Blogging101

HelenaEscalanteFounder,Speaker,BibliophileandWriteratEntreGurus.comhelena@entregurus.com

Ablogthatsharesoneidea,everyday,fromthebooksofthebestENTREpreneurshipGURUS,thatyoucanreadinunder5minutes.

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FindingYourVoice:Unique,AEracFve,Personal

Exercise

•  ReviewapieceofwriFng.Describeitw/3adjecFves.

•  List5favoritebooks/authors.Describethemw/3words.

•  Youridealreader.Describehim/herw/3words.•  Contact5people.Askthemtodescribeyouin3words.

•  ComeupwithYOUR3FINALWORDStodescribeyourvoice.

TypesofBlogs:Whichoneisyours?

What’sYourTypeofBlog?

PERSONAL•  Aboutyou:life,perspecFve,

experiences.•  Longertodevelopafaithful

following•  Flexible:growandadjustwith

you.•  Longerlifespans.•  Ifsharingideas,andchanging

POVs,keepitpersonal.Tellyourreadersthisisyourintent.

TOPICAL•  AboutaparFcularsubject,a

topicthatresonates,aburningissue.

•  Easiertogrow,hardertogetpersonal(notheart-to-heart).

•  Topicalblogscanscale,butkeepaudienceatadistance(unintended).

•  Notasflexible(canbranchoutonceestablished).

What’sYourFocus?Subject,Theme,ObjecFve

YourFocus:WhatToSay&How

•  Ruleofthumb:Narrowfocus,broaderaudience.

•  3elementstoconsider:– Subject– Theme– ObjecVve

YourFocus:WhatToSay&How

SUBJECT•  BroadestareaofyourwriFng•  Describedin1or2words(e.g.,cooking,fitness,fashion,familylife,etc.)

•  Askyourself:– WhatamIpassionateabout?–  InwhattopicdoIhaveexperFseoradesiretolearn?– WhatcouldIwriteaboutfor2.5years(30months)withoutrunningoutofideasorenergy?

YourFocus:WhatToSay&HowTHEME•  Narrowerversionofyoursubject.•  Subsetofyourmaintopic-aparFcularareaofconcentraFon.

•  Askyourself:–  HowcanIbreakthissubjectdownintoitsvariouscomponents?

– WhatdoIwanttoconcentrateon?–  IsthereaspecificmannerinwhichIwanttoaEackthisissue?

– WhatwillmywriFng“style”be?(e.g.Humorous,sarcasFc,pracFcal,anecdotal,etc.)

YourFocus:WhatToSay&How

OBJECTIVE•  Themaintakeaway.•  Ifeverythingelsefails,thisiswhatyouwantyourblogtodo.

•  Askyourself:– WhatdoIwanttoaccomplishwithmywriFng?– WhatimpressiondoIwanttoleave?– What'smygoal?HowdoImeasureit?

CrowdedNiche?•  Peace•  Wisdom•  Status•  Family•  Fame•  Wealth•  Power•  AuthenFcity•  Joy•  Success•  AthleFc/fitness•  Humor•  Stylish•  Frugal

•  Integrity•  Love•  Friendship•  JusFce•  Influence•  Happiness•  Truth•  Kindness•  Spirituality•  Loyalty•  Luxury•  Craesmanship•  Charity•  Building

•  Environment•  Trust•  Knowledge•  Reliability•  Teamwork•  CompeFFveness•  Commitment•  CreaFvity•  Honesty•  Fairness•  Independence•  Design•  EducaFon•  ScienFfic

BloggingPersonaliVesWhat’sYours?

BloggingPersonaliVes

•  Whatdoyouwanttobeknownfor?•  Choose:youcan’tbeknownforeverything.•  BeintenFonal.•  Yourbloggingpersonalityrequiresworkandfocus.

•  5bloggingpersonaliVesthata[ractalotofreaders

BloggingPersonaliVes•  ArVst:Writesandcreatesbeautyorart(broadlydefined).

•  Prophet:Tellsusthehardtruthabouttheworldorthemselves.

•  Journalist:Hasnaturalcuriosity.Researches,asksquesFons,assimilatesanswers,sharesitwithothers.

•  Professor:Teachesbytakingsomethingcomplexandbreakingitupintosmall,acFonablesteps.

•  Star:Readersseethesebloggersassomeonewhotheywanttobearoundorbelike.

CornerstoneContent:TheBasics

CornerstoneContent

•  Thebasicsthateveryonewhocomestoyourblogwillwanttoread.

•  Evergreen.•  Writeitfirst.•  Askyourself:– Whatdopeoplealwaysaskyouabout?– Whatstorydoyoutelloverandover?(Stopmeifyou’veheardthisone...)

– Whattermsorphrasesdoyouconsistentlyuseagainandagain?Haveyou

YourAboutPage:WhatAboutYou?

YourAboutPage

•  Mostimportantandmostviewedbesideshomepage

•  Whyisthis?– Nobodyreadssomethingfromawritertheydon’ttrust.

– Peoplewanttoconnect–especiallyonsocialmedia.

