Blogging Essentials
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BLOGGING ESSENTIALS Paul Gillin April 2, 2010
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This is a crash course intended to quickly bring bloggers up to speed on today’s best practices for achieving the greatest mileage from your blog posts. Topics include: *How influence works in the blogosphere *Major applications of corporate blogs *Developing a content model *Generating ideas and unique angles *Writing compelling headlines and entries *Positioning and voice *Why top business blogs are successful *Unique characteristics of b-to-b markets *Tricks for generating buzz and recognition *Working with multiple media This slide deck is the basis for a three-hour course that can be delivered live or remotely via webcast.
Transcript of Blogging Essentials
AGENDA
Definitions and concepts The new media world Blog structure and elements Culture of the blogosphere - dos and don’ts Finding a voice Generating ideas Building awareness and traffic Search engine optimization Using other channels General discussion
Circulation decline of top 100 newspapers in 2009: 10.6%
Average age of US daily newspaper reader: 57
Reduction in US newsroom staffs since 2001: 45%
Growth in NBC prime time audience, 2008: -14.3%
Age of average network evening news viewer: 63
2001 circ. 2009 circ. Change
Woman’s Day
1.61M 410,000 -74%
Redbook 556,300 154,600 -72%Playboy 522,800 203,200 -71%Country Living
380,200 134,900 -64%
National Enquirer
1.65M 591,300 -64%
Reader’s Digest
750,000 270,000 -64%
ESPN Magazine
54,350 25,200 -63%
US Magazine Circulations
MEDIA IN COLLAPSE
THE NUMBERS
Active blogs on the Internet: 25-40 million Social networks: 2,900 Social network service providers: >100 Active Facebook members: 200 million Corporations with social media campaigns:
>300 Photos on Flickr: 3 billion Twitter membership growth, ’08-’09:
1,438% Pres. Obama’s Facebook friends: 5.9 million
WHAT ARE BLOGS GOOD FOR?
Timely, frequently updated information Multiple media types Single voice Fixed display Flexible organization Search engine performance
WHY SO POPULAR?
Cheap and easy to create and update Have distinct personal voice Can quickly build traffic through
reciprocal links Excellent search engine performance Modest revenue opportunity Simple way to keep notes
BLOGGING SUCCESS FACTORS
Have a clear focus Update frequently Speak distinctively Have a point of view Surprise and delight Link to get links Use all the media you can Educate and assist Ask for feedback
WHAT’S YOUR TOPIC?
People have abundant choice; pick your spots
It’s fine to stray from your core topic, but keep 2/3 of entries relevant
Dedicate yourself to becoming THE expert in your chosen area
Tell people where you specialize
Branding
Search
Health Care
Customer Care
Analytics
Technology
Strategy
WHO’S YOUR READER?
Professional? Enthusiast? Peer? Novice? Investor? Competitor? Media
You can’t communicate effectively with an audience you don’t know. When you write, visualize your reader.
It may help to post a picture of that person on your office wall!
FIND YOUR VOICE
Read mainstream media and other bloggers and comment upon them
Frame issues in a context that reflects your expertise
Be offbeat and occasionally outrageous Write in a voice that feels right to you Think conversation, not lecture Use multiple media Mix it up: Top 10 lists, predictions, best &
worst, link lists
WHAT’S YOUR PERSONA?
Helpful? Funny? Offbeat? Sympathetic? Snarky? Professorial? Unpredictable?
Think of people whose writing you admire, then write like they do, but only if it’s natural for you
Subscribe to sites you like
Look for “trending” topics
Aggregate or add your own commentary
Share & comment
Create topical feeds
IDEAS: RSS FEEDS
IDEAS: TRENDING TOPICS
Tag clouds and discovery sites show what’s new and topical
Bookmarking sites have element of surprise
OTHER IDEA FOUNDRIES
Get angry Aggregate other opinions Tell a story Conduct a poll Make a list Predict something, then
defend Recommend what you love Discover and share Serialize
Imagine having written a great article
Use keyword searches
Interview someone Visit a quote siteTalk to children Consult a notebook Write case studies Write about your
week Create a top 10 list
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Ask yourself, “What’s the post about?”
