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It’s the Business Blogging Equivalent of "Where’s the Beef": "Where’s the Sales-Pitch?"
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"Beef also was difficult to be procured and exceedingly poor; the price nearly sixpence farthing per pound." —William Bligh (1754-1817; Captain of HMS Bounty)
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As a writer who, myself, began business blogging just over a year ago, I started things completely from scratch. My own blog, as well as the blogs I’m now hired to compose for other individuals and businesses, have undergone quite a bit of evolution and transformation, and through a process of trial-and-error, I have gone back to the drawing-board on more than one occasion.
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One of the things I have learned along my journey is that there is one thing that every business blog needs.
It is a necessity, not an option.
It is non-negotiable!
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Yup, you can provide your readers (all of whom happen to be prospective paying customers) with amazing content, wisdom, acumen, insight, humor, wit, tips and advice…and you can spice things up with great images and multimedia…
But it’s not enough! There is something missing.
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The Sales-Pitch:
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That’s right…the sales-pitch. In addition to all of the information listed above, it is crucial, critical and ESSENTIAL to remember why businesspeople blog and the number one goal of all of that writing they do: Selling Yourself and Your Business!
Yet, as important as this component of the blog is, I can attest, after reading literally thousands of posts, that it is, without a doubt, THE most ignored, overlooked and under-utilized part of blogging.
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A Fine Balance:
To borrow a quote from the legendary Johnny Cash: "I Walk the Line." Yes, it is walking the line with a sales-pitch. Too much pitch and you risk turning a blog article into a blatant advertisement…too little and you fail to sell yourself.
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Fox News Channel, YouTube and Sports Illustrated:
It is critical, CRITICAL, to entice readers to stick around after perusing your blog posts. You are, after all, trying to peddle your goods and services. You are seeking to persuade. Without a sales-pitch, sadly, you give your readers an easy-out to bolt from your article to check out the news, the latest football scores or the newest "viral" pickings on YouTube.
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The Sales-Pitch as an "Invitation":
A sales pitch is an invitation to your readers to stick around and find out more about you. Who you are. What you have to offer. Your great pricing. Your experience. Your testimonials from satisfied customers and clients and of course your portfolio.
Yup, it’s your opportunity to let people know why they should hire you!
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My Recommendation:
A sales-pitch contained in the blog post itself has the potential to turn people off.
Again, it can make a great blog post appear to be a blatant advertisement.
It is best placed at the end of the article, as a by-line. Simply upload a picture of yourself (to personalize things), write a very brief bio telling people what you do and what you have to offer them…and perhaps most importantly, provide a link to your website homepage and/or profile.
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Keep in mind: Business-Blogging is about selling yourself. It’s the apex of modern Marketing and Advertising. You can write kick-ass posts and utilize Social Media to attract hordes of readers. If, however, you don’t PITCH yourself, you are effectively, and sadly, writing just for the heck of it! It’s an exercise in futility and a waste of time.
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Dear Reader, If you have enjoyed this original post or found it useful, please consider re-tweeting it. I would be appreciative and humbled:
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Image Credits: Where’s the Beef: 2.bp.blogspot.com; Car Salesman: images.thecarconnection.com; Tightrope Walker: swrightboucher; Fox News Alert: foxnews.com; Invitation: misquincemag; Advice: psychologytoday.com; Captain Bligh: hawkesburyhistory.org.au
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Looking for a writer 
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Yonatan Maisel is a business blogger, history buff and author.
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If you’re looking for a "lap-dog," look elsewhere; if you’re looking for a writer who will "kick ass and take names," he might be for you!
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Yoni started a business blog one year ago. 90% of his new clients now find their way to him as a direct result of having read one or more posts. He is a regular contributor here at www.jobshuk.com.