blog your way to business success
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Blog Your Way to Business Success
With Ann Shea
AgendaSome things we’ve promised:
How to get startedBusiness benefits from your bloggingBeating writer's blockWhat's a Plug-In and which ones to useManaging your blogLink BuildingWhat are Widgets?Exploring guest bloggingGetting readers for your blog and responding to commentsFree ResourcesBlogging's fit with your other Social Media
Today’s MissionSome overall goals, in addition to learning about blogging…
LearnShareUnleash your inner creativityHave fun!
Group Summary
Describe your blogging status.Blog Platform you're using (if applicable).Biggest blogging challenges are…
Group Summary
Group Summary
Group Summary
Group Summary
Staggering Stats about Blogs
Did you know…How many blogs there really are?
3 million new blogs come on online every month!
Did you know…about the many different blogging platforms available?
Most-used platforms are: WordPress and Blogger, followed by Tumblr. WordPress.com has over 63 Million blogs. There are about 63 million WordPress sites around!
Q: With that many blogs out there……How are we going to get YOUR blog to stand out?
Hint: We’ll discuss this today!
Did you know…these interesting blogging factoids?
More than 50% of bloggers have more than one blog! 1 in 5 bloggers updates their blog daily15% of bloggers spend more than 10 hours each week with their blog.
Q: How much time do you want to put into your blog?
Don’t worry: We’ll discuss how to get a handle on this today!
Here are yet MORE…interesting blogging factoids:
Professional bloggers maintain an average of 4 blogs at the same time! Talk about time management… Even though it is a dream ofmany, only 27% are actually full-time bloggers!
Here are yet MORE…interesting blogging factoids:
Professional bloggers maintain an average of 4 blogs at the same time! Talk about time management… Even though it is a dream of many, only 27% are actually full-time bloggers!Bloggers use an average of five different social media sites to drive traffic to their blog. Which social media sites do you use?Blogging success doesn’t come overnight. 20% of bloggers have been blogging for over 6 years!Over 80% of people prefer to read blogs in the morning! Keep that in mind when you schedule your posts/tweets etc.
Business benefits from your blogging
Why Blog?
Business benefits from your blogging A
s
promised!
Regular blogging can…
your
Reasons to Blog
Get traffic for your business online.Build your brand.Express yourself.Reinforce your position as a reputable expert, resource.Provide a level of service, information.Build your email list.Expand your reach.Practice or start your idea flow for other writing, presenting, etc.
Blogging Rationale“Once We Have a Blog, We’ll Be Able to _______”
“People Read Our Blog Because It Helps Them _____”
“After Reading, We Want Blog Visitors to _______, or _________”
“_______, _________, and _________ Will Let People Know We Have a Blog”
Blogging Rationale “We Will Create _______ Posts Per Month, With ______ in Charge of Editorial, and _________ in Charge of Analytics.”
“This Blog is About ________. Sample Headlines Include _________ ….”
“This Blog Will Create Content That Will Also Feed ______, _________, and _______”
“We Will Measure the Success of The Blog by Tracking _______, ________, and ______”
But what is Blogging really about???
Communication.Community.Creativity.
How to get started
Anatomy of a blog:
Live example:http://www.andreavahl.com/facebook/4-inspiring-examples-of-an-engaging-facebook-about-page.php
Blogging Platforms
Many are free!Most are very easy to use!Blogging is fun!
Sample Fill
How to get started
Determine if your blog will be a stand-alone blog, or attached to a primary website.Then Google“WordPress”(or whateverplatform you’ve decided to use).
WordPress.com or WordPress .org ???
WordPress.com is for anyone who wants to keep a journal type blog, without an intention to one day turn this into a monetized solution. Ads and any kind of referral traffic which generates revenue is not allowed in the WordPress.com platform.
WordPress.org is for the more serious blogger/small business operator. The number of modifications that can be made allows you to build a site which meets your exact specifications.
For more to help you decide, see: http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/ andhttp://amillionblogs.com/wordpress-com-or-wordpress-org/
More comparison info:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
Managing your blog
Managing your blog
You'll manage your blog from your control panel or dashboard.From these administration pages you can add new posts to your blog, manage links, comments & archives, edit your plug-ins, and more.
As
promised!
A sample “dashboard”
Blogger.com
Managing your blog
1. Login to your control panel.2. Change or set your password.3. Create your first post. 4. Delete the default “Hello world!” post.5. Explore the control panel.
What's a Plug-In and which ones to use
PLUGINSdefinition
a plug-in (or plugin) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application. When an application supports plug-ins, it enables customization.
