Using the Verizon Wireless Midwest Area blog as a case study, this presentation discusses blogging for business and how to measure success if direct sales isn't one of your main goals.

1. BLOGGING FOR
BUSINESS: MEASURING
SUCCESS WHEN YOUR
GOAL ISN’T SALES
With Verizon Wireless & Identity

2. http://www.lendingmemo.com/
WHAT’S THE ROI OF BLOGGING?

3. MEASUREMENT IS
CRUCIAL, BUT EVERY
ONLINE MARKETING
EFFORT WON’T RESULT
IN DIRECT SALES.

4. 4
BUT IT’S OK!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13951072@N00/9072463612/
THE FACE YOUR BOSS MAY GIVE YOU
AFTER MAKING THAT STATEMENT…

5. THERE ARE SEVERAL
OTHER WAYS TO
PROVE SUCCESS
THROUGH BLOGGING,
BUT YOU MUST DO
THIS FIRST:

6. 6
OUTLINE YOUR:
• Goals
• Objectives
• Strategy
• Tactics
• Plan to track and report on
results/success

7. CASE STUDY:
VERIZON WIRELESS
MIDWEST AREA BLOG
& CONTENT STRATEGY
http://vzwmidwestarea.com

8. 2011: TUMBLR

9. INITIAL MWA BLOG GOALS:
• Support corporate messaging.
• Create a central MWA news hub.
• Amplify top MWA media and blog stories.
• Incorporate multimedia into PR strategy.
• Continue building strong relationships
with media and bloggers.
• Grow monthly social shares and reblogs
on Tumblr.

10. 10
CHALLENGES:
• Verizon MWA team support.
• Tumblr limitations.
• Content limitations – could only
share partial blog post/news
article.
• Need to go beyond vanity
metrics (reblogs, social shares).

11. 11
SUCCESSES:
• Media Tumblr pages
liking/sharing our content.
• Bloggers asking to have their
stories syndicated on our blog.
• PR team on board with strategy
and frequently providing content
to highlight.

12. THE FUTURE - 2012 AND BEYOND…

15. CURRENT MWA BLOG GOALS:
• Feature weekly technology/wireless stories (both related and
unrelated to Verizon), MWA community events, product
experiences and personal stories highlighting innovative uses of
mobile technology from Midwest media/bloggers/customers. No
more highlighting media/blog stories. All original content.
• Feature guest stories monthly to build new and strengthen
existing relationships.
• Drive traffic from MWA blog to Verizon owned sites (main site, 4G
LTE site, HopeLine site, etc.), as well as Google Play and iTunes.
• Garner majority of website traffic from visitors within the 15 states
that comprise the MWA.
• Position Twitter as main traffic referral source.
• Increase pageviews year-over-year.

16. 16
ELEVATED INITIAL STRATEGY BY:
• Creating #vzwmidwest hashtag to brand and track
content.
• Adding SEO elements to content and CMS backend.
• Providing suggested tweets of blog content to PR
team.
• Partnering with other PR agencies to recommend
story ideas, guest contributors and coordinate
content.
• Redesigned blog – more emphasis on images.

17. 17
ELEVATED INITIAL STRATEGY BY:
• Including more links to Verizon sites and previous
content.
• Creating a Verizon MWA Blog Contributor badge for
guest bloggers to post on their site (links back to MWA
blog).
• Creating robust editorial calendar. Send every Monday
morning with weekly posting schedule.
• Providing monthly blog report with key metrics and
month-over-month comparisons.
• Thinking more like storytellers than traditional PR
practitioners.

18. 18
HOW WE
MEASURE
SUCCESS

19. 19
LEVEL ONE SUCCESSES:
• Pageviews (63% increase from 2012 to 2013, up
68% from this time last year).
• Social shares:
• Twitter, Facebook & Facebook Mobile
consistently top 3 referring sites. Twitter was #1
referral source 9/12 months in 2013.
• #vzwmidwest hashtag shared 3,934 times in 2013.
• In 2013, more than 75% of monthly content was
original stories.
• In 2013, featured at least one guest contributor
each month.
• Existing relationships strengthened and new
relationships formed.

20. 20
LEVEL TWO SUCCESSES:
• In 2013, 27% of clicks on outbound links took
visitors to relevant Verizon sites.
• More than 50% of visitors each month in 2013
came from 15 states within the MWA.
• All content is now original, with multiple
contributions per month from guest
bloggers.
• Verizon HQ digital team utilized MWA
content strategy as a roadmap to build its
own.
• Blog contributors converted to new
customers.

21. 21

27. SO YA
WANNA
BE A
BLOGGING
ROCKSTAR?

28. 28
BLOGGING TIPS:
• Define your goals and strategy. Refine as needed.
• Once strategy is outlined – STICK TO IT! It’s OK to say no
when content isn’t up to par with standards.
• Create style and guest post guidelines.
• Work collaboratively, but have one editorial director or
team.
• Create and update editorial calendar.
• Partner with those who already have established
communities to build your online presence.
• Pay attention to the data and rework content as
needed. Get comfy with Google Analytics.
• Over-communicate successes; highlight wins.
• Reward your readers.
• Include blog URL in press releases, marketing materials,
email, etc.

29. QUESTIONS &
DISCUSSION

30. THANK YOU!
Paul Ulreich – PR Manager, Verizon
Wireless in Michigan, Indiana &
Kentucky | @VZWpaulu
Nikki Little – Social Media Manager,
Identity | @nikki_little