Best Practices for
Business Blogging
October 1, 2009
Andy Wibbels, Six Apart
Page 1

Andy Wibbels
• Six Apart
– TypePad, the leading
hosted blog service with
support
– Based in San Francisco
– Pioneers since 2001
– www.sixapart.com
• Trainer and product
manager at Six Apart
– Author of Blogwild:
A Guide to Small
Business Blogging
– andywibbels.com
– twiCer.com/andymaEc
Page 2

Agenda
• What blogs are
• Some examples of great blogs
• How blogs help business
• How to get started tonight
Page 3

What is a Blog
• Instantly easily updatable website
• Personal point‐of‐view, journal‐style
• InteracEve with commenEng
• Managed with soNware called a blog plaOorm
Page 4

Why Blog?
Save
Money
Increase Save
Visibility Time
Page 5

h"p://www.wagreflex.com/
Page 6

Natural Beauty Workshop
h"p://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/
Page 7

Seth Godin
h"p://sethgodin.typepad.com/
Page 8

Lipsticking
h"p://www.lips<cking.com/
Page 9

Keys to Success
• Audience – Paint a picture of your ideal customer
and their needs
• ExperEse – Define what you talk about – be
specific
• ObjecEves – Research? Leads? Visibility?
• Be Real – First person voice, avoid jargon, be
authenEc
• Be Involved – Comment on other blogs
• Post Regularly – Consistent culEvaEon
Page 10

How Blogs Make Money
Content
Audience AdverEsing
Page 11

Where to Find Blogs
• Blog directories
– Blogs.com – www.blogs.com/topten
– AllTop – www.alltop.com
– Blog Catalog – www.blogcatalog.com
• Blog monitors
– Blog Catalog – www.blogcatalog.com
– TechnoraE – www.technoraE.com
– Ice Rocket – www.icerocket.com
• Search engines for a keyword or topic and the word blogs
• Look for blogrolls, a list of a blogger’s favorite blogs in
their sidebar
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Get Started!
hCp://typepad.com/
Use code: ATL09
(10% off TypePad Pro for life)
Much more about blogs and business at
h"p://typepad.com/small‐business‐blogs/
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