Using a blog or Myspace to promote a business can be a great idea. However, you've got to remember that there are hundreds of other companies trying the same tricks. Follow these rules to stay ahead of the competition.

1. Educate rather than sell. People aren't dumb, and they can sniff a sales pitch from a mile away. Blogs designed to affect sales aren't going to garner much attention. Instead, try to provide free education on your product or service, and offer to answer user questions or concerns on your blog.

2. Keep a personal style. The blogging revolution has grown in part due to its insistence on a casual writing style, so try to approach your users on a basic, person-to-person level. Make jokes, keep paragraphs concise, and include quotes or anecdotes when possible.

3. Don't mass message people. This is essential for Myspace advertising-mass messaging can get you kicked off the service or worse, turn off your prospective customers. Building your buzz by personally contacting readers and asking them to spread the word about your company and page is a much more effective-and moral-way to go about advertising.

4. Don't tear at your competition. It makes you seem insecure and unprofessional to bring up what the other guy's doing in any negative context; be the bigger man and you'll see more sales.

5. Keep your page well designed. Don't have it auto-load with annoying music or video, and make sure text is easy to read and things are easy to find. Don't overload your page with hit-counters, graphics, or other common net faux pas.

By keeping a level head and asking for input from your readers, you can use a blog or myspace to develop a successful tool for your business's advertising and customer communication.

Learn more about this author, Phil Dotree.
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