Blogging: The Basics A Webinar Developed By CRT/tanaka ©2009

Why Blog? Thought leadership Share experiences and value w/ community SEO Provide capture point for marketing initiatives Influence the media Crisis PR And much, much more

Thought leadership

Share experiences and value w/ community

SEO

Provide capture point for marketing initiatives

Influence the media

Crisis PR

And much, much more

Structuring Your Content

Content: Editorial Mission The editorial mission serves as a compass Determines topics Coming up with ideas can be a brainstorm How do the topics tie to your work? Your stakeholders? Do you have commentary to add?

The editorial mission serves as a compass

Determines topics

Coming up with ideas can be a brainstorm

How do the topics tie to your work?

Your stakeholders?

Do you have commentary to add?

Content: Bringing the Editorial Mission to Life Think in brush strokes Color commentary on pertinent topics Posts are often 3-10 paragraphs in length Fully researched concepts can be broken into several posts

Think in brush strokes

Color commentary on pertinent topics

Posts are often 3-10 paragraphs in length

Fully researched concepts can be broken into several posts

Content: Tone It’s not a formal business document Personality should be included Write it like you were talking with someone on a Saturday Remove unnecessary 1 st person (I, me) Edit for grammar

It’s not a formal business document

Personality should be included

Write it like you were talking with someone on a Saturday

Remove unnecessary 1 st person (I, me)

Edit for grammar

Content: Structure Long diatribes will drive people away Ideal paragraph length is 3-6 lines Posts greater than 10 paragraphs should be broken into two posts Minimum of three links to other blogs per post Ideal: Video, audio to supplement Must: A picture for each post

Long diatribes will drive people away

Ideal paragraph length is 3-6 lines

Posts greater than 10 paragraphs should be broken into two posts

Minimum of three links to other blogs per post

Ideal: Video, audio to supplement

Must: A picture for each post

Content: Researching Links, Photos Flickr Creative Commons for Images: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ Make sure to provide attribution Places to research blog posts for crosslinks: s.technorati.com blogsearch.google.com Icerocket.com Use key words and phrases from posts to find links Ideal: You or PR firm is using del.icio.us to build reservoir of links, informative posts

Flickr Creative Commons for Images: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

Make sure to provide attribution

Places to research blog posts for crosslinks:

s.technorati.com

blogsearch.google.com

Icerocket.com

Use key words and phrases from posts to find links

Ideal: You or PR firm is using del.icio.us to build reservoir of links, informative posts

Promotion Socnet Participation Bookmarking/Sharing Comment on and link to other blogs Blog roll Register the blog with Technorati, Google Blogs, and other blog search engines – Tags help! Include the blog’s url in your email signature, business card, social network profiles

Socnet Participation

Bookmarking/Sharing

Comment on and link to other blogs

Blog roll

Register the blog with Technorati, Google Blogs, and other blog search engines – Tags help!

Include the blog’s url in your email signature, business card, social network profiles

Frequency & Fodder The more you post, the better 2 – 3 times a week is a good goal Be consistent Need ideas? Read other blogs on your topic Stay on top of news related to your topic Your offline experiences are valuable & a great platform for a unique idea or perspective Keep an idea log for future posts

The more you post, the better

2 – 3 times a week is a good goal

Be consistent

Need ideas?

Read other blogs on your topic

Stay on top of news related to your topic

Your offline experiences are valuable & a great platform for a unique idea or perspective

Keep an idea log for future posts

Using Windows Live Writer

Formatting Text with Live Writer Basic MS Word functionality Italics Bold Underline Bullets

Basic MS Word functionality

Italics

Bold

Underline

Bullets

Links with Live Writer Adding Hyperlinks Highlight text Copy URL Use link button (see screen shot on left) Insert link Also, can hyperlink audio/podcast downloads with URL

Adding Hyperlinks

Highlight text

Copy URL

Use link button (see screen shot on left)

Insert link

Also, can hyperlink audio/podcast downloads with URL

Images with Live Writer Save photo to computer Insert image in the post using image button Flush left or right Build border around image Use advanced features to size appropriately (500 for full size, 240 for half screen) Add text and link for attribution

Save photo to computer

Insert image in the post using image button

Flush left or right

Build border around image

Use advanced features to size appropriately (500 for full size, 240 for half screen)

Add text and link for attribution

Categories & Publish with Live Writer Lower left corner allows you to tag photo with the correct category You can also set posting time Pre-posting allows for blogging ahead of set day Simply push to post, LiveWriter opens window

Lower left corner allows you to tag photo with the correct category

You can also set posting time

Pre-posting allows for blogging ahead of set day

Simply push to post, LiveWriter opens window

Using WordPress

Editing Live Posts

Editing Live Posts: Part II

Editing Live Posts Part III

Code Tricks Adding video text: Insert script from You Tube, Blip.tv, etc. where you want it placed Make sure there is ample space between paragraphs and code <br> <p> Be Careful: WP often alters video script if it is edited after publishing… Make it the last thing

Adding video text: Insert script from You Tube, Blip.tv, etc. where you want it placed

Make sure there is ample space between paragraphs and code <br> <p>

Be Careful: WP often alters video script if it is edited after publishing… Make it the last thing

Moderating Comments Go to comments tab Go to moderation sub-tab Edit, delete or approve

Go to comments tab

Go to moderation sub-tab

Edit, delete or approve

Comments Always good to engage commenters, but you don’t have to answer every one. Thank yous works Negative comments are good! Not all negative comments warrant a return, especially repeats Don’t feed the trolls

Always good to engage commenters, but you don’t have to answer every one.

Thank yous works

Negative comments are good!

Not all negative comments warrant a return, especially repeats

Don’t feed the trolls

Images Used Neutron star 2004 by NASA http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingnews/291708133/ Tree of Life, by quema http://www.flickr.com/photos/quemas/1394199592/ Michelle, by digiart2001 http://www.flickr.com/photos/digiart2001/2143155562/ Black glass by exothermic http://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermic/2277966148/ New York Public Library by grahamwell http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamwell/199603745/ Megaphone Man by Aazonearth http://flickr.com/photos/aazis/393250260/ 19 th February 2005 by http://flickr.com/photos/paulwatson/5070829/

Neutron star 2004 by NASA http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingnews/291708133/

Tree of Life, by quema http://www.flickr.com/photos/quemas/1394199592/

Michelle, by digiart2001 http://www.flickr.com/photos/digiart2001/2143155562/

Black glass by exothermic http://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermic/2277966148/

New York Public Library by grahamwell http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamwell/199603745/

Megaphone Man by Aazonearth http://flickr.com/photos/aazis/393250260/

19 th February 2005 by http://flickr.com/photos/paulwatson/5070829/