Blogging 101 Adam Gartenberg www.adamgartenberg.com Dec 4, 2008 All cartoons © Hugh Macloud – www.gapingvoid.com – unless otherwise noted

About me

About you

Why I blog Why blogging is important to you (and your company) What kind of commitment is involved What should you write (and not write) about? Other considerations Advice and next steps About this presentation

Why I blog

Why blogging is important to you (and your company)

What kind of commitment is involved

What should you write (and not write) about?

Other considerations

Advice and next steps

In the beginning…

There was a website. And the website was good.

And the marketers came, and filled the website with data sheets and demos, whitepapers and presentations.

And the people came, and they read the website.

And ignored it.

Instead, the people sought out other sources of wisdom

And they listened to the crowd

Which brings us to…

Why I blog Share my thoughts Contribute to community Help me succeed at my job

Share my thoughts

Contribute to community

Help me succeed at my job

Remember the moral of the story: People listen to the community, not the company % of work-related purchases influenced by… Source: "Driving Word of Mouth Advocacy Among Business Executives: The Experiential Marketing Connection,” conducted by the Keller Fay Group and sponsored by Jack Morton Worldwide. 53% 32% 26%

Why blogging is important to you

Why blogging is important to your company

But is anyone really going to read my blog?

What kind of commitment is involved? How often do I need to post? How long do posts have to be? How long does it take to create a post?

How often do I need to post?

How long do posts have to be?

How long does it take to create a post?

A brief interlude…

What should you write about?

What should you not write about? http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2007/12/how-to-use-web.html SUGGESTED READING IBM's Social Computing Guidelines IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines

SUGGESTED READING

IBM's Social Computing Guidelines

IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines

Above all else: Be Authentic. Be Authentic. Be Authentic. Blogging is a double-edged sword; if not written with an authentic voice or if only focused on one-way content (e.g., "check out our latest product and attend our upcoming conference, but no, I’m not interested in your feedback"), those benefits can be lost.

Other decisions: Team blog vs. individual blog Beware the “tragedy of the commons”

Where should you host your blog? Attend Blogging 201 for more on setting up your blog Less setup/maint. More setup/maint. Standardized Personalized

Advice and Next Steps Decide if blogging is right for you. Ask me (or another blogger) for help (and attend the monthly Blogging 201 and Blogging 301 sessions) Read other blogs (if you’re not doing so already) If you’re not ready to blog externally, try blogging on a company intranet Remember where we started… Fri, 12/12: Blogging 201 Layout and design Widgets How to measure traffic How to build traffic Make the most of RSS Feeds Search engine optimization … and more

Decide if blogging is right for you.

Ask me (or another blogger) for help (and attend the monthly Blogging 201 and Blogging 301 sessions)

Read other blogs (if you’re not doing so already)

If you’re not ready to blog externally, try blogging on a company intranet

Remember where we started…

Fri, 12/12: Blogging 201

Layout and design

Widgets

How to measure traffic

How to build traffic

Make the most of RSS Feeds

Search engine optimization

… and more

Thank You Adam Gartenberg www.adamgartenberg.com twitter.com/agberg

Example blogs Ed Brill – Sales BUE for Lotus Notes http://www.edbrill.com (Notes/Domino) Center of community – will often get 60-100 comments on a single post Almost takes on moderated discussion forum feel Mary Beth Raven – Design lead for Lotus Notes http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/marybeth Collaboratively designed Lotus Notes 8 with the community by asking for feedback on design and potential features Chris Eaton – DB2 Product Manager http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/technology One of the most widely-read blogs on IT Toolbox Mix and Mash blog http://www.mix-and-mash.com Team blog for enterprise mashups “ Turbo” Todd Watson http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/Turbo Good mix of personal and work topics (focused on social networking) Sam Lawrence – Chief Marketing Officer, Jive Software http://gobigalways.com/ (WordPress) Lots of thought leadership pieces, first person thoughts, and interesting blog design

Ed Brill – Sales BUE for Lotus Notes

http://www.edbrill.com (Notes/Domino)

Center of community – will often get 60-100 comments on a single post

Almost takes on moderated discussion forum feel

Mary Beth Raven – Design lead for Lotus Notes

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/marybeth

Collaboratively designed Lotus Notes 8 with the community by asking for feedback on design and potential features

Chris Eaton – DB2 Product Manager

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/technology

One of the most widely-read blogs on IT Toolbox

Mix and Mash blog

http://www.mix-and-mash.com

Team blog for enterprise mashups

“ Turbo” Todd Watson

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/Turbo

Good mix of personal and work topics (focused on social networking)

Sam Lawrence – Chief Marketing Officer, Jive Software

http://gobigalways.com/ (WordPress)

Lots of thought leadership pieces, first person thoughts, and interesting blog design

Another view on the role of word of mouth in influencing work-related purchases