As
promised!
Plugins
Plugins extend and expand the functionality of your blog.
PLUGINSSome good ones
SEO for WordPress (Yoast)Akismet (prevents spam in comments)Google Analytics for WordPressWordPress Database Backup FBLikebutton
Plugins
3D Rotating Tag CloudAddThis Social ShareContact Form (WP-ContactForm)Feedburner FeedSmithFootnotesNotifier Reviewer The Notifier Reviewer plugin notifies administrator of posts pending for review.
What are Widgets?
Widgets
Widgets are a handy, easy and simple way to add some flare to your blog. Whether you'd like to display the number of currently online visitors to your site or simply the weather report for Los Angeles, you can do it with widgets. The first rule of widgetizing your blog is - don't overdo it!
As
promised!
Widgets
FeedCount - show off the number of visitors to your blog with this handy little button.Google Site Translator Open your blog or site up to readers from around the globe with Google Site Translator. Visitors can click on their country's flag to view any page of your blog or site in their language (English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian sites.)
See more:Blog Widgetshttp://www.widgetbox.com/list/blidgets
50 Great Widgets For Your Bloghttp://mashable.com/2007/09/06/widgets-2/
Okay, so what’s tagging about?
Tag CloudsTagsCategories
http://www.bloggingtips.com/2013/07/23/5-ways-money-blog/
Okay, so what’s tagging about?
Example:
http://howtoblogguideonline.com/
About pictures
Google image searchCreative CommonsStockvault
http://www.handmadeology.com/the-5-best-places-to-find-free-photos-for-your-blog/
About pictures
Google image searchCreative CommonsStockvault
http://www.handmadeology.com/the-5-best-places-to-find-free-photos-for-your-blog/
About pictures
Google image searchCreative CommonsStockvault
http://www.handmadeology.com/the-5-best-places-to-find-free-photos-for-your-blog/
Or make your own images!
“Snipping Tool” to screen capture“Wordle”Word Art in PowerPoint or MSWord
Make your own images!
“Snipping Tool” to screen capture
http://www.juicyresults.com/2013/12-ways-to-write-a-killer-headline/#.UfMjrW1YWU4
Make your own images!
“Wordle”
Make your own images!
Word Art in PowerPoint or MSWord
Even more effects…
Video, Video, Video!
http://www.juicyresults.com/2013/how-to-not-write-like-a-snob/#.UfMkuG1YWU4
Bells ‘n’ Whistles
Word cloud of topicsArchive List
Example: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx
Getting readers for your blog and responding to comments
Getting readers for your blog A
s
promised!
The “Biggie”!
Link Building
Link Building definition
Link Building is the process of building quality, relevant links to your website, which in turn help your website achieve higher ranking and drive traffic to your site.Link building can be time consuming and difficult but will optimize your website and blog.
As
promised!
Link Building
Link Building is the difference between the first page & the second page, the #1 spot and the #2 spot, the authority blogs & the subpar blogs.
As
promised!
Exploring guest blogging
What is Guest Blogging?
Guest blogging is used by bloggers as a way to network with other people within the blogosphere, grow relationships with other blog readers, and increase traffic for their own blogs.
As
promised!
What is Guest Blogging?
There are two primary types of guest blogging:
Inviting Guest blogging on your own blogGuest blogging on someone else's blog
Blogging's fit with your other Social Media
Blogging's fit with your other Social Media
Twitter Twitter is an excellent tool to share links to your
blog content and spread that content to wider audiences.
As
promised!
Blogging's fit with your other Social Media
Facebook – Post to your Facebook page. Use hashtags, now working with Facebook.LinkedIn – Your updates & groups (know group rules)Pinterest - Make sure your graphics are pinableSocial Bookmarking – Offer all the major ways to share.
Beating writer's block
Where Can You Get Some Blog Post Ideas?
Break
WARNING!!
More places to get Blog Topic IdeasYour fav trade mags
Flip through any issue,especially a current oneand find topics that you have an opinion on.You can quote the original article in your post.
More places to get Blog Topic Ideas
Search your key idea as a hashtag on Twitter
More Blog Ideas
Keep it short. No time to write? Cool - they have no time to read. Lists rock (like this one!)Shoot a 2-minute video. Post to YouTube. Embed with 3 lines of setup. Optimize title, tags and description with your keywords. Boom - done. Interview other experts. Three questions max. Post and voila!Interview prospective clients and customers. Promote them and their company. Repeat. Go to bank.Review your favorite books - both related and unrelated to your main business.
