24.com Blogging Workshop
How to promote your blog, how to market
yourself, blogging trends in SA and beyond.
by Justin Hartman, MD, Afrigator Internet

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De Venter?
Bolt On
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Bolton Deventer
http://webtrafficmaker.wordpress.com
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Loved to give SEO & Web Design Advice
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Loved to give SEO & Web Design Advice
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Link-baited where possible
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Link-baited where possible
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Used SEX as often as possible!
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Barbs Deventer
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Barbs Deventer
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Enter Barbara Deventer
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Is blogging really this shallow?
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Cold, Hard Truth about Bolton
Bolton existed for only 12 days on the Internet.
During his short life:
• He got 600+ hits to his site daily (most was 848)
• 40 blog posts (3+ per day)
• 199 comments (16+ per day)
• 15 bloggers wrote posts about Bolton
• Ranked #130 on Afrigator
• Ranked #62 on Amatomu
• 13 blog posts in the Top 5 on Muti.co.za
• Made 57 Facebook friends (he knew none of them)
• He made people laugh............
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What can we learn from Bolton?
1. Use the right tools to promote your blog
2. Link to popular bloggers & write about them
3. Read other blogs & comment
4. Pick a theme - it works
5. Use social networks to drive
awareness
6. Engage with your audience
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The right tools for the job
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Get listed on Afrigator.com
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Use Twitter.com
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Promote your blog through Social Networks
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Use Muti.co.za to gain exposure
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Build your online profile (power of community)
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Build your online profile (power of community)
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Build your online profile (power of community)
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Build your online profile (power of community)
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Blogging Trends
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Popular Sites (Global)
1 google.com Search / Email
2 yahoo.com Search / Email
3 youtube.com Social Media
4 live.com Search
5 facebook.com Social Networking
6 msn.com Search / Email
7 wikipedia.org Social Media
8 blogger.com Social Media
9 myspace.com Social Networking
10 baidu.com Search
All data supplied by Alexa.com - March 2009
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Popular Sites (South Africa)
1 google.co.za Search / Email
2 facebook.com Social Networking
3 yahoo.com Search / Email
4 youtube.com Social Media
5 wikipedia.org Social Media
6 blogger.com Social Media
7 live.com Search
8 news24.com News
9 msn.com Search / Email
10 gumtree.co.za Social Media
All data supplied by Alexa.com - March 2009
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Registered Blogs by Country
11.5%
1.3%
3.4%
South Africa
Nigeria
5.9%
Africa General
Kenya
Egypt
Tanzania
8.1%
Rest of Africa
58.9%
10.9%
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - March 2009
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0
375
750
1,125
1,500
Jun 07
Jul 07
Aug 07
Sep 07
Oct 07
Nov 07
Dec 07
Jan 08
Monthly Blog Growth
Feb 08
Mar 08
Apr 08
May 08
Jun 08
Jul 08
Aug 08
Sep 08
Oct 08
Nov 08
Dec 08
Jan 09
Feb 09
Mar 09
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - March 2009
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Scanning the Blogosphere
614,376 blog posts indexed
Blog posts in 2007
• 77,447 in South Africa
• 68,803 in Africa
Blog posts in 2008
• 216,323 in South Africa
• 170,968 in Africa
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - March 2009
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0
22,500
45,000
67,500
90,000
Jun 07
Jul 07
Aug 07
Sep 07
Oct 07
Nov 07
Dec 07
Monthly Blog Posts
Jan 08
Feb 08
Mar 08
Apr 08
May 08
Jun 08
Jul 08
Aug 08
Sep 08
Oct 08
Nov 08
Dec 08
Jan 09
Feb 09
Mar 09
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - March 2009
afrigator.com

African News
5,000
3,750
2,500
1,250
0
Nov 07
Dec 07
Jan 08
Feb 08
Mar 08
Apr 08
May 08
Jun 08
Jul 08
Aug 08
Sep 08
Oct 08
Nov 08
Dec 08
Jan 09
Feb 09
Mar 09
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - March 2009
afrigator.com | adgator.co.za

Top Ranked Individual Bloggers in SA
1 iMod Technology
2 SA Rocks Politics
3 Web AddiCT(s) Technology
4 2oceansvibe Humour
5 Urban Sprout Nature
6 So Close Parenting
7 Wonkie CartOOns Humour
8 Car Blog Motoring
9 Cape Town Daily Photo Photography
10 CookSister! Food
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - April 2009
afrigator.com

Top Ranked Individual Bloggers in SA
1 iMod Technology
2 SA Rocks Politics
3 Web AddiCT(s) Technology
4 2oceansvibe Humour
5 Urban Sprout Nature
6 So Close Parenting
7 Wonkie CartOOns Humour
8 Car Blog Motoring
9 Cape Town Daily Photo Photography
10 CookSister! Food
All data supplied by Afrigator.com - April 2009
afrigator.com

Lessons we can
learn from all
of this!!!
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Last slide.... I promise :)
Blogging in SA is growing - rapidly!
Sticking with a single theme helps build a readership.
Engaging with other bloggers helps to build a
reputation online.
Using the right tools will help promote your blog.
While you don’t need to have an online identity it
does help to market yourself and promote your blog.
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Happy Blogging!
Email: justin@afrigator.com
Blog: http://justinhartman.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/justinhartman
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