Rob Marchant presents…. Here is a title that is in a box Let’s Start Blogging A beginners guide to business blogging Presented: 2007 & 2008 At: The eBusiness Programme

Let’s Start Blogging Action Planning Workshop: A Beginners Guide to Business Blogging Dr Rob Marchant

Aim of today... Get you ready to start blogging See how your business can use blogs Planning & development Think about action plan for you to follow To demonstrate setting up a quick blog

Get you ready to start blogging

See how your business can use blogs

Planning & development

Think about action plan for you to follow

To demonstrate setting up a quick blog

What is a Blog? Web + Log = Blog Often thought of as an online diary or journal……

Web + Log = Blog

Often thought of as an online diary or journal……

But …. We should see it as an instant publishing tool anyone can use to add new content onto the web. … .. “No expertise required”

We should see it as an instant publishing tool anyone can use to add new content onto the web.

… .. “No expertise required”

RSS – Really Simple Syndication

Some RSS Readers/Aggregators sometimes known as ‘newsreaders’ FeedDemon (Windows) – www.newsgator.com NewsFire (Mac OS X) – www.newsfirerss.com Web-based: Bloglines – www.bloglines.com Newsgator – www.newsgator.com Many others available!

FeedDemon (Windows) – www.newsgator.com

NewsFire (Mac OS X) – www.newsfirerss.com

Web-based:

Bloglines – www.bloglines.com

Newsgator – www.newsgator.com

Many others available!

www.feedreader.com

RSS – Really Simple Syndication IE7 and Firefox both have built-in feed readers

RSS – Really Simple Syndication iGoogle & myYahoo also have built-in feed readers www.google.com/ig

Why Blog? Positions you as a thought leader Cost effective & quick way of communicating It’s personal…gives you/your business a human face – exploit this Builds partnerships A good way to engage

Positions you as a thought leader

Cost effective & quick way of communicating

It’s personal…gives you/your business a human face – exploit this

Builds partnerships

A good way to engage

Plus.. Changing content increases your visibility to search engines Remember: BLOG = B etter L isting O n G oogle

Changing content increases your visibility to search engines

Remember: BLOG = B etter L isting O n G oogle

Business are using blogs for… More personal communication A way to engage with feedback To easily show they’re listening Public Relations & Advertising Internal communications – project/knowledge management

More personal communication

A way to engage with feedback

To easily show they’re listening

Public Relations & Advertising

Internal communications – project/knowledge management

Three ‘Killer’ Features of Blogs for Business

1 Blogs aren’t email! Readers subscribe using RSS. No mailbox clutter. No spam filters! Your message will get through. No need for favourites!

2 Blogs publish instantly. No formatting. No templates. No fancy coding. No need for designers or techies. No need to even be at your desk.

3 Search engines love blogs! Each entry on your blog is it’s own webpage & search engines are drawn to fresh, updated pages. No need for expensive search engine optimisation.

Types of Blog

The Standalone Blog Not part of another page No corporate ID One person showing their expertise, opinion etc

Not part of another page

No corporate ID

One person showing their expertise, opinion etc

The Standalone But Linked Blog Links from another (main) page Flowing corporate ID Highlights business/products etc

Links from another (main) page

Flowing corporate ID

Highlights business/products etc

The ‘Integrated’ Blog Looks like part of the webpage Exactly fits corporate ID – because it’s part of the page

Looks like part of the webpage

Exactly fits corporate ID – because it’s part of the page

The Blog-Led Webpage The entire homepage is a blog Great for fast moving organisations with lots of news Can still have other pages added

The entire homepage is a blog

Great for fast moving organisations with lots of news

Can still have other pages added

Hosted v Non-Hosted

Hosted On their server Reliable with Off-site back-up Web (and mobile) access from anywhere Easy for new starters & gives professional results (can use templates) www.typepad.com www.blogger.com

On their server

Reliable with Off-site back-up

Web (and mobile) access from anywhere

Easy for new starters & gives professional results (can use templates)

www.typepad.com

www.blogger.com

Non-Hosted On your own server Download software to your site Need some server expertise Easy to make into your page www.WordPress.com www.MovableType.com

On your own server

Download software to your site

Need some server expertise

Easy to make into your page

www.WordPress.com

www.MovableType.com

Choosing a hoster; check out.. Cost & upgrade options Reliability Flexible layouts, templates? Customisable? Good help options? Availability of useful ‘widgets’? Metrics/user stats available? www.TypePad.com is good

Cost & upgrade options

Reliability

Flexible layouts, templates?

