The document provides tips and guidance for starting a successful blog. It discusses determining the purpose and goals of the blog, identifying the target audience, selecting blog platform and tools like WordPress, setting up the blog design and features, creating and publishing blog posts, and finding popular blogs to follow for inspiration. The workshop emphasizes creating an editorial calendar, including multimedia content, optimizing for search and social sharing, and consistently publishing new posts to engage readers.

1. Blog Workshop
GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

2. About Me
 Marketing Professor: e-
Publishing
 Web Strategy for 8 + years
 1 Year Personal Blogging
Project
 Currently a Strategic
Marketing Consultant

3. Before Starting
 What is the purpose/mission of your blog?
 Career advancement
 Generate business/clients
 Make money
 Personal growth
 What are your tangible goals? #
subscribers, comments, shares, timeframe, etc.

4. Who Cares?
 Think about your audience. What
are their needs & expectations?
Be useful.
 Where are they on the web?
Select your feeder sources.
 What is your strategy? Create
some boundaries.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone!

5. 12 Tips for Success
1. Create an editorial calendar, but don’t expect to stick to
it – unplanned posts are often the best.
2. Publicize some commitments.
3. Include your photo and your personality.
4. Develop your taxonomy ahead of time
(categories, tagging, keywords).
5. Be consistent with your style (short vs wordy, creative
vs to-the-point).
6. Get out there with your camera, now! And remember
Creative Commons.

6. 12 Tips for Success
7. Use a variety of supporting media
(video, infographics, photos, audio, etc.) but make it
relevant. Use captions.
8. Don’t lose them once they are there. Let them
subscribe via email and RSS. Ask for comments.
9. Reuse your content – share with other blogs.
10. Be original! Don’t just recycle other people’s content.
11. Keep your eyes open! Good content comes from many
sources – not just your own head.
12. They won’t laugh at you!

7. Choose the Technology
 WordPress: Free version vs. Open-
source, downloadable version
 Supporting Accounts/Tools:
 YouTube or Vimeo
 Google (Analytics)
 Gravatar,
 Feedburner
 Facebook, Twitter, Flickr
Activity: Set up a blog on WordPress.com

8. Appearance Options
 Naming your blog + URL
 Name can change, URL remains
the same
 Select a Theme with Options
 Header, Mobile Options, Custom
Options (colours, etc.)
 Core Widget Set:
 Recent
Posts, Archive, Categories, RSS &
E-mail Subscribe, Menu

9. Theme Options
Activity: Set up your Blog’s Appearance

10. Important Settings
 Reading Settings – Your front Page, # of posts per
page, auto-email to subscribers
 Privacy Settings – Search engines
 Sharing Settings – Enable social media
Activity: Enable Social Media for your Blog

11. Making a Post
 Capture inspiration when you have
it – set aside a chunk of time
 Don’t force it – walk away and
come back to it
 Get someone else to read it!
 Include blog and post-specific
keywords
 Make promoting it part of the
Scary, but Rewarding!
publishing process
 Celebrate each post!

12. PR & Marketing Blogs
 Find the leaders: http://adage.com/power150/
 shankman.com
 chrisbrogan.com
 briansolis.com
 sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/