This document provides tips and guidelines for creating a serious blog. It recommends self-hosting on WordPress and purchasing a domain name for customization and ownership. Important elements for an effective blog include updated content, multimedia, sharing plugins, SEO optimization, and calls to action. The document also provides ideas for generating blog post topics and promoting posts through social media, guest blogging, and other methods.

1. THE ART OF BLOGGING:
A GUIDE TO BECOMING A SERIOUS BLOGGER
NIKKI LITTLE | IDENTITYPR.COM | @NIKKI_LITTLE

2. WHY GET SERIOUS ABOUT BLOGGING?
o Showcase expertise
o Your own publishing hub
o Generate new business leads
o Advertising/sponsorship ops
o Media/guest post ops
o Presentation/speaking ops

3. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PEOPLE
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU (AS
LONG AS YOU PROVIDE VALUE)

4. FIRST STEP: SELF-HOSTED
WORDPRESS BLOG, PURCHASE
DOMAIN NAME & HOSTING

5. BENEFITS OF SELF HOSTING
o Access to more customization/themes/plugins
through WordPress
o Unique URL
o Custom analytics
o Site support through your domain and hosting
companies
o You own it – WordPress doesn’t

6. IMPORTANT: INSTALL GOOGLE
ANALYTICS BEFORE YOU RAMP UP
POSTING

7. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!

8. CRANKING OUT CONTENT – WHERE DO
I FIND INSPIRATION?

9. CONTENT IDEAS
o Your customers/clients – What questions are they
asking? What do they care about?
o Your employees
o Keywords that bring people to your site (look in your
analytics program) and AdWords Keyword Tool
o Company news
o Events/philanthropic efforts
o Your culture
o Customer stories/testimonials

10. CONTENT IDEAS
o LinkedIn Answers, Quora
o News and blogs related to your
industry – build off their content (don’t
copy – add something new)
o Book reviews, recaps of
conferences/events/Webinars/seminar
s
o Good old Google

11. TIP: CREATE A CONTENT
CALENDAR, ASSIGN DEADLINES
& AUTHORS

12. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A KICK
ASS BLOG

13. BLOG MUST-HAVES
o Updated and consistent content
o Multimedia – at least one image for each post
o Subscription options (RSS & email) – FeedBlitz is best
available
o Commenting plugin – Disqus or Livefyre
o Sharing plugin – Digg Digg is my favorite
o Contact information
o Optimized for mobile and tablets – WP Touch plugin

14. BLOG MUST-HAVES
o SEO elements – WordPress SEO or All in One
SEO plugin
o Fast loading site – W3 Total Cache plugin
o Suggest related content to keep readers on
the site – nRelate plugin
o Information about you/your company
o Clean design

15. CALLS TO ACTION – WHAT DO
YOU WANT READERS TO DO?

20. SNAZZ IT UP EVEN MORE – LEAD
GEN WITH LANDING PAGES

21. MARCUS SHERIDAN
(THE SALES LION)
MADE MORE THAN 2
MILLION IN SALES
THANKS TO HIS
BLOG AND LEAD
GEN
CAPTURING/TRACKI
NG

22. PROMOTING YOUR BLOG &
POSTS

23. WAYS TO SPREAD YOUR CONTENT
o Share on social networks – personal and
company
o StumbleUpon
o Email signature – WiseStamp for Gmail
o URL in online profiles and business cards
o Comment on other blogs
o Submit to directories like Alltop
o Paid ops: AdWords, LinkedIn/Facebook ads

24. WAYS TO SPREAD YOUR CONTENT
o Guest blogging
o Share with relevant groups/people
online – be selective!
o Link to previous posts within your
content
o Use for new business follow
ups/customer retention
o Include in e-marketing campaigns

25. QUESTIONS

26. NIKKI LITTLE
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER | IDENTITY
@NIKKI_LITTLE
WWW.IDENTITYPR.COM
WWW.IDENTITYPR.COM/BLOG
WWW.NIKKILITTLE.COM

27. Photo Sources:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30931517@N03/4520713515/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13006614@N07/2206974242/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50318388@N00/519286151/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/84856173@N00/3734360895/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31502604@N00/251570225/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/366192378/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaibara/2756361218/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24749556@N08/2428589782/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73194085@N00/253074522/
http://www.smartlaunch.com/wed-love-to-hear-from-you/