Can your blog be a part of your article marketing strategy? Most definitely it can. The two are complementary, though completely separate parts of an advertising campaign to increase website traffic. They are excellent to use as a part of your affiliate marketing strategy, though they can be used for promoting you own product as well. The blog is an excellent means of presenting the virtues of an affiliate product to a dedicated audience.

What is the difference between a blog and an article? There can be a lot, and there can be not so much. Blogs are much more informal. Usually blog entries are shorter than articles. Some people put whole articles in their blog, but it usually is more effective to pick one important aspect of the article and put that in your blog. Use it much like a teaser. Give enough information to make it appealing, but leave enough to discover that the reader will want to click through to your site and read the whole article.

Blogs are a good way to get more personal with your readers. It allows them to leave comments and feedback. The readers get the feeling that they “know” you. They can chat with you and you with them.

Blogs show your readers, both customers and potential customers, that you are keeping abreast of the latest in your field. Most blog posts relate to current happenings. The articles show your expertise in the field, and the blog shows that you are keeping current. Both give your reader confidence in you on different levels.

What are some tips to help you integrate your blog postings into your article marketing strategy? How can you get the most mileage out of the blogs and articles as a cohesive advertising campaign?

Put your blog on your main site. Blog sites are convenient, but putting your blog on your site takes advantage of extra traffic, as well as links that will increase search engine traffic due to higher search engine rankings.

Don't put your whole article in your blog. Write about some aspect of your article, telling why you wrote it, benefits to be gained from it, etc. Then, link to your article in your blog. Do this even if your article is on the same site as your blog.

Link to other places that publish your article. Don't link to article directories, but do link to other websites, newsletters, and other blogs that mention or publish your article. This will increase your search engine traffic due to the increase in ranking that links provide.

Discuss responses to your articles. Include both negative and positive responses. Also, include any personal responses you have had with readers. This shows that your articles are being read, having an impact, and that you are available and engage with your readers. This will improve your credibility and gain even new readers as others discuss your blog and link to it.

Keep your blog current. Putting up a blog, linking it to your article, then not posting to it for a long period of time has the opposite effect than what you want. Instead of making you appear to be on top of current developments in your field, it makes it appear that you are not involved at all. A blog that is not updated frequently is worse than no blog at all.

Blogging can be somewhat time consuming, though probably not as much as might appear. However, it is an important part of article marketing. Add blogging to your article marketing strategy and you can expect high returns, but only if you do it correctly.