BellaOnline Forums Career Business Owners Does anyone use a blog to promote their biz?

I thought I would try a few - and then compare results. My typepad one seems good but quite involved - I'm pleased with it but I can't change the yucky colors which don't match my website without changing the whole theme! Also it isn't free. Yahoo 360 is fun,free, easy-peasy,fast and functional - I wanted an informal look to encourage my beginning-writing visitors, but maybe it looks Too casual now? You can't win!

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A blog is a great way to promote your business! Thanks for posting.

quick question..... how many take time to read blogs? make sure you add a link in any comment you you make for search engines.

I've got three blogs now:

one for business tips and advice
one for raising siblings without rivalry
one for promoting products and stores I like

Blogging has become the marketing tool of today.

Yes, I use all my blogs/sites/articles to link and point to each other. Seems to work, for my line of work anyway.

I do read other people's blogs and have some favorites - and I always try to leave a comment.

Actually, lately I have started looking to blogs for genuine useful information and helpful links. I found a short story link this way only yesterday. Lots of the results on the first page of google are too general now, and not specific enough to meet my searches!

I always promise to comment back on anyone who comments on mine - it's a great way to push up the rankings together.

I like blogs too and have a few favorites. I also link my sites, squidoo pages and blog together.

One thing I've found tho is when you get too many things going, you can't promote all of them! I've had trouble getting traffic to my blog but my squidoo pages are doing better and more quickly.

I did discover that I could add an RSS feed to my CafeMom Home Page so visitors to that page will also read my latest blog posting. This alone makes it worthwhile to keep up.

Make sure you use keywords in your blog title so the search engines can find them. As well, make sure the first paragraph especially is keyword rich.

I use a blog, mostly to post the monthly newsletters so that the non-newsletter subscribers can read them as well. I don't know if the blog increases the traffic, but it is a starting point.

Netbella, do you do anything to promote your blog? How is your traffic? I put Google analytics on mine. My bounce rate is pretty high, sometimes even 100% so not sure what visitors are looking for.

I do have the blog linked to places like my squidoo page tho and my health website so guess it's useful. I don't have a lot of time to promote it tho and when the bounce rate is so high, I'm not sure it's even worth promoting.

People keep reminding me of things on my list!

Google analytics was pretty near the top - guess that's some of tomorrow's work sorted then!

I am getting traffic to my blog and squidoo (and they are rising steadily in the rankings to my surprise) but generating some income from that for my kids is my next target.

Click out rate is about 1 in 10. What do you that bodes (from cold start one week ago?)

I am going to get it to link to Bella as well, like my other blog.

Sounds like things are going well - that's great!