What every blogger wants: Readers!
So, how do I get them?
What every blogger wants: Readers!
A case example…an excellent blog, with quality information. What would YOU recommend?
What every blogger wants: Readers!
A case example…an excellent blog, with quality information. What would YOU recommend?
What every blogger wants: Readers!
Another good examplehttp://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/46/Why-Business-Blogs-Shouldn-t-Be-on-BlogSpot-com.aspx
Engagement
What every blogger wants: Readers!
Here’s how this social media game works…
What every blogger wants: Readers!Another good examplehttp://www.convinceandconvert.com/blogging-and-content-creation/lifting-the-fog-of-the-blog/
Other sure-fire ways to get more readers
Other sure-fire ways to get more readersEncourage comments…
Example: http://www.michaelgaigg.com/blog/2009/03/13/go-figure-10-comic-strips-that-have-something-in-common/
Promote your Blog!
Add to your Twitter accountExample: https://twitter.com/JezzDallas
Promote your Blog!
Add to your email signatureExample:
Promote your Blog!Add to your Facebook page
Example: https://www.facebook.com/GrandmaMaryShow
Promote your Blog!Add to your Facebook profile
Example:
Promote your Blog!Add an rss feed option to your blog.
Example: http://www.michaelgaigg.com/blog/2009/03/13/go-figure-10-comic-strips-that-have-something-in-common/
Other sure-fire ways to get more readersMake it easy for readers to sign up. Add a subscribe
link to your website’s homepage, blogs, social media accounts, and signature lines of your employee’s emails. You might also consider giving people something for free if they sign up, such as a white paper or research report.Remember to keep the process simple. Stay away from long, complicated subscription forms. Name, company, and email address are all you need.
Other sure-fire ways to get more readersAnd ENGAGE with readers:
Example: http://www.marismith.com/the-social-scoop/
Note, if Mari can post replies with this many followers, you can too!
Scheduling your Blogging TimeAdd to your Twitter account
Example: https://twitter.com/JezzDallas
Scheduling your Blogging TimeDecide who you want to contribute to your blog…Figure out a realistic frequency for postingCreate a blog editorial calendarFigure out a reminder systemBlock out:research time, copywriting time, image search time, proofreading, etc.Schedule it. Stick to it. Shoot for 2-3 updates a week and amazing things will start to happen.
Whatever calendar or system works, use it!
TIP!
Have an electronic “junk drawer” to collect blog ideas. It can be a running list in a Word Doc, a series of separate mini-drafts, an excel spreadsheet, or anything else.Don’t forget manual “idea” collections…a folder of pages ripped from a magazine, a note pad by your bed for midnight inspirations.
additional resources
Some additional resourcesBlog platform decision
WordPress.com or WordPress.org – A Guide To Making The Best Decision http://amillionblogs.com/wordpress-com-or-wordpress-org/How to Start a Websitehttp://www.inc.com/guides/make-a-website-for-business.html
Some additional resourcesBlogging platforms
The 10 Best Blogging Platformshttp://onlinebusiness.about.com/od/blogging/a/The-10-Best-Blogging-Platforms.htm
http://www.solostream.com/blog/tutorials/lesson-13-get-to-know-the-worpdress-control-panel/
Resources
http://www.convinceandconvert.comhttp://www.convinceandconvert.com/blogging-and-content-creation/lifting-the-fog-of-the-blog/Article about having a free Google Blogger blog attached to your domain: How to Link My Custom Domain to Blogger, by Jason Artman http://smallbusiness.chron.com/custom-domain-blogger-29313.html
http://www.domaining.com/Finding Readers for Your Blog – What We Wish We Knewhttp://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/07/14/finding-readers-for-your-blog-what-we-wish-we-knew/
Some additional resourcesPlugin Information
24 Impressive Blog Plugins You Should Considerhttp://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/24-impressive-blog-plugins/
How to install a wordpress plugin – WordPress How Tohttp://howtoblogguideonline.com/wordpress-how-to/how-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-wordpress-how-to/#more-981
90+ Best WordPress Plugins – Want Unfair Advantage?http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2013/06/best-wordpress-plugins.html
Some free image resources
http://www.rgbstock.com/Open Word or PPT and make a graphic from a key phrase you pull from your blog post
More places to get Blog Topic Ideas(some links to give you more brain juice for ideas)
Dukeo » Blog Writing » 20 Tips for Coming Up with Fresh Ideas20 Tips for Coming Up with Fresh Ideas
Go for it!
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