Say what you’re going to say, say it, then say what you just said.
Make your point at the outset
Limit the number of points you make in each entry
Invite feedback
Select idea
Identify point of
view
List key points
Write
Revise
Publish
Rule of Thumb: If you have more than two key points, create a new entry
SECRETS OF CLEAR WRITING
Use everyday words Write as you speak Write it like a letter Keep sentences short Use voice recognition or
dictate into a recorder Use Word readability stats Ask a friend/spouse/ child
to review your work
“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I
wrote a long one instead.”
--Blaise Pascal
I JUST CAN’T GET STARTED
Start in the middle Write freeform, then edit Imagine a different scene Start listing bullet points Model someone else’s
work Take a walk Tell story to a friend or
colleague
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
Quiz: Test Your Engagement IQ Skeptic: Why Marketers Fail at Engagement Case Study: How One Company Does it Right Contrarian: Think You’re Engaged? Think Again How To: Five Steps to Improving Customer Engagement First Person: How I Learned to Engage Comparison: How Two Companies Approach Customer
Engagement Q&A: Five Common Questions About Engagement Data: Study Shines New Light on Customer
Engagement Outrageous: Your Engagement Strategy Sucks Humorous: Engagement Haiku Offbeat: Engagement: The Movie
HEADLINE
Current: Let’s Get Engaged!Other Possibilities: Five Goals for Customer Engagement Redefining Engagement Engagement Scorecard How Engaged Are Your Customers? Why Marketers Fail at Engagement Failing to Engage? Here’s Why
Flame or use abusive language
Repeat personal or confidential information
Complain about clients, colleagues or competitors
Gripe about media coverage Be overtly commercial
DON’T…
Your blog is public and searchable. People are watching!
HAVE SOME FUN!
OK Labs uses "social objects," or distinct icons, to create a memorable association.
“It’s been a way for people to feel that they know the company before doing
business with the company,” says Marti Konstant, VP of marketing
SEARCH FUNDAMENTALS
• Page Title
• URL
• H1,H2,H3 tags
• Page Text• Bold
25% Is On-page Visible
Source: HubSpot
75% IS WORD-OF-MOUTH
“There’s only one way to guarantee
good search results: Have great content.”
--Mike MoranCo-author: Search Engine
Marketing, Inc
BEING VISIBLE
Link internally Link externally Use tags, categories Register with aggregators Ask for “link love” Promote outbound links File a site map Bookmark and tweet
NEW PUBLISHING LIFECYCLEBegins as a tweet
Becomes a blog entry
Feeds a podcast
Stokes a white paper
That gets tweeted!
PUBLISH EVERYWHERE
32 million members
300 million members
44 million members
1 billion daily views
6 million daily visitors
50 million members10 million members
1 million daily visitors
1.5 million daily visitors
PROMOTE YOUR CONTENT
PROMOTE WHAT OTHERS SAY
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Encourage and respond to comments Comment elsewhere Play reporter Serialize Use themes Give stuff away Complement with photos, podcasts & video
TRACKING SUCCESS
Traffic – unique visitors vs. page views Technorati rankings RSS subscriptions Google linkto: and allinanchor: De.licio.us and Technorati tags Trackbacks
MANY WAYS TO MEASUREWebsite Visitors
Click-throughs
Visitors to a brick & mortar store
Positive press
Positive WOM
Negative pressNegative WOM
Customer complaints
Employment applications
Retweets
FaceBook friendsBlog comments
Social mention
YouTube views
Twitter followers
Impressions
Delivered emails
Coupons distributed
Source: BrandBuilder
THANK YOU!
Paul Gillin
508-656-0734
www.gillin.com
Twitter: pgillin
Available on Amazon or at NewInfluencers.com
Available on Amazon or at SSMMbook.com
Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter at
gillin.com
Coming late 2010: Social Marketing to the Business Customer
By Paul Gillin & Eric Schwartzman
