The Write Spot, LLC

Converting website traffic into readers

When businesses or individuals set up a new website or blog, they're concerned about ways to get traffic to their site. However, we often overlook that getting readership - regular return visits to your blog or website - is just as important as overall traffic.

It's not a new concept - we just call it "getting repeat customers" in the offline world. Gary Conn at Blog About Your Blog has some great advice on converting traffic into readers:

• Be yourself.
• Allow people to learn who you are.
• Interact with your readers.
• Be a leader and an expert. 
• Reward your readers.

Read his post It's Not Always About Traffic to learn how to get your audience coming back for more.

Becoming a blogevangelist

This year I've attended several workshops on writing and blogging where I've known as much or more than the presenter about blogging. It makes me realize that I've got to go beyond talking to individuals about blogging, and start working as a blogevangelist to address groups at writer's conferences, networking events, and business gatherings.

I may be on my way. I've already talked to a business and personal coach (Lisa at Shoot for the Moon Coaching) about speaking at one of her meetings. She's also told me one of the local newspapers needs help in setting up their blog, and I'd love to help.

And now I've been quoted at Build a Better Blog about getting paid by others to blog. (Yes, some folks still don't realize that companies both large and small will pay WRITERS to blog.)

Anne-Marie knows from checking out the freelance writing job listings at sites like About Freelancing, talking to other writers, and her own experiences that freelance bloggers are being paid next to nothing all the way up to $2,000 a month.

“I’ve heard from bloggers who are posting to support big corporate marketing efforts that they’re getting paid any where from $1000 to $2000 a month. However, if you look at blog job listings – Craigslist is great for this – most contract bloggers are making $200 to $500 a month to blog at smaller, websites.

"Networks are paying most of their bloggers $0-100 per month plus a cut in ad revenues. However, the networks provide a lot of technical support, great SEO, and you’re instantly linked up to hundreds of sites – almost instant traffic for new blogs. Some networks require bloggers to post three to five times a week, others are more flexible. Some blog editors (overseeing and leading a group of bloggers and editing their work) are making anywhere from $1000 to $2000 a month.

"Depending on how fast they can write, bloggers are averaging $20/hour – about $10 per post, similar to what the ‘paid to post’ bloggers are getting. Yet, there are a few lucky souls making up to $100/hour. It’s just being fortunate enough to land a lucrative contract with a big media outlet, content provider, or corporate sponsor.”

I'm beginning to understand the power of talking to groups about what you do. Beyond the blogevangelism part - for I truly believe that blogging is a great tool for personal expression as well as business growth - I can see the potential for growing my own writing business by speaking to groups.

Do you speak about your business expertise? Has it helped you grow your business and get paid work?

"Networks are paying most of their bloggers $0-100 per month plus a cut in ad revenues. However, the networks provide a lot of technical support, great SEO, and you’re instantly linked up to hundreds of sites – almost instant traffic for new blogs. Some networks require bloggers to post three to five times a week, others are more flexible. Some blog editors (overseeing and leading a group of bloggers and editing their work) are making anywhere from $1000 to $2000 a month.

"Depending on how fast they can write, bloggers are averaging $20/hour – about $10 per post, similar to what the ‘paid to post’ bloggers are getting. Yet, there are a few lucky souls making up to $100/hour. It’s just being fortunate enough to land a lucrative contract with a big media outlet, content provider, or corporate sponsor.”

The Long Tail, Niche Marketing, and Mommy Inc.

In The Long Tail, Chris Anderson writes that blockbuster sellers are no longer relevant and niche markets are the wave of the future. Well, Shannon Cherry of Mommy, Inc. is a terrific example of this. A former TV and newspaper journalist, she works with women-led businesses and entrepreneurs who are struggling to get more customers by making them the recognized expert in their field.

Women-led business is a great niche market since it's one of the fastest growing small business sectors in the U.S. But it's the "recognized expert" that really intrigues me, since Shannon practices what she preaches by blogging at Mommy, Inc.

