In this blog series I’ve been discussing the nitty-gritty of how a newbie can do online MLM marketing, even if they have 10 thumbs. If you’ve missed part of the discussion, you can get caught up here:
So You Want to Do Online MLM Marketing
You Want To Do Online MLM, Ya But
Online MLM - What to Do If You Have No Website
Online MLM - Should Your Home Base Be a Blog or Custom Website
By this part of the blog series, you should already be aware of your parent MLM company’s policies about online promotion, and have formed a basic plan for your online home base. In other words, by now you should know whether you are going with a template website plus blog, or a template website plus custom website, or something else altogether. If you have decided to make a blog part of your online MLM home base, then here are three steps to get you started.
3 Steps to Creating Your MLM Home Business Blog
These three steps to creating your MLM home business blog are very basic, but will require some computer-savvy. For instance, you’ll need to have the skills to register for an account at one of the blog service providers. This isn’t difficult, as long as you take it one step at a time. If you mess it up, don’t worry, There’s no charge for most of the blog services recommended here, so you can always have a “do over” for free. Ready? Here goes.
Step 1: Choose a Blog Service
There are a number of really great services out there for your MLM home business blog, most of them free. Among the good services that are free are Blogger, Wordpress, and MSN. Typepad is another good blogging service, but it requires a small monthly fee. I personally have multiple blogs on both Blogger and Wordpress, and like them both.
In my experience, Blogger is easier for the beginner to use, while Wordpress allows for more sophistication and professionalism. Both are fine services for you to start, so I suggest taking a look at both and seeing which suits you best. If you’re feeling really adventurous, sign up for accounts at both and try a couple of posts before deciding which service you’re going to stay with.
Both Blogger and Wordpress are services that provide free hosting, which means that your blog “lives” on the servers at Blogger and Wordpress. This is simplest for the beginner online MLM marketer. It is also possible to host these blogs on your own server, but that’s definitely not an easy task for a beginner, so I don’t suggest trying it. Since your blog will be hosted on either a Blogger or Wordpress server, you’ll end up with a blog address that looks like:
[your account name] dot blogspot dot com
OR
[your account name] dot wordpress dot com
Don’t worry if this looks too complicated for you. We’re going to fix that in the next step.
Step 2: Shorten Your Blog Address
As you can see from step 1, after you register for a blog account you will be given a web address, or URL, for your MLM home business blog. Let’s say you chose GoodBody as your account name on Blogger. If that name was available, you would end up with this web address for your blog:
http://goodbody.blogspot.com
That’s a fine address, and if you feel comfortable with the length of your blog address, then stick with it. If, however, the web address looks too complex, you can shorten it one of two ways.
Option 1: Buy a Forwarding Domain Name
A forwarding domain name is just what it sounds like: a domain name that points to your blog. The beauty of getting a forwarding domain name is that you can get one that is simpler and easier for people to remember. For instance, instead of using the long blog address from Blogger above, you could buy a domain name like www.goodbodyblog.com. That’s easier to remember, don’t you think?
If you go to a service like GoDaddy, you can search for and buy this kind of domain name. Dot com names usually run around $10-$12 a piece annually. For no additional cost, you can also use their forwarding service to point that domain to your Blogger address. That way, when anyone enters your regular “goodbodyblog” web address, they will automatically be pointed to your Blogger page. What I like about using a service like GoDaddy is that they have excellent customer service by phone, so if you get confused you can always pick up the phone and scream for help. Plus, this option is a guaranteed service and looks professional.
Option 2: Create a Shortened Domain
If you don’t want to splurge for a domain name, you can always use a domain shortening service like TinyURL or Bit.ly. With both of these services you can create a shorter URL for free. For instance, if you use TinyURL, you can convert your long Blogger address to something that looks like:
tinyurl dot com / goodbody
The good thing about this approach is that the web address is considerably shorter. The bad thing is that if TinyURL ever goes out of business, so does your redirected TinyURL address. I would recommend the first option, of using a forwarding domain, for the sake of reliability and professionalism. I just throw in this second option since these days most people seem short on cash!
Step 3: Fill in Your Profile
This step is where a lot of people fall down on the job, but if you want a professional-looking MLM home business blog, take the time to fill in your profile. Depending on which service you use, there’s usually a place to upload a picture of yourself plus write a bio about who you are, what you do, what you like, and so forth. If you’re not sure what to write for your bio, check out some other blogger bios and find a style you like. You can copy another person’s bio format if you feel really lost.
Remember that your blog is one the places where you introduce yourself, personally, to people considering your MLM products or business. Be sure to include some personal tidbits about yourself, and really let your personality shine through. Also include information about yourself that demonstrates your product knowledge or business expertise. Mention any schooling or degrees that you have, as well as work experience that contributes to your expertise. It’s like a resume, only less formal, more chatty, and more fun. Got it? Good.
Now that you have set up your blog site, you are ready to start posting. We’ll discuss that topic in upcoming blog posts, but first we’ll make a short detour to discuss custom websites (just in case you chose that to be part of your online MLM home base instead of a blog) in future posts.
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Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/ / CC BY 2.0
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