Blogging 101 for SMEs

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BLOGGING FOR SMES (subject matter experts) A collaboration by Duffy Fron @duffy_fron Jason O’Donnell @acdntlpoet Kelly Smith @kellypuffs Image credit: Flickr user cambodia4kidsorg

description

This presentation covers the high level why and how of Blogging for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Build your own career by creating digital eminence and thought leadership around your ideas and expertise by blogging.

Transcript of Blogging 101 for SMEs

Page 1: Blogging 101 for SMEs

BLOGGING FOR SMES(subject matter experts)

A collaboration by

Duffy Fron @duffy_fron

Jason O’Donnell @acdntlpoet

Kelly Smith @kellypuffs

Image credit: Flickr user   cambodia4kidsorg

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Contents

Why we blog What we blog Guidelines Tips and Tricks Call to Action Resources

Image Credit: (cc) Some rights reserved by Maria Reyes-McDavis

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Why We Blog

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Blogging is a long-term commitment, but the pay-off is often huge. Engaging your target audience via a blog can be beneficial in the following ways:

Extend your Reach

• Expand your network of professional contacts• Manage your own professional reputation

Engage your Connections

• Share your personal knowledge and ideas on

thought leadership• Directly communicate, share, and collaborate with

your audience

Establish a unique identity

• Differentiate yourself and IBM from its competitors

• Increase visibility in search engine results

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Is Blogging Right for me?

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Blogging is an excellent way to share your knowledge, showcase your expertise, and engage with your audience – but it only works if you make the necessary commitment to make it

successful. Here are a few questions to help you decide if blogging is right for you:

Do you like to write? You must be naturally willing to write frequent, meaningful posts.

Are you comfortable presenting your opinions, and ideas?

You must be open to handling criticism or accepting diverse opinions.

Are you willing to learn new technologies?

You should familiarize yourself with popular new tools and technologies and use them to enhance your blog.

Can you commit to blogging? You must read and, when appropriate, respond to comments and questions posted on your blog.

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What to Share

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YOUR INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM Discuss trending topics frequently. Talk about recent events, collaborations, and projects. Share press releases, product announcements, and previews. Your opinions and passions. Anything that follows the Social Computing Guidelines.

Image Credit: Attribution Some rights reserved by Tall Chris

ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION Use an authentic, conversational tone. Share your thoughts on other interesting blog posts. Ask questions related to debates that your team is having Get to know your audience, discuss things they like, and respond to comments

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Basic Etiquette

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrolibraryarchive/

• Be excellent to one another• Respect copyright, fair use, and financial

disclosure laws• Protect all confidential and proprietary

information• Don’t cite or reference clients, partners, or

suppliers without their approval• Know and understand the rules of engagement –

what is appropriate to share and what is not• Admit and apologize for mistakes• Be transparent about your identity and affiliation to your company• Don’t. Feed. The. Trolls.

REFERENCES: IBM Social Computing Guidelines IBM Secure Computing Guidelines Business Conduct Guidelines

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Anatomy of a great blog post- Title: This is your one shot to pull readers in, give them

a reason to click through! Be descriptive & creative.

- Tags: connect similar content and series using tags. Use words and tags that users are likely to search on.

- Content: Be provocative, add value, give your readers something they don’t get elsewhere. This is the new currency of social engagement. Posts don’t have to be big. 150 words, or just 2-3 paragraphs can often be more effective than 1k words.

- Embedded Links: Links to deeper content provide context and create a more robust post.

- Rich visuals: Images add interest and improve clicks, use them!

Image credit: Flickr user garryknight

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Your First Blog Post

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Before you post your first entry, take the time to consider your approach so that your blog best reflects who you are, what you’d like to communicate, and how your point-

of-view is unique from others blogging about similar topics.

Introduce yourself to your readers by telling them:

• Who you are and why you’re blogging

• What your expertise and affiliation is to your company and what you plan to blog about

• How your viewpoint is unique, and how your readers should get involved in the conversation

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Creating Compelling Content

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Many people struggle with starting a blog because they aren’t sure what to write about. Here are some general principles for writing compelling, relevant blog content:

Establish social intelligence

• Select topics that interest you or in which you are an expert• Discuss relevant, new developments in your field

Engage your audience

• Create an intriguing blog name and post titles

• Post and respond to questions and comments to

or from your audience

Enhance your blog entries

• Embed your blogs with links to rich media, like podcasts and

videos.• Reference content and link to

posts by other bloggers

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Listen, analyze and adjust Respond to your commenters. Observe the posts that resonate with your audience.

Which get the most views, comments, and/or shares? Analyze the data and draw conclusions… then… Do more of the same

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Image credit: (cc) Some rights reserved by dougbelshaw

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Next Steps: YOUR action items!

Choose a blogging platform Create an account Find your subject focus Start blogging Share your posts!

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/5683575389/

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Resources

IBM Social Computing Guidelines http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html

Why Should You Blog? (SocialWayne) http://bit.ly/rdplSf

The invisible cost of ownership http://www.waywardcelt.com/socialbusiness/invisible-cost-of-ownership

CopyBlogger

http://www.copyblogger.com/

Blogging platforms you may wish to try:

developerWorks https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/ WordPress http://wordpress.com Blogger http://blogger.com Tumblr http://tumblr.com

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Photo Credits• Thank you to the talented photographers who have

shared their photos on Flickr via Creative Commons• Flickr’s Creative Commons pool is a great resource for

images for your social efforts: blog posts, presentations, etc.

• Just be sure to abide by the terms of the license!

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http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/

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Connect with us!

Duffy Fron @duffy_fron

Jason O’Donnell @acdntlpoet

Kelly Smith @kellypuffs