She gives value-added customer service by offering advice on everything from Success Secrets to Make Ahead Meals - all tailored to fit the specific needs of women entrenpreneurs, especially those with families. Plus her blog is fun, entertaining, and provides a much needed mental health break from her clients' busy days of growing their businesses - and growing up their kids.

But if you're still wondering if blogging is worth the time investment, look at what happened to Shannon in her post, Blogging your way to fame:

I was wondering if having this blog, Mommy, Inc. was really a good investment of my time. I've been busy - extremely busy with client work, and from what I could surmise, none of my new clients came to me from this blog.

So I thought that maybe I should ramp Mommy, Inc. down by March. I'd have more time to focus on other tools with a bigger (or any, in this case) return on investment (ROI).

But then the phone rang. It was Entrepreneur Magazine. They saw my blog, loved it and many in the office were reading it. Could they do a story on me and how to network as a work-at-home mom?

Wow. All from a little blog called Mommy, Inc. 

And lesson learned. Sometimes your ROI is different than you think it is.

I've gotten some very lucrative contacts and contracts from my blogs. Isn't it time you started a blog for your business? Let me show you how!

10 Ways to Give Your Business Away To Increase Sales

Jay Levinson and Amy Levinson, authors of the Guerrilla Marketing books, believe that giving away products and services are great ways to create leads, increase sales, and gain new customers.

They believe that smart businesses and guerrilla marketers:

1. Give gift certificates to their own business, whether the certificates are for products or services.
2. Give printed brochures to anybody who requests one.
3. Give electronic brochures, on CD and DVD, once again to people who ask for them. And they are quick to offer their free brochures in their other marketing.
4. Give money to worthy causes and let their prospects and customers know that they support a noble cause, enabling these people to support the same endeavor.
5. Give free consultations and never make them seem like sales presentations. They truly try to help their prospects.
6. Give free seminars and clinics because they realize that if their information is worthwhile, it will attract the right kind of people to them.
7. Give free demonstrations to prove without words the efficacy of their offerings.
8. Give tours of their facilities or of work they've accomplished elsewhere, again transcending standard marketing tools they might employ.
9. Give free samples because they know that such generosity is the equivalent of purchasing a new customer at a very low price.
10. Give invaluable information on their website, realizing that such data will bring their customers and prospects back for more, thereby intensifying their relationships.

I've always believed that if you're cheap with your business, your customers will be cheap with you. Either they'll order only small amounts, want to pay you very little for your services, or won't purchase anything at all. The old adage of "you need to spend money to make money" applies here somewhat. But activities, like giving workshops or putting valuable information on your website, is practically free.

What are some ways you give away your business to increase it?

Offering value to your customers

I just finished reading Jeffrey Gitomer's book, Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships.* In it, he talks about bringing value to your customers (or potential customers) as a way to generate sales and business. As Jeffrey writes in his GitBit on Personal Branding,

"Become a resource. It's much more powerful than someone perceiving you as a salesman or entrepreneur. People will want to be around you, and pay attention to what you say, if they believe what you say and do has value to them and their business."

So with this in mind I will be sharing with you what I'm learning as I develop my copywriting business - everything from tips on networking and marketing, to books, website and article reviews. Of course, I'll be announcing new clients, partnerships, and awards, too.

To get these on a regular basis, enter your email address in box on the upper right hand column. You'll be emailed my latest post as soon as it goes live.

My first recommendation is get a copy of Fast Company's December 2006 issue and check out "Bottled Up" about Branson B., a long-time, influential player in the hip-hop scene. The article chronicles his efforts in marketing a champagne to rap clubs and fans. It's an interesting lesson in how he's attempting to transfer his personal brand to a product, the challenges of marketing it to a specific niche, and how hip-hop artists market their image and product tie-ins.

For full access online to the December issue of Fast Company, go to their website and type in access code FCDECSOCAP.

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*I highly recommend this and some of Jeffrey's other books like The Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness and Little Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money. I'm also looking forward to the December 5th release of Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS.