Welcome to Blog Writing Instructor: Bryon Sabol

Course Goals You will leave this course with a basic understanding of the genre of blog writing, including how to set up a blog, how to write effective entries, and how to promote and increase your readership.

You will leave this course with a basic understanding of the genre of blog writing, including how to set up a blog, how to write effective entries, and how to promote and increase your readership.

What is a Blog? Blog is short for “web-log” coined by Peter Merholz (founder of Epinions.com) in 1999. A website on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative. It allows for relationship building with your readers.

Blog is short for “web-log” coined by Peter Merholz (founder of Epinions.com) in 1999.

A website on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative.

It allows for relationship building with your readers.

Who Blogs?

Bob Costa Thinks We’re Losers "It's one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother's basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they're a pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional accountability and they can be comment No. 17 on Dan Le Batard's column or Bernie Miklasz' column in St. Louis. That, in most cases, grants a forum to somebody who has no particular insight or responsibility. Most of it is a combination of ignorance or invective.'' "It's just a high-tech place for idiots to do what they used to do on bar stools or in school yards, if they were school yard bullies, or on men's room walls in gas stations. That doesn't mean that anyone with half a brain should respect it.''

Your Own Personal Pair of UVA Pajamas!!!

The Real Bloggers 2009 Pew Research Center Survey of American Life & the Internet 52% say that they blog for themselves and don’t care if people read what they write . 6% 23% The Silent Generation (65-72) 7% 25% Older Boomers (55-64) 6% 6% 10% 20% 28% Create Blogs 15% 27% 34% 43% 49% Read Blogs GI Generation (72+) Younger Boomers (45-54) Gen X (33-44) Gen Y (18-32) Teens (12-17)

23% People Age 65-72 Read Blogs!!! 2009 Pew Research Center Survey of American Life & the Internet 37% say that keeping in touch with their friends is the reason that they blog . 6% 23% The Silent Generation (65-72) 7% 25% Older Boomers (55-64) 6% 6% 10% 20% 28% Create Blogs 15% 27% 34% 43% 49% Read Blogs GI Generation (72+) Younger Boomers (45-54) Gen X (33-44) Gen Y (18-32) Teens (12-17)

Top 10 Reasons to Blog or Not to Blog To build a reputation as a wise, thoughtful expert on family values. To destroy someone’s reputation as a wise, thoughtful expert on family values with one drunken photo from the all-nude male cabaret. To entertain the fantasy that a baby-model scout is looking at photos of your child in a too-cute Burberry two-piece toddler swimsuit ($55). Pure exhibitionism. To vent about your halitosis-plagued boss and boneheaded corporate policies. To establish cred for a new career after being fired by your halitosis-plagued boss and boneheaded HR minions. To let the world know that your babysitter is trying to extort $1.5 million from you. To stop the rumor that you sexual harassed that babysitter. Grandma gently suggested that you share your rants about (pick one) the 2000 election, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the need for a border fence, or the “Klintoons” with someone other than her. For the opportunity to make an additional $1.65 per week through Google AdWords or the Amazon Associates program. By: Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blog Writing

To build a reputation as a wise, thoughtful expert on family values.

To destroy someone’s reputation as a wise, thoughtful expert on family values with one drunken photo from the all-nude male cabaret.

To entertain the fantasy that a baby-model scout is looking at photos of your child in a too-cute Burberry two-piece toddler swimsuit ($55).

Pure exhibitionism.

To vent about your halitosis-plagued boss and boneheaded corporate policies.

To establish cred for a new career after being fired by your halitosis-plagued boss and boneheaded HR minions.

To let the world know that your babysitter is trying to extort $1.5 million from you.

To stop the rumor that you sexual harassed that babysitter.

Grandma gently suggested that you share your rants about (pick one) the 2000 election, Mumia Abu-Jamal, the need for a border fence, or the “Klintoons” with someone other than her.

For the opportunity to make an additional $1.65 per week through Google AdWords or the Amazon Associates program.

Why do so many blogs fail? According to Technorati, there are 112 million blogs in the blogosphere but only 7.4 million have been updated last month. They are easy to set up, but hard to do well. Rule #1: Write about what you love and what you know. If it becomes a choir to write, then your blog won’t last! The Challenge : Be specific enough to establish a community while at the same time being broad enough to maintain your interest.

According to Technorati, there are 112 million blogs in the blogosphere but only 7.4 million have been updated last month.

They are easy to set up, but hard to do well.

Rule #1: Write about what you love and what you know.

If it becomes a choir to write, then your blog won’t last!

The Challenge : Be specific enough to establish a community while at the same time being broad enough to maintain your interest.

Let’s take a look at some popular blogs… Visit www.bryonsabol.com/blogclass.doc Why are these blogs so popular? What are some common characteristics of the blogs that make them popular?

Visit www.bryonsabol.com/blogclass.doc

Why are these blogs so popular?

What are some common characteristics of the blogs that make them popular?

The Golden Rules of Blog Writing Know your audience. Enable and encourage your readers to share your writing. Treat your readers like you would want to be treated (respect their opinions, reply to their comments, build relationships).

Know your audience.

Enable and encourage your readers to share your writing.

Treat your readers like you would want to be treated (respect their opinions, reply to their comments, build relationships).

How are organizations and businesses using blogs Public Relations Relationship building Customer Service Consumer Generated Media: Who’s talking about you and why Enhancing their brand presence on the Internet

Public Relations

Relationship building

Customer Service

Consumer Generated Media: Who’s talking about you and why

Enhancing their brand presence on the Internet

Corporate Blogs One of the most important PR tools for spreading good news about your company. Making it easy for people to find you and share your information for you. Brand yourself as the expert in your field. Highlight topics of your success and expertise. Increase your presence in markets you wouldn’t consider otherwise. If bad news arises, you have a collection of good news to fall back on.

One of the most important PR tools for spreading good news about your company.

Making it easy for people to find you and share your information for you.

Brand yourself as the expert in your field.

Highlight topics of your success and expertise.

Increase your presence in markets you wouldn’t consider otherwise.

If bad news arises, you have a collection of good news to fall back on.

Let’s take a look at examples of organization blogs Visit www.bryonsabol.com/blogclass.doc How are these company’s using their blogs to interact with their customers/audiences? What are some common characteristics? How do they handle their comments sections?

Visit www.bryonsabol.com/blogclass.doc

How are these company’s using their blogs to interact with their customers/audiences?

What are some common characteristics?

How do they handle their comments sections?

Anatomy of a Blog Name of the Blog Entry Title of Entry Comments Section Recent Posts Tags Archives Permalink RSS Feeds Share This

Name of the Blog

Entry

Title of Entry

Comments Section

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives

Permalink

RSS Feeds

Share This

Tips for Naming Your Blog Be clear. Your readers should know instantly what your blog is about. Keep it short. Stand out. Catchy titles can draw in an audience. What blog titles stood out to you?

Be clear. Your readers should know instantly what your blog is about.

Keep it short.

Stand out. Catchy titles can draw in an audience.

What blog titles stood out to you?

Entries and Titles Your titles should be short and catchy. Keep them short. Write as if you were speaking to a friend. Add media (videos, photos, podcasts, slideshows, etc.) Writing about current events will increase the likelihood of people finding you. Add a new perspective. Add to the conversations with Pull Quotes and Links to other sites. Update your blog often. At the least once a week. People love humor and lists!! Use them.

Your titles should be short and catchy.

Keep them short.

Write as if you were speaking to a friend.

Add media (videos, photos, podcasts, slideshows, etc.)

Writing about current events will increase the likelihood of people finding you.

Add a new perspective.

Add to the conversations with Pull Quotes and Links to other sites.

Update your blog often. At the least once a week.

People love humor and lists!! Use them.

How Short? Headings: 8 words or less Sentences: 15 - 20 words Paragraphs: 40 - 70 words Page word count: 250+ words

Headings: 8 words or less

Sentences: 15 - 20 words

Paragraphs: 40 - 70 words

Page word count: 250+ words

To Allow Comments or Not What risks do you foresee?

What risks do you foresee?

Tags With the exception of good content, tags are the most critical part of your blog. They allow users to find you.

With the exception of good content, tags are the most critical part of your blog.

They allow users to find you.

Promoting Your Blog RSS Feeds and Readers Share This Social Bookmarking (Del.icio.us) Social News Sites (Digg, Reddit) Social Profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) Microblogs (Twitter)

RSS Feeds and Readers

Share This

Social Bookmarking (Del.icio.us)

Social News Sites (Digg, Reddit)

Social Profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)

Microblogs (Twitter)

Del.icio.us Social bookmarking allows people to save and share information on the Internet through tags.

Social bookmarking allows people to save and share information on the Internet through tags.

Digg and Reddit Social News Sites allow users to share news articles and websites with the a community of readers. Users vote up or down the stories that they find interesting.

Social News Sites allow users to share news articles and websites with the a community of readers.

Users vote up or down the stories that they find interesting.

Facebook Fan Pages Communicate with everyone in your group. Invite people to be a part of your community. Invite people to read your posts.

Communicate with everyone in your group.

Invite people to be a part of your community.

Invite people to read your posts.

Twitter Short blog posts. A great tool for sharing information. Relationship building.

Short blog posts.

A great tool for sharing information.

Relationship building.

Tweeting a disaster Plane crash tweetings. Safety. Mumbai. People immediately started tweeting each other warning them to avoid dangerous parts of the city and hotel.

Plane crash tweetings.

Safety. Mumbai. People immediately started tweeting each other warning them to avoid dangerous parts of the city and hotel.

Customer Service Comcast’s approach to Twitter. Addressing issues online.

Comcast’s approach to Twitter.

Addressing issues online.

Benefits of Blog Writing No longer do you have to wait for traditional media sources to cover your organization. You can create your own news. Blogs allow the consumer to communicate with you in mediums they are comfortable using. Allows the consumer to reach out to you for relationship building. Link generation. Google and Yahoo recognizes “buzz” over the internet about websites and then rank them higher in search results. Allows consumers who are actively searching for a product to find you easier.

No longer do you have to wait for traditional media sources to cover your organization. You can create your own news.

Blogs allow the consumer to communicate with you in mediums they are comfortable using.

Allows the consumer to reach out to you for relationship building.

Link generation. Google and Yahoo recognizes “buzz” over the internet about websites and then rank them higher in search results.

Allows consumers who are actively searching for a product to find you easier.

In Defense of Bloggers