blogging 101
TRANSCRIPT
WHAT IS A BLOG?
A blog is a discussion or informational site published on the Internet and consists of entries ("posts"). A majority are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments.
www.wiktionary.org
Platform Options
WHY BLOG?
• Showcase your knowledge
and expertise• Build a community• Low cost marketing
tool to promote products/services• Helps you create trust & credibility• Search engine friendly and drives traffic
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGBEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC
• Define your customer– Where do they come from?– What type of content should you
create that helps them? – Where do your customers hang out online so you can
go and find them when you’re ready to launch
• Register your social media accounts• Compose your posts in Word• Write for several weeks before you tell anyone –
this takes a lot of practice
THE BIG PICTURE
HOW TO WRITE A BLOG BEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC
• Spend some time building an audience– Search for at least 15 blogs & save them to
feedly– Read and comment on a few of them
• This will get your website URL on other websites• The blogger and their readers may take an interest
HOW TO WRITE A BLOG BEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC
• Reach out to key influencers– All small business niches have industry
leaders who are online and could potentially assist you with getting the word out regarding your blog
– Get to know them before you launch!• Subscribe to their blog in feedly• Comment frequently on their posts• Engage with them via their social media outlets
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE
• Variety– Mix short posts with long posts (250-300 wds)– Mix text with photos and video (blog/vlog)– Mix personal with professional
• Include an image and eye rests
• Don’t just ramble – be helpful - educate
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE
• Build a community by:– Asking questions
– Mentioning others
– Answering questions
– Thanking others
– Asking for help
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE
• Virality– Write good headlines
with <120 characters
– Use numbers or lists
in the headline
– Use keywords and
unexpected words
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGMAINTENANCE
• More blog posts equals more of everything
• Develop and stick to your editorial schedule – consecutive days builds traction
• Draft at least ten posts in advance and have them loaded with preset publish dates
HOW TO WRITE A BLOGUSING THE RIGHT METRICS
• Generate traffic with specific keywords– Total visits
– Percentage of new visits
– Visits from search engines
• Want to convert a visitor? Funneling traffic from the blog to some other destination to make a purchase is the prime objective– Average length of stay
– Number of pages viewed per visit
– Referrers from other sites
Blogging Homework• Choose a WordPress theme that suits
you & your business
• Write blog posts in Word
• Find your industry’s key influencers and begin creating a relationship
THE BIG PICTURE
