http://www.flickr.com/photos/stignygaard Next Steps With Your Blog: Building Excitement, Readership, and Community!

Only 1 in 6 people trust company blogs http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2008/12/people-dont-tru.html

Most companies blog with their best interests in mind, instead of focusing on creating valuable content for their readers.

Let’s clear the air right now…

http://flickr.photos/sis

Marketers would do better to embrace one of the four strategies prominently used by bloggers to attract readers, build conversations , and engage community members in sharing their experiences with their online peers. – Forrester’s Laura Ramos, ‘How To Derive Value From B2B Blogging’

Why do most company blogs suck? Because the blog is used to promote the company Because the bloggers don’t answer or encourage comments Because posts are infrequent, random Because the blog has little to no pictures and is boring visually Because the blog creates little value for its readers

Because the blog is used to promote the company

Because the bloggers don’t answer or encourage comments

Because posts are infrequent, random

Because the blog has little to no pictures and is boring visually

Because the blog creates little value for its readers

Your blog isn’t Times Square… http://www.flickr.com/photos/mynameispaul

Your readers want value from your blog. Period. End. Of. Sentence.

Don’t blog about Kodak’s cameras, blog about photography

Don’t blog about Best Western, blog about traveling

Don’t blog about HomeGoods’ products, blog about interior decorating

Don’t blog about your tax-preparation software, blog about how I can save money on my taxes

Don’t blog about your realtors, blog about the area where you sell properties

People read your blog to: A – Learn something they didn’t know B – Because they have a problem that needs solving C – Be entertained D – Get information or help with your products/services E – Learn how they can help you make more money (Guess which one doesn’t belong…)

No (successful) blog is an island… http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronescobar

By visiting, commenting on and linking to other blogs, you are creating trails back to your own…

Find ways to put the spotlight on your readers and showcase them

If someone leaves a great comment to your post, point that out!

Encourages comments from readers Makes special mention of readers that leave comments

Your Posting Pattern Affects Readership Posting regularly increases readership Write a set number of posts a week Space your posts out, no big gaps Train your readers

Posting regularly increases readership

Write a set number of posts a week

Space your posts out, no big gaps

Train your readers

Blog has several pictures that catch the reader’s eye and make the blog more appealing

Readers want to see what you look like (No really, they do!)

Is this the best blog idea ever?

These are not your blog’s readers…

… these are your readers. Real people with real faces and real names living real lives. http://www.flickr.com/photos/drbeachvacation

So how do you connect with people on your blog?

http://flickr.photos/sis

Look at your blog through the eyes of your reader. Ask yourself ‘why would they care?’

Find your blog’s ‘bigger idea’… … that makes your content valuable and relevant to your readers.

Instead of posting about How to Use LinkedIn… … this post shows readers how to use LinkedIn to get a job .

Keys to creating an exciting company blog Create content that your readers can find value in Encourage feedback from your readers Leave your blog Post regularly Make it pretty Be thankful Shift your mindset

Create content that your readers can find value in

Encourage feedback from your readers

Leave your blog

Post regularly

Make it pretty

Be thankful

Shift your mindset

http://flickr.photos/sis Give them a reason to care .

Mack Collier – Social Media Consultant Stay in touch with me here: Blog – http://www.theviralgarden.com Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/mackcollier Email – mack.collier@gmail.com