Why Blogging Should Be An Integral Part Of Your Social Marketing Strategy!

Presented by … Craig M. Jamieson

Jen Told Me That …

I needed to do four things …

• Get on Twitter• Get on Facebook• Get on LinkedIn• Start a Blog

“Sounds good, Jen! I only have one question.”

“What’s A Blog!?”

My Unexpected Journey

Before You Get Started

Why Do You Want To Do This?• Establish your expertise?

• Meet new people?

• Attract new business?

• Drive people to your site?

• Become a trusted resource for your existing customers and build valuable relationships?

All Are Good Answers!

Companies Who Blog Get …• 55% more website visitors• 97% more inbound links• 434% more indexed pages

Than companies who do not blog!(source – HubSpot)

Do You Need More Carrots?

Nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes.

B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads/mo than those that don’t.

B2B companies that blog get 67% more leads/mo than those that don’t.

(source – HubSpot)

Work The Math & Focus On Your Potential Returns!

Who Is Going To Be In Charge?

• Who’s in charge & in charge of what?

• Who will manage your blog?• Who will write the articles?• Who will you go to when

you need help?Do-It-Yourself = (Xtra Time + Likes Challenge + Limited $) - Results

How About Some “What's”• What audience are you trying

to reach and where are they?• What will you write about?• What frequency will you

publish? • What do you have for content

and where else can you find it?

Frequency

Businesses that blog at least 20X per month generate over 5X more traffic than those that blog fewer than 4 times per month.

Businesses that blog at least 20X per month generate nearly 4X more leads than those that don’t blog. (source – HubSpot)

Starting out … shoot for 1-2 articles per week (500 -700 words) but … JUST GET STARTED!!!

The Eco-System Feeds Itself!(And It’s Really Really Hungry!)

Your Blog Is Your Horn Of Plenty!

• It is where you tell your story• It provides the content for social

sharing which directs folks back to your site

• It attracts followers & connections

• Being dynamic, it is good for search engines

• It supports your site’s landing pages, ecommerce areas, etc.

Good Content + Proper Context Is King

Because the right quality content will attract your desired readers & followers!

Content That Works!• How-To Articles• Contests• Special Offers• Images & Video• Audio (podcasts)• Slides• Infographics• Advice• Reviews• Analysis• Helpful tips• Content curation• Master your niche!

Now We Get Started!

Blog vs. Website• A blog may be a standalone site that

can be used to drive traffic to your website or …

• A blog may be an integrated part of your website that can drive traffic to other pages

• WordPress, for example, can be used as either a standalone blog or it can actually function as a complete website with an integrated blog

Choosing A Platform

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

WordPress.com• Free software• Hosted by WordPress• Use your domain for extra $ • Choose from WP approved

selection• Site customization is limited• WordPress/member

support

WordPress.org• Free software• Hosted by “you” ($5/mo)• Your own domain ($10/yr)• You can choose any theme• You can do about anything

to your site including using 3rd party applications

• You support your site

Terminology

Basic Building Blocks• Themes – The skin that gives your site it’s look

• Post vs. Page – Posts are articles. Pages are typically a static info page

• Widgets – Allows you to add custom boxes to your sidebar

• Plugins – Are only available on WordPress.org. These are 3rd party applications that enhance your functionality

• Mobile Ready – Display site on mobile device – design, plugins, or responsive

Sharing & Engaging• Comments System – Allows readers to leave

comments on articles

• Sharing Buttons – Readers share your article with others via social media

• Contact Forms – Request additional info or sign up for newsletter

• Subscribe to articles – Allows for readers to have articles sent via email or to their reader

• Your social network connections (everywhere!)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

• Activity• Social Sharing• Quality Content• Keywords• Back-links• Built-in theme functions• Plugins• Tools (Google Keywords)

Goal Is To Move Your Pages To The First Page In Search Results!

Converting Writing To Revenues• Calls to Action should be placed on many

pages and will ask you to perform a specific task

• Landing Pages should be uncluttered, might offer something of value in return for joining our mailing list (eBooks, white papers, chance to win), and will have a Call to Action

• Email Subscriptions – Some companies report that as high as 95% of sales can be tied back to these! Subscribers have willingly opted-in to your messages!!

Putting It All Together

Blogging Check ListWrite the articles and be sure to include good

keywords and back-links

Share via social media (*not just your blog)

Consider using some automated article sharing (Twitterfeed, HootSuite, Networked Blogs, dlvr.it)

Use articles to drive folks to your landing page/offer

Have a “call to action” and/or request comments

Offer to write for other quality sites and vice versa

Get Your Whole Team Involved!Sharing the writing duties has a number of

advantages …• Reduce the load & increase the frequency• Provide fresh new ideas• Different writing styles attract different

readers• Team members likely bring different areas

of expertise• The editorial calendar and other tools can

make it easy to manage!

Sample Editorial Calendar

Everybody Shares!

• Have team members share your blog articles via social media

• Consider using tools like Buffer or HootSuite to preprogram a sharing schedule

• Applications like GaggleAmp will automatically alert team members to new posts and will also allow scheduling

Measure Your Results & Then Adjust!

• Google Analytics• URL Shorteners with reporting• Social Activity – Tweets/Retweets,

Likes, Comments, Shares, +1’s, etc.• Visits to specific pages• Conversions from visitor to

somebody who requests info to somebody who buys!

Moving Forward• Make the commitment. This does take

time! GET STARTED!

• Watch what others do, see what works, and then emulate what you see!

• Connect with thought leaders

• Read up! Good Sources: HubSpot, Social Media Examiner, Content Marketing Institute, & Windmill Networking

Connect With Me!

Craig M. JamiesonAdaptive Business Services / NetWorks! Boise

208.340.9546craig@adaptive-business.com

@craigmjamiesonwww.adaptive-business.com

www.networksboise.com