Blogging Workshop

• Blogging since 2004

• 6K+ posts

• 10,000+ hours(Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” rule)

My blogging “resume”

Current blogs

Thought Leadership

Deliver Value-AddedContent

• Search engines love fresh content

• Google’s new Hummingbird algorithm makes original content more important

Blogs are Content Engines

That Fuel:

• Newsletters• Social Media

• Website Content• Infographics• Videos

Lots of people read blogs

Define your target audiences

What are the goals for the blog?How will you measure its success?

establish your

What are the goals for the blog?How will you measure its success?

Brand Awareness Thought Leadership

Traffic

Leads/Sales

Engagement

establish an editorial

Develop Blog Post Ideas

100 blog post ideas in less than 5 hours

– via Marcus Sheridan (aka The

Sales Lion)

put together an

blog ideas

create

Exercise

• Make a long-term commitment

• Keep an ongoing list of blog ideas

• Define roles and responsibilities

• Delegate

Tone

How will you talk to your readers?

Tone Tips…….

Write like you talkBe conversationalBe directBe captivating

Create an Editorial Calendar

Create a Mix of Posts

• Commentary• Lists• News• Q&A• Videos• Photos

The Blogging MixRaisin Bran – basic everyday posts

Spinach – Healthy, thoughtful posts

Roasts – Big Blog Projects

Tabasco – Posts That Start Fire

Chocolate Cake – The Sweet StuffSource: Sigma Web Marketing

So, Who Writes the

Blog?

One or Many Bloggers?

Structure

How Often?

How Often?

How Long?

Start with aSummary

Paragraphs should be short: 1 to 2 sentences

Sentences

"I never write metropolis for seven cents, because I can get the same price for city".

- Mark Twain, who was paid seven cents/word as a journalist

Take 10 minutes to do the following sentence structure exercise:

http://tinyurl.com/concisetest

Headlines Matter

Good or Bad Headline?• Governor Swears in Legislature • March Planned For Next August • Lingerie Shipment Hijacked; Thief Gives Police the Slip • L.A. Voters Approve Urban Renewal By Landslide • Patient At Death's Door--Doctors Pull Him Through• New burger targeted for McLean times • Superman to die, so steel yourself• Include Your Children When Baking Cookies• Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say • Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Tips to Create Great

HeadlinesBe ShortBe SnappyUse KeywordsAsk Questions

Normal: Ways to Make Drinking Tea More Delightful

Question: What are Ways to Make Drinking Tea More Delightful?

How to: How to Make Drinking Tea More Delightful

Numbers: 30 Ways To Make Drinking Tea More Delightful

Reader-Addressing: Ways You Need to Make Drinking Tea More Delightful

Headline Exercise

With summer on the horizon, Nelson Brewing Company is already one step ahead preparing for the patio season which means the need for a cold beer.

NBC will be debuting two exclusive keg only beers this summer:

A wheat beer - not yet named - which will be served at The Royal to celebrate MarketFest and the Shambhalager, which will be served at Mike’s Place as part of Shambhala Music Festival’s 15th anniversary.

Nelson Brewing Company celebrates summer with new beers

What’s Brewing This Summer on the Patio?

Or

New Keg-Only Beers: Get ‘Em While They’re Cold

Better Headlines?

Links

Blog posts can have links to external internal Websites

The Value of Links1. Gives people access to other information

sources2. Makes you part of the conversation3. Drives traffic to your older posts4. Encourages bloggers to link to your content5. Builds relations with other bloggers

Breakup…..

Images

Graphs

Charts

Cartoons

Comments Matter

• The blogging “dividend”

• Creates conversations

• Showcases your expertise

• Drives engagement and relationships

What to do?

• Monitor• Review• Respond• Engage

How to Get Them

• Ask for them• Have a opinion

(aka don’t sit on the fence)

• Make it easy to leave a comment

• Link to other peoples’ blogs

How to Give ‘Em

• Offer context, or make a point

• Provide a link to relevant content

• Include your name and Website

Spreading the Word

TrafficVisitors

Referrals

Time on Site

Analytics Tools

Other Blogging Tools

Writing a Blog Post

1. Select an idea2. Write the post3. Insert links4. Insert images5. Do a spelling and

grammar check6. Write a headline7. Save as a draft, schedule

or publish8. Promote9. Rinse and repeat

- No long-term plan

- Lack of commitment

- Fails to meet needs of target audiences

- Infrequent posts

- No engagement

- No promotion

Blog Killers

Thanks!www.markevans.ca

@markevans

mark@markevans.ca

http://bit.ly/startupscanada