The document provides guidance on how to effectively blog for business purposes. It covers setting up an optimized blogging platform, developing a content strategy including publishing schedule and types of posts, engaging audiences through comments and polls, optimizing posts for SEO, and measuring performance through analytics and social media metrics. The goal is to implement blogging in a way that drives business results by focusing on quality content, audience engagement, and analytics.

1. Social Media Masters LA
How to blog like your business
depended on it!
Tin Dizdarevic - Zemanta
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2. DISCLAIMER:
IMPLEMENT these steps right from the start, it will be
much much much harder to do it later after you’ve
already started blogging.
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3. CONTENT
ENGAGEMENT
MEASUREMENT
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4. Blogging for Business
- BASICS
- Setting up and optimizing your blogging platform
- CONTENT
- Content Strategy
- ENGAGEMENT
- Find your audience and engage with them
- MEASUREMENT
- Bare Bones Analytics
- Social Media
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5. Set up and Optimize your Blogging Platform
- WordPress (self-install) or WordPress.com
- Other options (Blogger, TypePad, MovableType
other CMS platforms)
- Find a web host that offers excellent support for your
blogging platform.
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6. Setting up Plugins/Tools
- Basic
- Setting up WordPress (Theme, Akismet, User Mgmt)
- Blog Roll
- Google Analytics
- Dedicated Email Address
- Photo Sharing Service
- Commenting Platform (Stick with WP/Akismet or
consider Disqus, et al)
- Analytics
- Google Analytics
- Social Media
- Twitter Tools
- AddThis
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7. Creating a Content Strategy
- Who’s writing?
- Double check, triple check
- Split up the responsibilities (by expertise, by
availability, etc.)
- Outsource?
- Style/Voice
- Design your blog to match your overall branding.
- Create styling/copywriting templates for bloggers to
follow.
- Aside from guest posts, stick with same voice for the
posts.
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8. Creating a Content Strategy - Who’s Writing
CEO/Owner
Product Manager
Provide overall company vision as
Write about new product updates,
well as personal thoughts.
upcoming features, ask for feedback.
Marketing Manager
Sales Manager Announce new initiatives.
Announce new customers, Promote team members. Write
interviews with existing customers about press mentions. Follow
overall marketing strategy
Dedicated Blogger
Fill in the gaps, develop new series. Prod
team members for blog ideas
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9. Creating a Content Strategy - Outsource
- Influential blogger in the field
- Content marketing services (Contently)
- Go cheaper? Is it really worth it?
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10. Creating a Publishing Schedule
- Create regular series:
- Customer Profiles
- Influencer guest posts and interviews
- Product highlights
- News (mentions, product/service changes)
- Lists!
- Highlight trends in your space:
- Respond/Republish relevant stories
- News:
- Mentions in the media
- Product/service changes
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11. Examples of Posts - Customer Profile
- Highlight your best customers
- Show how they are using your organization’s services
or products (ideally with a video)
- Use direct quotes from the customer
- Allow them to write their own post in their own words
- Can be reused as case studies or can reuse existing
material
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12. Examples of Posts - Influencer Interviews
- Create a set list of questions that you can reuse
- Allow for flexibility
- Best is in person > skype > phone > email
- Record the interview for use as video as well
- Take into account resources to transcribe and edit the
interview
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13. Examples of Posts - Product Profile
- Evergreen posts on products that can rotate or be
republished
- Focus on underperforming products and tout the
benefits
- Present relevant use cases
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14. Examples of Posts - Company News
- New Hires
- New Product Features
- Company mentions in social media (blogs/twitter/
Facebook)
- PR mentions (traditional media)
- Official announcements (press releases, statements)
- Issues/Resolutions
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15. Examples of Posts - Industry Trends
- Quotes from relevant recent media coverage
- Links to blogs by influencers in your space
- Your organization’s stand on these trends
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16. Examples of Posts - Lists
- Quick links to 10-15 stories of note
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17. Engaging Your Audience
SLOW DOWN!
- Potential Audience
- Look at your competition
- Find users on Twitter and Facebook
- Take advantage of resources like Technorati and Klout
to ID audience and influencers
- Influencer Outreach
- Link to stories by influencers
- Reach out to them to let them know of the link
- Comment on the original post
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18. Engaging Your Audience - Encourage Comments
- Challenge Them
- Finish off with a concrete question
Make sure you have the resources to react to comments
when they come in! No crickets, please!
- Embed a poll
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19. Engaging Your Audience - Embed a Poll
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20. Perfect Blog Post
- Keep the copy concise (~500 words max)
- Include a relevant image
- Include links to related content
(both internal and external)
- Be cognizant of SEO (titles, subtitles, keywords)
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21. More Relevant Posts
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22. What if no one is reading?
Consider Distribution Services, such as Outbrain, BlogGlue
and.... Zemanta.
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23. SEO Optimization
- CMS Optimization (URL Structure, Title)
- Post Optimization (Title, Headers, Tags)
- ID Keywords (Google Keyword Tool)
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24. Now, measure it all
- Social Media Reach (Crowdbooster, Klout)
- Web Traffic (Google Analytics)
- Bits and Pieces (Hootsuite, Bit.ly)
- Share back with the team regularly
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25. Measurement - Social Media Reach (and Effectiveness)
- Post Retweets/Likes/+1 (total reach)
- Comments (holy grail of engagement)
- Facebook Likes
- General Social Media Sentiment
- Social Media Measurement Tools - Crowdbooster, Klout,
HootSuite Reporting
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26. Now, measure it all - Web Traffic
- Visits/Visitors
- Time spent on blog
- Traffic coming from known sources (own web site, social
media, partners, mentions, influencers)
- Organic traffic
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27. Now, measure it all - Sharing
- ROI?
- Keep all stakeholders apprised
- Change strategy as needed
- Create actionable reports
- Connect activity to specific events
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28. Resources
Zemanta Business Blogging Series
HubSpot - Tremendous resource for online marketing
Content Marketing Institute
SEO Myths & WP Magic - Casie Gillette
15 Must Have Tools for Better Blogging - Contently
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29. Questions?
Get in touch
Tin Dizdarevic - Marketing Director, Zemanta
SLIDESHARE
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TWITTER
@zemanta / @tdizdarevic
FACEBOOK
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WEB/EMAIL
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