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Blogging to Grow your BusinessPart 2

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View this presentation online at: http://www.coryon.com/sc-blogging

Thanks to Sierra Commons. Our Local Business Ignitor!

Coryon Reddcoryon@gmail.comCoryon.com

Erin Thiemerin@outsideinn.com

Why Should I Blog for Business?

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Here’s Why!Blog Marketing to Achieve Business Goals

Generate Traffic, Leads and SalesBuild Audience and InfluenceLink Bait for SEOAnswer Questions

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What are your Blogging Goals?Marketing – Branding, Content, Generate Leads

Build Customer EngagementIncrease Brand AwarenessGood Content

• What Topics Are You Going To Write About?• What is Expertise, Passion, & Mission?

Website Traffic, Generate Leads, Sales

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Get to Know the Outside Inn

History

Mission

A Bit about the Hospitality Industry

Locally Focused Marketing

Learn more at Outsideinn.com/about-us/

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http://outsideinn.com/blog/hallmark-movie-the-christmas-card-locations.htm/

The movie “The Christmas Card” brings visitors to Nevada City.

Match your blog content to the market!

What’s Interesting & Relevant?

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• Look at past blog posts to see if they can be updated

• Add text to images to bring blog content to life

• Create Pinterest friendly images

• Pin and drive traffic to blog• http://outsideinn.com/blog/best

-of-nevada-county-hikes.htm/

What Works?

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What do People Love?Epic Outside Inn Blog Giveaway

• Encourages local businesses to donate items

• Visitors must comment to enter

• Sharing on social media doubles your chances

• Very popular because people win great stuff!

Make a Blog the Hubof your Online Marketing

Blogging BasicsBlog Should Be On your WebsiteUse Keywords in your Blogs (Don’t go nuts)

Set a Goal for Frequency of PostsPlan Out your ContentCheck Spelling and GrammarPromote in Social Media

Get the Word OutBlogger Outreach

Answer Questions in ForumsRegister in RSS DirectoriesPress ReleasesSocial Media• Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.

Tie into your Website and Email

Mistakes to AvoidInconsistency

Using Other People’s Content – (Curation OK)No Attention to DetailIgnoring the Basics of MarketingNot Connected to Social MediaInconsistent Voice

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• What is your voice? – Clear content, style and ton• Develop an editorial policy / mission statement• Plan your content ahead of time• Show your expertise – Build your prestige• Don’t market directly through your blog• Use multimedia content – Pictures, videos, etc.• Use good titles – descriptive and eye catching• Check your spelling and grammar• Interact – reply to comments• Distribute – Use Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest• Read more - http://www.coryon.com/blogging-best-practices

Blogging Best Practices

Find your Audience, Plan your ContentWho’s your Audience?

Fish Where the Fish AreBrainstorm Interesting TopicsKeyword ResearchSurvey Your CustomersSocial Listening Tools• Google Alerts, Topsy.com, SocialMention.com

Check out:http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/11422-19-tools-to-improve-your-content-marketing-strategy

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Find Forums and Blogs• Search for “keyword” – add forum or blog

Find Related Pages on Facebook• Interact and Tag Friends, Allies and Pages

Find Top Users• Who posts/comments the most

Create a Profile• Be honest and add link to your website

Find your FishResearch your Market

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Tie your Blog into your Existing Marketing• Events, Website, Social Media, Emails

Engage your Readers• Reply to comments, promote conversation

Seek Out your Audience• Find influencers and interact• Follow them, connect, comment, work at it!

Build Community, Recruit Evangelists• Guest Blogging - Offer to contribute and ask for guest blogs too.• Email everyone mentioned and ask for cross promotion

Build CommunityConnect your Blog to your Website

Content Creation vs. Content Curation

Source: http://pinterest.com/coryonredd/infographics/

Editorial Calendar (Oh no, it’s a spreadsheet)

Blogging Tips and Tricks

Answer Questions• Questions Audience is Asking and Should be AskingCross Promotion and Co-MarketingContests and GiveawaysUse Blog to Create Content on your WebsiteUse Stock Photography

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WordPress Support and TutorialsLearn How to Blog and Use WordPress http://becomeablogger.com/

Thousands of Free Themeshttp://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Big list of WordPress Tutorialshttp://www.syntaxxx.com/15-best-wordpress-tutorials-for-beginners/

List of WordPress Articles including Setup, SEO and Backup http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/

Detailed Tutorial on How to Use WordPresshttp://youtu.be/G8o8u7OtuZY

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Blogging and SMM ReferencesCreate compelling content for your blog – Lots of ideas

http://www.copyblogger.com/

Blogging glossary (including dofollow/nofollow)http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2010/03/blogging-glossary-defining-basic-blogging-terms/

21 Tactics to increase blog traffichttp://www.seomoz.org/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic

7 tips to increase your blog commentshttp://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-tips-to-increase-your-blog-comments/

Tips and lots of links for small business ownershttp://www.successfulblogging.com/essential-blogging-tips-from-2010/

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More Blogging and SMM ReferencesWhy a blog should have an editorial policy

http://blog.case.edu/webdev/2008/05/04/editorialpolicy.html

Blog Commenting to increase PageRank

http://www.seohosting.com/blog/link-strategies/effective-blog-commenting-to-increase-page-rank/

How to find dofollow blogs:http://www.smuggecko.com/seo-tips-how-to-find-dofollow-blogs/

Ad Age list of top marketing blogshttp://adage.com/power150/

2011 review of best blogging softwarehttp://blog-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

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THANK YOU AND HAPPY BLOGGING