Blogging for Business: The What, the Why, and the How

WE WILL BEGIN SHORTLY! Blogging for Business:The What, the Why, and the How

Part 1: What is Blogging?

The Definition of Blogging • “Blogs are independent, web-based journals containing opinions about anything and everything.” – David Meerman Scott in The New Rules of Marketing and PR • “A blog is really quite simple. It’s nothing more than a personal website with content displayed in reverse chronological order.” – Robert Scoble in Naked Conversations

Variety of Blogs• Personal Blogs • Educational Blog• Photo Blogs • Collaborative Blog• Cultural Blog • Video Blog• Topical Blog • Spam Blog (Splog)• Science Blog • Business Blog Reference: Different Types of Blogs and the Many Facets of Blogging http://www.business2community.com/blogging/different-types-of- blogs-and-the-many-facets-of-blogging-0174473

Blog Vs Website RSS Feed

RSS Feeds and Blogs

Blog Vs Blog PostBLOGBLOGPOSTS

Blogging Platforms• Wordpress• Blogger• Typepad• Tumblr• Joomla• Drupal

Wordpress.com Vs Wordpress.org• Wordpress.org – Self-hosted (by site other than Wordpress) – Greater functionality (Plug-ins) – Custom Themes – Cost for domain: $5-10/month minimum• Wordpress.com – Hosted by Wordpress – No Plug-ins (minimal functionality – No Custom Themes (but hundreds to choose from) – Free (http://www.name.wordpress.com) or $18/year for custom domain hosted by Wordpress For more information, visit: http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

What is Blogging?: A Review• A Blog is a collection of online articles displayed in an RSS feed—reverse chronological order.• A Blog is a website, but a website isn’t necessarily a blog.• Blogs contain a variety of subjects; a blog is a medium, not a message.• There are many different platforms available for blogging, but Wordpress is the most recommended.• Wordpress.org has more functionality but is more costly; Wordpress.com has less functionality but is less costly.

Part 2: Why Should Business People Blog? John Jantsch’s “Hidden Benefits of Blogging”1. Blogging makes me a better thinker2. Blogging makes me a better listener3. Blogging makes me a better writer4. Blogging makes me a better salesperson5. Blogging makes me a better speaker6. Blogging keeps me focused on learning7. Blogging allows me to test out ideas8. Blogging makes me a better networker9. Blogging allows me to create bigger ideas Source: The Referral Engine by John Jantsch

Customer Acquisition The Marcus Sheridan story: A lesson in the power of blogging

Customer AcquisitionBy the Numbers Source: “Study Shows Business Blogging Leads to 55% more website visitors” via http://www.blog.hubspot.com

Customer Retention• Blogging keeps you in front of your customers.• Examples – Whole Foods – Southwest – American Express – Citrix

Branding and Thought Leadership• Anthony Iannarino – Sales• Michael Stelzer –Social Media• John Jantsch – Small Business Marketing• David Lebovitz – Food• Ellen Bremen – Education• Michelle Mazur – Public Speaking• Steve Weiss – Outdoor Sports• Perez Hilton – Celebrity Gossip

Professional Networking• Sales • Social Media – Anthony Iannarino – Morgan Barnhart – Jim Keenan – Marcus Sheridan – Dan Waldschmidt – Peggy Fitzpatrick – Robert Terson – Gini Dietrich – Kelley Robertson – Dino Dogan

Personal Development• Blogging is teaching; to teach, you must learn. – Learn about your product/service – Learn about your industry – Learn about your customers – Learn about the world – Learn about yourself

Revealing Your Humanity

Why Should You Blog?: A Review• Acquire new customers• Retain old customers• Strengthen your brand• Develop a network• Grow personally and professionally• Reveal the humanity behind your business

Part 3: How to Blog for Your Business So, how do I blog for my business? Boston, Terry R. Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) See Spot Obey, LLC Youngstown, OH Let’s Get Set Up…

Anatomy of a Blog PostTitle Author Text Image Text List CTA Social Sharing Comments

What Should I Write About?• “How do you get your dog to stop barking?” (Dog Trainer)• “How long should I see a Chiropractor?” (Chiropractor)• “Does sitting too close to the TV really hurt your eyes?” (Optometrist)• “How to tell if your realtor is lying to you” (Real Estate Agent)• “4 ways to keep your computer healthy” (IT Specialist)• “Why is my floor creaking?” (Remodeler)• “How often should I paint my house?” (Painter)• “How to save money on everyday activities” (Financial Advisor)• “Are business cards really important today?” (Print Shop Owner)• “Where should I store my valuables?” (Locksmith)

10 Tips for Writing Blog Posts1. Choose an SEO-friendly title2. Don’t be overly-promotional; be informative or entertaining3. Write for scanners and skimmers4. Include an relevant image in every post5. Use your name (not your business name) as the author6. Link readers to other valuable content7. Include a call-to-action (what you want you readers to think or do)8. Always respond to comments9. Keep length between 300-600 words10. Blog a minimum of once per week (3x weekly is optimum)

10 Tips for Getting Your Blog Read1. Use target keywords for blog title, URL, and post tiles2. Use target keywords for image title and description3. Use target keywords for tags and categories4. Repeat keywords or phrases 2-3 times in post5. Comment on blogs similar to yours to build inbound links6. Share on social networks and social bookmarking sites7. Make it easy for your readers to share with their networks8. Guest author on other blogs (http://www.12most.com)9. Market your blog offline (in print materials, bulleting board, etc.)10. Join Triberr (http://www.triberr.com)

10 Articles on Blogging for Business1. “12 Most Important Blogging Terms and Definitions” by Doug Rice2. “How to Build a Successful Blog” by Nikko Marasigan3. “25 Blogging Tips for Newbies and Veterans” by Jeff Goins4. “12 Most Glaring Reasons Why Businesses Should Blog” by Doug Rice5. “How to Make Your Blog Content More Visible” by Will Russell6. “16 Quick Ways to Squeeze More ROI from Your Blog” by Cory Eridon7. “12 Most Crucial Things to Remember When Blogging for Business” by Doug Rice8. “7 Standard Blog Posts to Get Past Writer’s Block” by Mary Lassiter9. “50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World” by Marcus Sheridan10. “Top 10 Business Blogs and Why They Are Successful” by Amy Porterfield

5 Books on Blogging for Business• The Referral Engine by John Jantsch• Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel• The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott• Content Rules by Ann Handley and CC Chapman• Freedom is Blogging in Your Underwear by Hugh MacLeod

My Information• Doug Rice• Small Business Storyteller – http://www.smbizstoryteller.com – http://www.facebook.com/smbizstoryteller – http://www.twitter.com/douglaserice – http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglaserice Phone: (330) 406-6108 Email: doug@smbizstoryteller.com

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Blogging for Business: The What, the Why, and the How

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