Blogging 101 An Introduction to Blogs and Web 2.0 Mark McLaren mcbuzz.com McBuzz offers social media marketing, website development, search engine optimization and online advertising

Blogging plays a significant role in most successful online marketing strategies.

What is a blog? The word “blog” comes from “web log” Originally an online journal Updated frequently Implies a community: writer and readers Chronological entries called “posts”

The word “blog” comes from “web log”

Originally an online journal

Updated frequently

Implies a community: writer and readers

Chronological entries called “posts”

An early blog post (1997)

Early online communication: Web page : one-way communication, an online brochure E-mail – for groups? “Reply All” ? Electronic mailing list (“Listserv”) early solution for groups – still not ideal

Web page : one-way communication, an online brochure

E-mail – for groups? “Reply All” ?

Electronic mailing list (“Listserv”) early solution for groups – still not ideal

Why are blogs so popular? Easy to create Easy to use Free or low cost Available to all Grassroots Search-friendly

Easy to create

Easy to use

Free or low cost

Available to all

Grassroots

Search-friendly

Blog vs. website

Why businesses love blogs Relatively inexpensive Easy to maintain Improve existing website Strengthen brand Fresh content Great for search engine “visibility”

Relatively inexpensive

Easy to maintain

Improve existing website

Strengthen brand

Fresh content

Great for search engine “visibility”

How are blogs used today? Small businesses websites Corporate communications News websites Citizen journalism Politics Journals with photos and video

Small businesses websites

Corporate communications

News websites

Citizen journalism

Politics

Journals with photos and video

Blogs are part of Web 2.0 You can “subscribe” to a blog.

What is Web 2.0? Delicious.com

What is Web 2.0? One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

What is Web 2.0? One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”) Based on improved network technologies

One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

Based on improved network technologies

What is Web 2.0? One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”) Based on improved network technologies Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations

One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

Based on improved network technologies

Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations

What is Web 2.0? One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”) Based on improved network technologies Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations Many devices: World Wide Web, PC “clients”, mobile devices (including text messaging)

One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

Based on improved network technologies

Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations

Many devices: World Wide Web, PC “clients”, mobile devices (including text messaging)

What is Web 2.0? One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”) Based on improved network technologies Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations Many devices: World Wide Web, PC “clients”, mobile devices (including text messaging) Creates and is driven by “network effects”

One word: Social (“Web 2.0 is The Social Web”)

Based on improved network technologies

Groups can access, modify information quickly from many locations

Many devices: World Wide Web, PC “clients”, mobile devices (including text messaging)

Creates and is driven by “network effects”

Blogs as Web 2.0 tools Form of online “social networking” Share information quickly and easily Foster community Promote collaboration A resource for authors and readers The author(s) and readers get to know one another

Form of online “social networking”

Share information quickly and easily

Foster community

Promote collaboration

A resource for authors and readers

The author(s) and readers get to know one another

Blogs as Web 2.0 tools (continued) Unrestricted access (usually) Authenticity, open identity of participants (may or may not be a requirement) Can be used to promote something Can be a very effective résumé

Unrestricted access (usually)

Authenticity, open identity of participants (may or may not be a requirement)

Can be used to promote something

Can be a very effective résumé

Other Web 2.0 technologies Wikis (Wikipedia – canonical articles or documents) Podcasting (iTunes, GrammarGirl.com) Video, music & photography file sharing (YouTube, Kazaa, Flickr) Social networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Biznik) Distributed software (Linux, Firefox, WordPress, Wikipedia)

Wikis (Wikipedia – canonical articles or documents)

Podcasting (iTunes, GrammarGirl.com)

Video, music & photography file sharing (YouTube, Kazaa, Flickr)

Social networking (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Biznik)

Distributed software (Linux, Firefox, WordPress, Wikipedia)

Big names in Web 2.0 PROFILE / NETWORKING LinkedIn Facebook MySpace WIKI Wikipedia IMAGES & VIDEO Flickr YouTube USERGROUPS Meetup.com POPULARITY / NEWS / BOOKMARKS Delicious.com Digg Reddit StumbleUpon DIRECTORIES & SEARCH Technorati BLOGGING WordPress.com Blogger.com Biznik Ning

PROFILE / NETWORKING

LinkedIn

Facebook

MySpace

WIKI

Wikipedia

IMAGES & VIDEO

Flickr

YouTube

USERGROUPS

Meetup.com

POPULARITY / NEWS / BOOKMARKS

Delicious.com

Digg

Reddit

StumbleUpon

DIRECTORIES & SEARCH

Technorati

BLOGGING

WordPress.com

Blogger.com

Biznik

Ning

Web 2.0 Key to Success: “Network Effects” Value increases as membership and usage increase.

