Word of Mouth Marketing for Blogs and Bloggers Microsoft July 13, 2007 Andy Sernovitz [email_address] www.wordofmouthbook.com Blog: www.damniwish.com

So .... you want to be a world-famous blogger

It’s not about the chicken

It’s about love, fun, and generosity And .... getting the basics right

Giving people a reason to talk about YOUR stuff Making it easier for that conversation to take place Word of Mouth Marketing is

Giving people a reason to talk about YOUR stuff

Making it easier for that conversation to take place

People linking to you People forwarding (fast) People re-posting (long-term) What really matters?

People linking to you

People forwarding (fast)

People re-posting (long-term)

Fantastic content worth talking about This is what matters most!

Great writing!!!!!! Your momma taught you: Don’t write about yourself Focused on a topic/audience Consistent Something they can’t get anywhere else – so they link to you What’s the reason to talk about this blog?

Your momma taught you: Don’t write about yourself

Focused on a topic/audience

Consistent

Something they can’t get anywhere else – so they link to you

What’s the reason to talk about this blog?

Sharables Reportable images & data Hugh MacLeod eMarketer Cut-and-paste content that makes other blogs look good

Reportable images & data

Hugh MacLeod

eMarketer

Cut-and-paste content that makes other blogs look good

Sure-thing must-forward posts Complaints Scoops Stats & Research Lists Funny/unusual Useful how-to Whatever is already popular on bigger blogs Not all content is created equal

Complaints

Scoops

Stats & Research

Lists

Funny/unusual

Useful how-to

Whatever is already popular on bigger blogs

Not all content is created equal

Easy To Share Tools and techniques to accelerate word of mouth

Get the basic tools right Trackbacks, comment, & permalink Email-a-friend form Instant WOM links Paste-ready How easy is it to share your stuff?

Trackbacks, comment, & permalink

Email-a-friend form

Instant WOM links

Paste-ready

How easy is it to share your stuff?

Start the conversation Bookmark Sites Digg, Delicious, etc. StumbleUpon Wikipedia Non-blog forums & communities Email friends Email newsletter Post and submit everywhere

Bookmark Sites

Digg, Delicious, etc.

StumbleUpon

Wikipedia

Non-blog forums & communities

Email friends

Email newsletter

Post and submit everywhere

Leverage your reach Pump your feed into widgets Re-post to social networks Squidoo Blog syndication networks Directories (auto-ping) Guest columns=longevity Press releases=tons of links Tap into existing distribution channels

Pump your feed into widgets

Re-post to social networks

Squidoo

Blog syndication networks

Directories (auto-ping)

Guest columns=longevity

Press releases=tons of links

Tap into existing distribution channels

Magnifiers: Tools + Audience YouTube, SlideShare, etc. Viral Tools YouTube: 15 ways to share Huge communities Join groups Tricks: Tag & title well Profile/ Username drive people back to your blog WOM tools, viral speed, and built-in audience

YouTube, SlideShare, etc.

Viral Tools

YouTube: 15 ways to share

Huge communities

Join groups

Tricks:

Tag & title well

Profile/ Username drive people back to your blog

WOM tools, viral speed, and built-in audience

Emotion & Ego Make people feel great for sharing

Make bloggers feel important Interviews Cover their coverage Invite them to be a guest TONS of “Thank You” Advance email of a post Share scoops Not just the A-list Technorati doesn’t care Small blogs are more responsive Every blogger has a Google alert Generous attention gets returned

Interviews

Cover their coverage

Invite them to be a guest

TONS of “Thank You”

Advance email of a post

Share scoops

Not just the A-list

Technorati doesn’t care

Small blogs are more responsive

Every blogger has a Google alert

Generous attention gets returned

Link-a-liciousness In text Credit for tips Link posts Blogrolls Just for the hell of it Generous linking earns links in return

In text

Credit for tips

Link posts

Blogrolls

Just for the hell of it

Generous linking earns links in return

Community: Be Part of the Group Join a group or create one

Power of Participation Contribute: Add value and you’ll be remembered Read & comment regularly Cheers vs. Drive-By: Be a regular and everyone knows your name Lots of trackbacks Famous bloggers Don’t be a pest Prove your value If they read about you, they write about you

Contribute: Add value and you’ll be remembered

Read & comment regularly

Cheers vs. Drive-By: Be a regular and everyone knows your name

Lots of trackbacks

Famous bloggers

Don’t be a pest

Prove your value

If they read about you, they write about you

People Networks Tricks Great profiles Join groups inside networks RSS onto page Focus: Get big in a few networks Target fresh nodes Don’t be a jerk Learn the local rules Stay on topic Post your best stuff – rarely Leverage pre-existing social communities Social sites, Message boards, and wherever the people are

Tricks

Great profiles

Join groups inside networks

RSS onto page

Focus:

Get big in a few networks

Target fresh nodes

Don’t be a jerk

Learn the local rules

Stay on topic

Post your best stuff – rarely

Leverage pre-existing social communities

Social sites, Message boards, and wherever the people are

Partner With Bloggers Get (famous) guests to write for you Happiness, Respect & WOM 30 posts in 30 days Chain letter 5 Things You Didn't Know About Me Link clouds SOB Con Make them feel part of a special group Trade content to reach complementary audiences

Get (famous) guests to write for you

Happiness, Respect & WOM

30 posts in 30 days

Chain letter

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Link clouds

SOB Con

Make them feel part of a special group

Trade content to reach complementary audiences

#1 Best Way to Get a Word of Mouth Recommendation

Ideavirus Share the Love Just ask nicely

Ideavirus

Share the Love

Blog this: http://www.damniwish.com/2007/07/how-to-promote-.html Link to each other Mention everyone by name Trackback Homework: Let's get some word of mouth

Blog this: http://www.damniwish.com/2007/07/how-to-promote-.html

Link to each other

Mention everyone by name

Trackback

Be consistent, persistent, and patient Get the basics right Get lucky And in the end

Be consistent, persistent, and patient

Get the basics right

Get lucky

Thank You! Contact me any time: Andy Sernovitz [email_address] www.wordofmouthbook.com Blog: www.damniwish.com