Blogs: Today’s Marketing and Sales Tool for Business SEM Made Simple Anita Campbell – May 2007

Hello, My name is Anita. I’m a blogger.

Your Presenter Anita Campbell 20 years in Corporate world Blogging since 2003 Small Business Trends is flagship blog Blog started as a better way to publish newsletter articles Blogging transformed my business

Anita Campbell

20 years in Corporate world

Blogging since 2003

Small Business Trends is flagship blog

Blog started as a better way to publish newsletter articles

Blogging transformed my business

Blogs in Business We Will Cover: What is a blog? Why have a business blog? Blogging Do’s and Don’ts The power of RSS

We Will Cover:

What is a blog?

Why have a business blog?

Blogging Do’s and Don’ts

The power of RSS

About Blogs (web + logs) Chronologically arranged websites Lots of content Easy to update / instant Web publishing Attract inbound links Informal two-way conversations RSS feeds = more ways to be found develops loyal readers who subscribe indexed in additional search engines

Chronologically arranged websites

Lots of content

Easy to update / instant Web publishing

Attract inbound links

Informal two-way conversations

RSS feeds = more ways to be found

develops loyal readers who subscribe

indexed in additional search engines

Business Blog Example “ Me to You”

Business Blog Anatomy Chronological entries: most recent at top. Easy to scan.

Blog “ Conversations ” Comments by readers

More “Conversations” Conversations continued on other blogs through trackbacks

Links for Search Engines  Blogroll links to other sites

Who’s Blogging? Mainstream – small businesses Technorati.com tracking 70+ million One third are active 5% (over 1 million) are business blogs 55 million read blogs (Pew Internet study) “ Everybody has a blog today ” – Website Services Magazine, May 2007

Mainstream – small businesses

Technorati.com tracking 70+ million

One third are active

5% (over 1 million) are business blogs

55 million read blogs (Pew Internet study)

Benefits of Biz Blogs Sales and Marketing Generate leads Build house email list via online sign-up box Cut through marketing-speak – communicate authentically Develop status as an “expert” Replace a newsletter / content does double duty Online Search Naturally high search engine rankings Draw traffic to your main website

Sales and Marketing

Generate leads

Build house email list via online sign-up box

Cut through marketing-speak – communicate authentically

Develop status as an “expert”

Replace a newsletter / content does double duty

Online Search

Naturally high search engine rankings

Draw traffic to your main website

Benefits of Biz Blogs (cont’d) Public Relations Fast / inexpensive way to publish press releases online Back door to media interviews Repeater effect – expands impact of other PR General Inexpensive -- levels the playing field for small biz Recruit employees Network with industry professionals

Public Relations

Fast / inexpensive way to publish press releases online

Back door to media interviews

Repeater effect – expands impact of other PR

General

Inexpensive -- levels the playing field for small biz

Recruit employees

Network with industry professionals

Are Blogs for Everyone? Not everyone likes to write Possible solution: team blogs or hire writers “Blogging is a contact sport” Interaction with visitors and other bloggers is important: are you comfortable with this? Not a substitute for a full Web strategy Just one element of your Web marketing plan

Not everyone likes to write

Possible solution: team blogs or hire writers

“Blogging is a contact sport”

Interaction with visitors and other bloggers is important: are you comfortable with this?

Not a substitute for a full Web strategy

Just one element of your Web marketing plan

Biz Blog Tips: Do’s Get a professional design using your logo Integrate blog into your overall Web presence Host at your own URL Post at least once a week Write for customers – information they can use Participate in the conversation / comments Use photos (team & office) Do “day in the life” posts Use keywords customers are likely to search by

Get a professional design using your logo

Integrate blog into your overall Web presence

Host at your own URL

Post at least once a week

Write for customers – information they can use

Participate in the conversation / comments

Use photos (team & office)

Do “day in the life” posts

Use keywords customers are likely to search by

Biz Blog Tips: Don’ts Don’t try to be Google News – add value Don’t forget the “Mom” rule Don’t stray off theme Don’t oversell Be inclusive, not ex clusive – watch that lingo! Don’t be boring  Don’t forget to link, link, link!

Don’t try to be Google News – add value

Don’t forget the “Mom” rule

Don’t stray off theme

Don’t oversell

Be inclusive, not ex clusive – watch that lingo!

Don’t be boring 

Don’t forget to link, link, link!

A Word About RSS Feeds Blogs generate RSS feeds – your content is also distributed as a news feed Expands reach of your message More search engines to be found in Embraced by the Big 3: Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (Vista and IE 7) Develops community following – readers subscribe through “feedreaders”

Blogs generate RSS feeds – your content is also distributed as a news feed

Expands reach of your message

More search engines to be found in

Embraced by the Big 3: Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (Vista and IE 7)

Develops community following – readers subscribe through “feedreaders”

Feedreaders are convenient, letting a person read many websites from one place at one time

… all it takes is one click to jump to see another site’s updated content

… it’s a little like reading email – except that you are reading Web site content – and no spam!

Look For Them… Feed chiclets Rectangular “Add” buttons

RSS is the Future Blogs automatically generate RSS feeds of your content Another important reason to have a blog!

Blogs automatically generate RSS feeds of your content

Another important reason to have a blog!

Getting Started Experiment with a free, hosted blog: Blogger - www.blogger.com WordPress.com – www.wordpress.com But not for long – upgrade to a professionally-designed blog at your own URL for flexibility & branding: WordPress -- www.wordpress.org (notice the dot org)

Experiment with a free, hosted blog:

Blogger - www.blogger.com

WordPress.com – www.wordpress.com

But not for long – upgrade to a professionally-designed blog at your own URL for flexibility & branding:

WordPress -- www.wordpress.org

(notice the dot org)

Website Email marketing Blog Pay-per-click ads SEO LinkedIn Twitter Affiliate program Facebook MySpace Voting sites: Digg, Mixx Squidoo, Knol Podcasts Video / YouTube Bookmarking: Del.icio.us, Stumbleupon Online press releases Forum / Blog commenting © 2008, Small Business Trends Small Biz Online Marketing ROI Yellow Pages listings

Blogs in Business Thanks and Questions??? More resources: www. smallbiztrends.com/blogging

Thanks and Questions???

More resources: www. smallbiztrends.com/blogging