This is a NEW Class for Spring 2010! www.ForwardProgress.NET This NEW Complimentary Webinar will provide an educational overview on the lowest most cost-effective method of lead generation on the internet today - Social Networks. This particular course will focus on how people are generating more leads by BLOGGING in conjunction with their Social Networks. While blogging has been around for a while, there are new techniques for lead generation. We focus on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook in this series being used with WordPress. Stop dabbling and let us show you how the pros are doing this! Learn How To: -Understand Blogs -Distinguish the types of Blogs -How to start a Blog -How to get started -How to leverage your network In less than one hour we will show you how to generate more business from Blogs and Social Networks and why they work.

1. Blogging for Business

3. What is Blogging? A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.

7. Getting Started A basic precept of any business is just as essential with your blog. It's critical to pinpoint your audience and, in the process, decide what you're going to say that will make them read what you write. Identify your audience.

8. Getting Started Next up is determining where to locate your blog. There are numerous software packages that let you add a blog section to an existing Web site. A more automated and perhaps easier option is a blog hosting site (with a link from your Web site bringing visitors over). Decide where your blog should live www.WordPress.com is a great site to set-up your blog.

10. Getting Started Search engine hits are another element of generating traffic. One strategy to attract search engine interest is through careful use of keywords in both your headlines and blog copy. Emphasize keywords

11. Getting Started Study your website, content and target and list an effective set of keywords that are “Relevant” to your objective. This how people would search for your target! Emphasize keywords

12. Getting Started Nothing is more discouraging to prospective readers than returning to a blog site to find old or outdated material. So, be prepared to work at keeping your blog as fresh and current as possible. Have a system – empower the team! Keep it fresh

13. Getting Started Monitor the amount and quality of the traffic you receive. If things seem slow or stagnant, don't be afraid to vary your themes or subjects to boost interest. But don't stray too far from your business or expertise. Watch your traffic closely

14. Writing Content Ultimately defining what is ‘good content’ is a subjective exercise (perhaps in a similar way to defining what is a ‘good book’ or a ‘good movie’) and so a post is likely to cause a little debate as each person will define it differently depending upon their personality, their needs, the topic that they are talking about and perhaps even their ethics. Not only will bloggers themselves each have a different view on what is ‘good’ content - but readers tend to also.

15. Writing Content For a blog to be successful your content needs to be useful and unique to your readers. Start with the customer or prospect - find out what they want and give it to them. Be Unique and Useful Perhaps the best advice on developing useful content is to research your readership (or potential readership).

16. Writing Content They Are Hungry for Knowledge Writing for your target DOES NOT mean writing about the products and services you sell them Write about the things they want to learn about

17. Remember Variety is the Key!

18. Writing Content Be the Thought Leader Should establish as a thought leader When starting put time into your plan and posts This will reflect your reputation

19. Writing Content Survey customers, look a lot at other blogs on a topic (especially the comments section to see what types of questions people are asking) and particularly look hard in forums and discussion groups on topics where there is usually a lot of question asking going on. As you do this you’ll begin to put your finger on what people are wanting and what you might be able to provide to meet these needs. Researching

20. Search for Blogs Writing Content

22. Writing Content A great way to see what other blogs are talking about in your industry is to subscribe to them using and RSS reader. There are many RSS reader tools available from Google Reader to Feed Demon. RSS Readers will update you when there is new content on a blog. Subscribe to other blog feeds via RSS

23. Writing Content Do some analysis on what sort of content other bloggers in your industry are producing. In most niches you’ll find that sites are all presenting very similar information in pretty much the same voice, tone and style. You can either replicate what they are doing and try to do it better OR you can distinguish yourself in someway from what others are doing. Distinguish yourself

26. Let’s Get Social – Get Read Facebook Go Direct – OR Ping.FM Hootsuite

29. Getting Found Through The Web A “Share Button” allows visitors to share your information on multiple networks and through email Use a Share Button on Each Post http://www.addtoany.com/buttons/for/wordpress_com

30. www.CenterCars.com ----  Post to your social sites!