Blogs are another way to increase your online visibility and promote your shop. If you saw my  previous blog on emailing, you can use many of the same tactics to create blogs. You can cover the same kinds of topics, but you can also include other things like ride reports, product reviews, commentary (on trends in racing, commuting, adventure riding, or touring), and even bios of  yourself and some of your key teammates. 

Posting a new blog every month will set you apart from nearly all of your competitors. Most dealer websites seldom post a new blog more often than once a quarter, if that. Blogs also polish the author’s reputation as an expert. Best of all, posting blogs is way cheaper than advertising.

Unlike emails, blogs should be longer. If a trend or commentary blog runs over 750 words, consider sending it to the editor of your favorite motorsports magazine as a potential guest column. (You’d be surprised how often this works; editors are always looking for new content and new contributors. When writing a blog, be sure to include a call to action at the end that invites readers to your shop for further information.

The great news about placing a blog as a guest column is that it immediately makes you an authority on your topic. Simply having your view published by a third party gives you far more credibility than if you’re just saying it yourself. Also, the short bio at the beginning or end of the piece will list your contact info and website URL. This is called a backlink - a link on a third party site that points the reader back to your own site. Some consultants will offer to get you backlinks for a price, but the motorsports publishing world is relatively small, and you can do this yourself for free.

To pitch your blog, get the editor’s contact info from a list of  the key people at the publication, which is usually available via a link at the very bottom of its website. (Look for links that say “Staff,” “About,” “Editorial Contacts,” or “Company Info.”) Then, send the editor a brief note offering the attached blog as a guest opinion piece.

Even if you don’t get  your blog published, add it to your site. Have your web jockey add a Blog link to the menu bar on the home page if you don’t already have one, along with an announcement of the new feature on your home page. If you’re producing good, useful information in the blogs, visitors will come back to your site every month to see what’s new. 

Finally, copy your blog and post it to your shop’s Facebook page and any group  pages that focus on motorcycling in your area - brand-affiliated clubs, adventure riding clubs, sport riding clubs, etc. If you’ve got great photos or videos, post them to your Instagram page. You’ll build a following on these and other social media sites with tactics like this, and all of it increases your visibility and credibility, which magnifies your online brand.