Blogging for Profit: Copywriting Made Easy

Bob Bly shares 30 years of copywriting and internet marketing strategy experience

“My entire career has been as a marketing writer, and since blogging is writing, I feel like I have the basic skill to do it well.” – Bob Bly

Bob is definitely not a newbie as his writing career began back in 1979 and he began blogging in November 2004. Bob’s blog Bly.com focuses on copywriting and marketing as his expertise comes from writing books on marketing and creating marketing campaigns for dozens of companies for over three decades.

Mequoda – How many blogs are you currently writing for?
BB – Just my own.

Mequoda – Which CMS (ie: WordPress, Typo) are you using? What do you like about it?
BB – WordPress, which is easy to use. My web master set the whole blog up for me in about an hour.

Mequoda – Are you blogging for your company as part of you job (ie: corporate) or is this a personal passion?
BB – I blog for my business, to promote myself as a copywriter.

Mequoda – Has your blog enhanced your professional reputation? How?
BB – People read the blog and tell me they are impressed with the content. They particularly enjoy the way my blog deliberately engages them in an online conversation. I view the blog as an opportunity to talk about issues and exchange ideas rather than just to express my opinion or disseminate information.

Mequoda – How often do you post a new blog?
BB – On average, once a week — but there is no schedule. I blog whenever I have something I want to discuss. If there is nothing to talk about, I let it alone.

Mequoda – Who is your target audience?
BB – Marketing professionals and entrepreneurs who must market — potential copywriting clients, fellow marketers, and buyers of my books and information products.

Mequoda – What are you doing to grow your audience and to create customer loyalty?
BB – I devote promotional efforts to growing my e-zine subscriber list, not my blog.

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Mequoda – How are you using social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) to promote your blog?
BB – I use them to direct people to my blog posts.

Mequoda – What is your main source of revenue: ads, sponsorships, products sales, donations?
BB – The blog does not generate direct revenue; my e-zine does. I have had clients hire me to do copywriting who say they got to know and like me through my blog, so in that sense it does make me money.

Mequoda – Approximately what percentage of your overall revenue comes from product sales vs. advertising/sponsorships or other sources?
BB – For my e-zine, 100% from product sales.

Mequoda – What key metrics do you monitor to analyze the health of your business?
BB – For my Internet business, weekly online sales. For copywriting, monthly assignments and fees.

Mequoda – How many sites have you linked to in the last 30 days?
BB – One or two. I don’t do it as a strategy; I link to blogs and sites that seem of interest to my readers.

Mequoda – What changes have you seen in your market since you began blogging?
BB – The rise of social networking sites and the paradigm shift of the consumer being influenced by marketers vs. being influenced by fellow consumers via social networks.

Mequoda – Any interesting experience you’d like to share?
BB – I got a deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing to write a book called Blog, Schmog — it was actually refuting the idea that blogs are a marketing revolution and will replace all traditional marketing, and in fact, that did not happen. The book led to a few speaking engagements and enhanced my reputation as a marketing expert, as do all my many marketing books.

Mequoda – What advice would you give a new blogger?
BB – Find a way to monetize the Internet and devote  your efforts to making it work. For me, it’s my e-zine, not my blog. I think blogs are a supporting player in online marketing, not the star.

Mequoda – What ways are you planning to expand over the next year?
BB – Grow my e-zine subscriber list and create more products and offers. Publish more useful content online, including on the blog.

Contact Information

Bob Bly
Blog:  Bly.com
Twitter: @RobertBly
Facebook: Robert Bly