generate much traffic from natural search for targeted set of keywords and titles. So, make sure that you include all relevant keywords and metas in specific areas of your posts preferably opening paragraph, title, and your post conclusion.
Embed Links to Recent Posts in Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Embedding links to your posts is the best way to merge your social media and content marketing campaigns. You only need to publish your post, grab the URL, and embed it on the post section of your social media accounts. When used consistently, I believe this blog marketing strategy can grow your web traffic and boost search engine rankings for your business website. It also has the potential to increase engagement with your brand.
Make Content Attractive to Readers
Unless you create compelling and stimulating blog marketing content, you cannot expect to engage followers or attract new readers for your blog. Simple things such as your choice of post titles, organization of content, and use of infographs can influence your promotional efforts. Many people love image-rich and easy to read content that delivers great value directly. So, take time to socialize your blog marketing content so as to improve readership and searchability in the search engines.
Talk with Experts in Your field
If you are a business professional then you should not also hesitate to use blog marketing interviews or industry-specific discussions with other professionals or niche authorities to promote your business. You can transcribe video interviews into blog posts or embed links to the interview videos on YouTube or other video sharing platforms. Similarly, you can invite professionals to answer questions to some trending but controversial issues in your field or industry. This blog marketing strategy will generate buzz and increase site traffic.
Add Sharing Buttons Below Posts
To maximize views and readership in your blog, I encourage you to add share buttons and RSS blog marketing feed to your blog posts today. As simple as it seems, sharing has the potential to increase followers and generate buzz about your business. Remember, if people don’t see your posts, then they can’t read or share it.
Final Thoughts
I believe that blog marketing is a powerful tool to promote your business and products online. It is one of the easiest and most effective online marketing channels that guarantee good traffic and better web visibility. As you can see, it’s not difficult to increase traffic or maximize the visibility of your business. Just adhere to the foregoing best blog marketing practices and you will see a remarkable improvement in your business visibility, levels of engagement, and ultimately, ROI.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)