– SomeFmeshardtotellwhatblogisabout,evenaeerreadingafewarFcles.

YourAboutPage•  Threekeys:–  Awelcome.–  Apromise.–  AninvitaVon.

•  Yourpictureapicture(nomaEerhowcamera-shyyouare)

•  AliElebitaboutyourstoryoryourorganizaFon’s.•  Awayforreaderstosubscribe.•  Linkstosocialmediaprofiles.•  ListofsomeofyourmostpopularorfavoriteblogarFcles.

CreaVngContent

CreaVngContentEssenValelements:–  Title/Headline:grabsreaders’aEenFon–  Lede(lead):createsaliElemystery–  Bodycontent:deliversonthepromiseoftheheadline,answersthemysteryofthelede.

–  Closing:designedtoaccomplishtheobjecFveofyourblogandgetyourreadertotakeacFon.

–  “Tension”throughout:createquesFonsandanswerthemasthereadermovesthroughthepost.

“Thesecrettotellinggreatstoriesistocreatetension.”-IraGlass

Headlines

Headlines•  First,andmaybeonly,partofanarFcleareaderwillread.

•  Yourchancetowinorloseareader'saEenFon.•  Extremelyimportant.•  AEracFve,interesFng,anddescripFve.

"Ontheaverage,five7mesasmanypeoplereadtheheadlineasreadthebodycopy.Whenyouhavewri@enyourheadline,youhavespenteightycentsoutofyourdollar."—DavidOgilvy

Headlines•  FORMULA:Trigger+Adjec,ve+Keyword+Promise•  Trigger:Numbersortriggerwordslike"how,""why,"or"what"willpiquecuriosityandsetexpectaFons.

•  AdjecVve:AgreatadjecFvewilladdflavor,interestanddescripFon.

•  Keyword:TellsyourreaderwhatthearFcleisreallyabout.

•  Promise:ThisistheobjecFve,what’sinforyourreaderand/orwhatyouwantthereadertobeabletodo.

Example:“4EasyElementstoWriteaHeadlineforYourBlogPosts”

SearchEngineOpVmizaVon

10TipsforSEO

1.  WriteagoodFtle,like"HowtoBakethePerfectChocolateChipCookie."

2.  Includelinkstogreatcontent,bothwithinyoursiteandtoothergreatsites.

3.  MenFonkeywordsrelatedtoyourarFcle:cookies,chocolatechip,etc.

4.  Don’twritetooliEle,searchengineslikearFclesofaminimumof300words.

5.  Postcontentregularly,atleastonceaweek.

10TipsforSEO6.  Don’tneglectmetadata:descripFon,tags,

keywords.Searchengineswilluseittofindyourposts.

7.  UsekeywordsinthetagsanddescripFonforyourimages.

8.  Create3to5categoriesrelatedtoyourblogcontent.

9.  Addheadertags(H1,H2,H3).10. Getsocial!Shareonsocialmediaandencourage

yourreaderstosharetoo.Googlelikescontentthatgetsshared.

AnEmailList:It’sCriFcal

BuildanEmailList•  EmailissFlloneofthebestwaystoreachpeopleonline.•  Youownyouremaillist(unlikeafanbaseonTwiEeror

Facebook),andyoucantakeitwithyouwhereveryougo(evenifyoustartanewblog).

•  Emailispersonal,directandprivate.•  Agreatwaytoreachouttoyoursubscribersandconnect

withthem.Blogsandsocialmediadon’tdothat.•  Lotsofwaystobuildagoodemaillist.Giveaway

somethinginexchangefortheiremailaddress.•  Addvalueandpeoplewilltalkaboutit.Otherswillwantit.•  Whatdatadoyougather?GDPR–EuropeanUnion

3TypesofEmail

•  Update:Recentblogposts,anexclusivepieceofcontentforyoursubscribers...catchyourreadersupwithwhat'sgoingonwithyou.Addvalue!

•  Posts:Samecontentpostedonablogisemaileddirectlytoasubscriber.Stayintouch,noneedtocreatenewcontent.

•  Newsle[er:It'susuallyweeklyormonthly,andoeenhasgraphicsandtonsofcontent.Butitdoesn'thavetobecomplicatedorlong:TimFerriss5-BulletFriday.

EmailDripCampaigns6essenValparts:1.  WelcomenewreadersandsharetheirincenFve

bonus.Welcomethem,makeapromise,andinvitethemtoconnect.

2.  Sharefeaturedcontent(yourbestormostpopularposts).

3.  AskaQuesFon:Gofirst,thenaskyourreaderswhattheyarestrugglingwith?

4.  Shareaninspiringstory.Ifyouhaveasmallthingforsale,invitethemtobuyit.Addvalue!

EmailDripCampaigns

6essenValparts:5.  Invitethemtosharesomethingyou'vegiven

themwithafriend.6.  SetExpectaFons.Encouragethemandshare

whattheyshouldexpectinthefuture,andevenletthemoptoutiftheydon'tconnectwithyourlong-termvision.

THANKYOU!!Let’sconnect:helena@entregurus.com

linkedin.com/in/helenaescalante