Customisable?

Good help options?

Availability of useful ‘widgets’?

Metrics/user stats available?

Anatomy of a Blog Things that you might see on a typical business blog…

Dynamic content Static content

Title Bar/Logo Posts – Reverse chronological RSS Subscription Columns Columns Post heading Lots of links You need a strong identity

Links to topics categories Archive Links to popular posts Comment on each post Quick bookmarking Columns… Older posts further down

Polls & Other Widgets Photos, videos, images and audio (podcasts) Click to see comments on this post

Business Blogging Etiquette Keep it fresh (and short) Make it personal, passionate & authoritative Post regularly (or frequently) Link, Link and Link Again Stick to a niche topic and…Have fun!

Keep it fresh (and short)

Make it personal, passionate & authoritative

Post regularly (or frequently)

Link, Link and Link Again

Stick to a niche topic

and…Have fun!

Things to include Your opinions, ideas & comments News Resources – stuff that people (your readers, clients, customers) will find useful Stuff that demonstrates your enthusiasm and expertise Links, links and more links Add colour with pictures and video

Your opinions, ideas & comments

News

Resources – stuff that people (your readers, clients, customers) will find useful

Stuff that demonstrates your enthusiasm and expertise

Links, links and more links

Add colour with pictures and video

A Good Blog Post Is… … are your posts like this? short opinionated interesting full of links relevant personal colourful incisive one with pics & vids motivating decisive timely Not full of ‘corporate speak’ Authentic

Planning Your Blog Decide style and type – embedded, hosted etc Decide overall subject matter Decide content – dynamic & static (widgets, links, archives) Plan to keep it going Design blog and test Start posting Promote Evaluate

Decide style and type – embedded, hosted etc

Decide overall subject matter

Decide content – dynamic & static (widgets, links, archives)

Plan to keep it going

Design blog and test

Start posting

Promote

Evaluate

Ask Yourself… What is the overall aim? Will this achieve the aim? What does success look like? Who’s the target audience? What’s the BIG message? What do I want readers to do?

What is the overall aim?

Will this achieve the aim?

What does success look like?

Who’s the target audience?

What’s the BIG message?

What do I want readers to do?

Promoting Your Blog Tell people about it – email, biz cards, moo cards, leaflets etc Link from your webpage Use targeted keywords in your entry titles Post about it on other (related) blogs Get listed in others blog rolls (and list them in yours) Register with blog search engines (technorati.com, blogsearchengine.com etc)

Tell people about it – email, biz cards, moo cards, leaflets etc

Link from your webpage

Use targeted keywords in your entry titles

Post about it on other (related) blogs

Get listed in others blog rolls (and list them in yours)

Register with blog search engines (technorati.com, blogsearchengine.com etc)

Let’s Start Blogging…

TypePad Blog Hosting Easy to use – with good help Flexible – easily customised & lots of templates Cheap – c. £50/year for this package Lots of widgets Mobile access Hosted service – can add your own URL Matches Industry Standard www.TypePad.com

Easy to use – with good help

Flexible – easily customised & lots of templates

Cheap – c. £50/year for this package

Lots of widgets

Mobile access

Hosted service – can add your own URL

Matches Industry Standard

Best Practice Reminder

1 Be clear on what you’re trying to achieve

2 Have a clear overall message… “ When it comes to X, Y or Z we’re the experts”

3 Plan to maintain a steady stream of content – what are you going to post about

4 Stay visible to search engines - post on a regular basis

5 Keep posts short, snappy, informative and relevant

6 Link, Link and Link some more

7 Encourage feedback….and act on it…and be seen to be acting on it

8 Remember: Good Blogging = Good Writing

Find out more…

Here is a title that is in a box For more information …. visit my blog: www.robmarchant.typepad.com my website: www.cinnamontraining.com or email: [email_address]