Here are two possible situations:
1. You have been running the blog already and now you've decided to monetize some percentage of the traffic it generates.
2. You joined SFI recently, you exhausted all your known connections in order to build your network in your downline and you found out that a blog may be the best way to get some traffic to your SFI and TripleClicks gateways.
Let's expand.
1. I assume your blog have already a constant traffic and that you developed some kind of authority in the field your blog is about. If this is not the case, than skip to point 2. Now everybody knows that a successful blog is the one who has been positioned on a good niche, allowing room for it to grow as a reference point in that particular field of interest. Here we have two aspects also:
a) If the blog is engaging financial aspects, alternatives for getting extra income or monetizing an online presence, then proposing SFI as a legitimate, solid way of building an extra income will blend quite easily in the blog's feed and eventual banners or article on this topic will be easily digested and followed-up by your readers. Probably the best way is by posting one to three articles about SFI, describing the business in large terms and including hooks where you can insert your gateways. You can do this either in your normal posts stream or you may create a special page/section in the blog where you can approach and expand on this topic. After that you may consider also including a banner where you think it is best suited for your blog design and flow of information.
b) If the blog specializes on other topics and fields of interest (gluten free diet, fitness programs, gadgets reviews, photography tips, industry related articles, social manners, dressings code etc) then writing about and promoting SFI would not be as seamless as it would have been in the previous situation. You have to be very careful with these things. If the audience sense you want to stuff a sale down their throat, they may consider to stop reading your blog. You don't want to lose hard gained readers and followers.
In this case you may consider introducing SFI as a reward for their fidelity and offer some TripleClicks gift cards to the most active readers. But do not transform it in a circus, by announcing the contest and having them thrusting in like vultures. It's in human nature. People do that. And that is not really a nice view. Reward the most active readers on their previous activity. You know who they are. They know it, too. Of course, now is a good moment to present SFI and write about it. Better to build a dedicated section or even better a dedicated blog. Once you've tempted them, they will follow. After the winners redeem their gift cards and you coach them and support them, you can write about their progress and achievements, thus creating a halo and the ball will start rolling.
2. For this situation the answers may have already given at the above mentions points. However let me underline these:
- choose a niche where you have enough room to grow your authority
- choose your target audience and address it accordingly
- make sure you know what you are talking about, otherwise you lose credibility, hence you will not get the much wanted traffic
- post regularly high quality content; don't assume your readers will swallow and digest everything you throw at them
- mind your grammar and your language
Remember this:
- don't try to sell anything up-front
- respect your readers and they will follow you
- be honest; don't promise anything that cannot be achieved
- build the blog you would like to read on a regular basis
After building your audience you may consider what was stated at point 1. :)
What I would do:
I would chose an elegant, airy design in which is easy to find your way to the information you seek.
I would chose a static banner instead of an animated one with the appropriate color palette to match your blog's colors. You may say that those differently colored and animated will stand out. Yes, they will stand out. Telling the readers that the blog's author is only after their money and the contents he presents them is there only to sell them something. You have to do these things in a decent, even elegant manner. You respect the readers' view, meaning that you respect them. Respect sells.
I would avoid to break the body of the article with banners or ads. It is distracting and it makes reading difficult and annoying.
I would make the best I can to keep it simple, but interesting and challenging.
Hope its helps.
I wish you best of luck here at SFI and in all of your endeavors.
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