What does Web 2.0 mean to your business? Marketing and Promotion Reach customers where they “live” on the Internet and on mobile devices Network with peers Collaborate Low cost Rewards early adopters

Marketing and Promotion

Reach customers where they “live” on the Internet and on mobile devices

Network with peers

Collaborate

Low cost

Rewards early adopters

Social Technographics ™ Profile Creators Critics Collectors Joiners Spectators Inactives “ Social Technographics” - Copyright 2008 Forrester Research, Inc.

Creators

Critics

Collectors

Joiners

Spectators

Inactives

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader

Establish you / your business as a leader

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand Bring new visitors to your website

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Bring new visitors to your website

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand Bring new visitors to your website Bring visitors back to your website

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Bring new visitors to your website

Bring visitors back to your website

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand Bring new visitors to your website Bring visitors back to your website Increase “ visibility ” (position in search)

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Bring new visitors to your website

Bring visitors back to your website

Increase “ visibility ” (position in search)

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand Bring new visitors to your website Bring visitors back to your website Increase “visibility” (position in search) Reward affiliates by promoting and linking to them

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Bring new visitors to your website

Bring visitors back to your website

Increase “visibility” (position in search)

Reward affiliates by promoting and linking to them

Blogs as Marketing Tools Establish you / your business as a leader Strengthen brand Bring new visitors to your website Bring visitors back to your website Increase “visibility” (position in search) Reward affiliates by promoting and linking Give the Media quick access to the latest information about you & your business

Establish you / your business as a leader

Strengthen brand

Bring new visitors to your website

Bring visitors back to your website

Increase “visibility” (position in search)

Reward affiliates by promoting and linking

Give the Media quick access to the latest information about you & your business

Other Parts of a Successful Online Marketing Strategy Easy-to-use, search-optimized website Electronic newsletters Electronic press releases Online articles Pay-per-click advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) Social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Biznik and Twitter)

Easy-to-use, search-optimized website

Electronic newsletters

Electronic press releases

Online articles

Pay-per-click advertising (e.g. Google AdWords)

Social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Biznik and Twitter)

Before You Create a Blog What are your goals? Who is your audience? What is your budget? How much time can you spend on: Design Learning HTML & CSS Learning to use widgets, plugins, etc. ?

What are your goals?

Who is your audience?

What is your budget?

How much time can you spend on:

Design

Learning HTML & CSS

Learning to use widgets, plugins, etc. ?

Depending on your audience…

… a generic blog design may be fine.

Free Blogging Services WordPress.com Blogger.com and others

WordPress.com

Blogger.com

and others

Third-party Hosted Blogs You choose the host & pay for hosting Some hosts setup the blog for you You can modify source files & add plugins

You choose the host & pay for hosting

Some hosts setup the blog for you

You can modify source files & add plugins

Successfully Implementing a Blog Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch

Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch

Successfully Implementing a Blog Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch Content creation and optimization

Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch

Content creation and optimization

Successfully Implementing a Blog Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch Content creation and optimization Promoting and bringing traffic to the blog

Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch

Content creation and optimization

Promoting and bringing traffic to the blog

Successfully Implementing a Blog Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch Content creation and optimization Promoting and bringing traffic to the blog Analyzing blog traffic and using this information to improve marketing results

Design look and feel, physical installation, testing and launch

Content creation and optimization

Promoting and bringing traffic to the blog

Analyzing blog traffic and using this information to improve marketing results

Questions or Comments? Visit: www.mcbuzz.com and mcbuzz.wordpress.com

Visit:

www.mcbuzz.com

and

mcbuzz.wordpress.com

Thank you! Mark McLaren mcbuzz.com Tel. (209) 962-9119