In the previous three parts to this series we looked at a number of highly effective ways for you to leverage your business blog by integrating it with your online networking. But no matter how you choose to integrate your business blog with your online business networking – you should do everything you can to expand conversations begun in the online business network environment on your business blog.

Use the diagram I shared with you in part two of this series on business blogging and online networking to remind yourself on how your business blog should be structured. Print out that diagram and keep in mind that the most power comes from conversations centered around tightly focused topical articles and posts. The more you can do to encourage those expanded conversations, the more impact your business blog will have on your relationship building with prospects, clients, and partners.

Three simple starter steps to encouraging dialogue on your business blog

There are three steps you can take to increase dialogue and create higher interaction with visiting members of your online business network. While this is in no means a comprehensive list, these should be the first you take action on.

1. Allow commenting

There are quite a few business blogs I come across that have their commenting feature turned off. Many business owners get tired filtering through comment Spam and unrelated comment posts, and choose to simply turn off the commenting feature on their business blog. I can certainly empathize with that.

But without the ability to comment on your blog, you’ve reverted back to a one-way dialogue with your readers. Instead of turning off the commenting feature on your business blog, you can take a couple simple steps that’ll significantly reduce the amount of comment Spam you have to deal with.

a. Set your business blog to require comments to be moderated before being posted live on the Web.

b. Require anyone posting a comment to submit his or her first and last name along with a valid e-mail address.

2. Actively solicit feedback

Throughout the body, and at the end of your posts solicit comments from readers with action-based questions. Offer direct requests for feedback and expanded ideas.

The vast majority of visitors to your business blog are still new to blogging and unfamiliar with the structure of a blog. They still view your blog as “your web site.” They may not realize they can interact with you. Or even if they do, they may simply hesitate to contribute because they feel it’s inappropriate to comment.

In situations of uncertainty, people are most likely to take the safest route — which in this case will be to not post any comments. You can help them overcome this barrier and a significant way by simply and clearly stating your desire for comments, questions, and expanded ideas.

3. Engage in (relevant) cross-blog talk

When a member of your online business network visits your business blog and comments on a post, research that person and see if they have a business blog themselves. If you find that they do have a business blog that complements your niche/focus – you can post comments directly to their blog. Or create a topical post on your own business blog and use a trackback to reference their blog.

If you’re new to blogging this may seem a little incestuous at first glance. But I assure you it’s simply a wise leveraging of your online business networking time.

This other person may be a member of the same online business network you belong to, but they’re likely to have many people in their personal network that you haven’t come in contact with. If the two of you share a similar interest, it’s likely that some of the people in their network will be interested in what you have to say, and vice-versa.

By generating this cross-blog talk you gain a lot more exposure to people you otherwise might not have met. It’s like getting and indirect endorsement or referral, and we all know how powerful referrals are.

The greatest impact is with visitors from your online business network

All these tips can work with any visitor to your business blog. But they’re likely to have greater impact with members of your online network because you can “pre-frame” and encourage them to interact in your communications referencing them to your business blog.

For example — in a communication that you participate in on your online business network you can add value and encourage interaction before anyone even visits your business blog. As you participate in the discussion in your networking group, you can accomplish this by simply saying something like:

>“Check out the two articles I have over at my www.myblog.com. They both expand on this topic we’re discussing here. I’d love your input, feedback, and expansion on my ideas. Please take 60-seconds to post your comments when you visit my blog – that’ll really help us all learn more with different viewpoints!”

When you expand dialogues started in your online business network on your business blog, you exponentially multiply all the benefits you gain through your online networking. Start combining these two high-touch, high-tech communication tools and you’ll save more time, attract more clients, and build a global business faster and easier than you could imagine!

If you don’t yet have your own business blog, or if you’d like to learn how to leverage your existing business blog for …

· More targeted traffic,
· More trust with qualified prospects,
· And more effective word of mouth marketing from your existing clients

… Then be sure to check out interactive coaching course “How to Master Business Blogging.” It includes over 10 hours of interactive audio coaching, three business blogging playbooks, and over 60-minutes of how-to video.

You’ll learn how to create a cutting edge business blog that pulls in streams of targeted traffic into your domain, and pulls your site up to the top of the search engines in as little as 30-days!

Get it all now at http://www.howtobusinessblog.com.

John-Paul Micek
The Click-and-Mortar Business Coach
Business Owners Coaching Club
http:/www.AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com