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03.24.10 Gaining More Business Connections Through Your Blog  By Jay Baer Remember in high school, when someone would throw a party when their parents were out of town? At first, you knew everyone at the party. They were all friends of the host, nervously alternating between drinking Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers, and trying not to break anything. But then, it all changed. The party got bigger. First, people from your school that you didn't really know showed up. And ultimately, those guys arrived. You know them. Definitely NOT in high school. Mustaches (for real, not a few hairs being passed off as a mustache). Leather jackets. Jeans with either paint splashed on them, a knife sheath attached to the belt, or a distinct ring on the back pocket indicating habitual tobacco chewing. Strangers. Here they were, arriving at your party with nary a prior personal connection, but looking for a good time just like everyone else. Your blog works exactly the same way. There's a First Time for Everything New research(pdf) by my clients at Compendium Blogware show that for more than two-thirds of corporate blogs, new visitors comprise more than 80% of total blog traffic. That's right, in most cases, 8 out of every 10 visitors to your blog have never been there previously. (Here on Convince & Convert the first-time visitor ratio hovers consistently around 65%, meaning that for more than 6 out of 10 of you, this might be the first blog post you've ever read from me - nothing like a little pressure!) 
Here are the 5 things you should do to turn blog strangers into friends, and keep them coming back. 1. Orientation for Your Blog Your first-time blog visitors are unfamiliar with your site design, navigation, structure, and other proclivities. That's why it's so critically important to have clear and consistent way-finding mechanisms throughout your blog. Remember that in addition to being first-timers, many of your blog visitors don't come in through the front door, either. In fact, just 15% of the visitors to this blog start their journey at www.convinceandconvert.com. The rest of you come in the back door or through the metaphorical window, beginning your session on a specific blog post or other page. Remember that EVERY page on your blog could be the "home" page, so it's imperative that your branding remain consistent, that you use a tagline to explain what your blog is about, and that you use state indicators to cue visitors as to where they are in the site structure. Continue reading this article. About the Author: Jay Baer is a tequila-loving, hype-free social media strategy consultant and coach. An online marketing pro since 1994, he's worked with more than 700 companies, and 25 of the Fortune 1000. He's one of the world's most popular social media bloggers, creator of the 8-step Social Media Strategic Planning Process, and the Twitter 20 series of live Twitter interviews. He spreads his "think tools last, not first" message around the country like a digital dandelion, speaking to conferences, small groups, or passers-by. Check out his blog at Convince&Convert. |
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