Blogging for-business

Blogging for Business

Presented by Jim Robinson Founder & President, ClickSeed

January 10, 2014

2 © 2013 ClickSeed LLC | http://www.clickseed.com/ @ClickSeed

Blogs Will Change Your Business

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2005-05-01/cover-image-blogs-will-change-your-business


Blogs Will Change Your Business

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2005-05-01/cover-image-blogs-will-change-your-business

May, 2005!

Why Your Business

Needs a Blog


1. You’ll Build Trust and Brand Affinity

81% trust blogs

60% feel more positive

Sources: http://www.blogher.com/women-and-social-media-2012 http://www.contentplus.co.uk/marketing-resources/infographics/anatomy-of-content-marketing/


2. You’ll Generate More Traffic

97% more inbound links

55% more traffic

Sources: http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-13213536-pdf/docs/resellers/reports/state_of_inbound_marketing.pdf http://cdn1.hubspot.com/hub/53/introduction_to_business_blogging.pdf


3. You’ll Generate More Leads

88% more B2C leads

67% more B2B leads

Sources: http://www.myprconnection.com/blog/prsa/22-blogging-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind/ http://www.insideview.com/social-selling


The Opportunity is Still There

40% have a blog

43% don’t update their blog

Source: http://cdn1.hubspot.com/hub/53/introduction_to_business_blogging.pdf https://home.passle.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/The-State-of-Business-Blogging-2013.pdf

So What’s a Blog, Exactly?


This is Definitely a Blog (a good one!)

• Regularly updated

• series of entries in reverse chronological order

• commenting area

Source: http://www.hipasiwannabe.com/


Then this is a blog too, right?

• regularly updated.

• series of entries in reverse chronological order

• commenting area

Call it whatever you want!

Before You Start Blogging…


Define Goals & Measurable Metrics

Source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/2014-b2c-consumer-content-marketing/

Goals Metrics


Define Audience Personas

Source: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/user-personas-for-seo/


Develop a “Keyword Universe”


Create an Editorial Calendar

Source: http://snapcreativity.com/how-to-create-an-editorial-calendar/

Blogging Tactics


Anticipate Need States & Interests

I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. - Wayne Gretzky

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wgretz_edit2.jpg


Frequency Matters

You blog as often as you want people to pay attention to you. - Josh Hallet | Director, Voce Connect


The Perfect Headline

1. Irresistibly clickable 2. Clear and direct 3. Optimized for search

Photo: Peter Rukavina - http://www.flickr.com/photos/reinvented/3150724610/


Keep Paragraphs Short

Photo: http://www.denisefay.com/2010/10/08/day-8-the-art-of-paragraph-writing/


Always Use Images

94% more views for posts with images Source: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/28/6-powerful-reasons-why-you-should-include-images-in-your-marketing-infographic/


Inbound Links Are Critical

Get them from: • Guest Posting

• Link & Ego Bait

• Social Channels

• Niche directories

• Outreach

• Relationships!


Get Rid of Low Value Links

• Not good for SEO • negligible UX value • use editorially placed links instead Image credit: http://www.wordtracker.com/blog/optimize-your-wordpress-navigation


Integrate Into Your Website

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brynnita/8693538344/

• host blog on your domain • surface headlines contextually


The Money is in the List

Email subscribers are more engaged and 3.9 times more likely to share your content.

Source on sharing frequency: http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/02/11/bare-minimum-content-marketing-3-things-you-have-to-do/


Google+ Authorship Markup

40% increase in CTR


Develop an Engaged Network

• Be helpful, solve problems

• Not a push channel!

• Curate content from trusted industry influencers.

Image: http://ramansinghmukkar.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/how-adopting-twitter-has-challenged-my-technophobic-lifestyle/

Robert Cialdini’s first principle of influence: Reciprocation

“The implication is you have to go first. Give something: give information, give free samples, give a positive experience to people and they will want to give you something in return.”


Market Your Marketing

If you build it, they won’t just come. You must promote it.


Repackage Content

…into multiple channel-specific formats.

think video, webinars, graphics, podcasts, etc.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/halfbisqued/2353845688/in/photostream/


Work Smart with Social Tools

Manage and track a blogger outreach.

Automate common processes and save time.

Collaboratively execute, schedule and track campaigns

Identify top times to automatically post

Find influencers.

Find more influencers.


Beware the Pandas and Penguins

“Penguin” identifies link schemes: There are many wedding rings on the market. If you want to have a wedding, you will have to pick the best ring. You will also need to buy flowers and a wedding dress.

“Panda” identifies low quality or “thin content”: Examples: Content farms, “content spinning,” high ad-to-content ratios

Final Thoughts


You’ve Got to Commit And Be Patient

http://moz.com/rand/so-why-do-i-have-the-platform-the-recognition/

30% more traffic once you’ve published 21-54 posts. Source: http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/how-blogging-increases-lead-generation/


Lifetime Value & Link Equity

A Rising Tide That Lifts All Boats

Your blog is the heart of all content marketing efforts. Start thinking of your content as valuable assets in which you build equity over time.

Photo: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/24/1085999/-One-cure-for-Income-Inequality-Profit-Sharing#


Create a Content Culture

78% of chief marketing officers think custom content is the future of marketing. Source: http://www.hanleywood.com/

Rackspace has made content part of their company culture, from the CEO down.


Remember: It’s Not About You

Image credit: http://headrush.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/06/buythis.jpg


Let’s Stay Connected

@ClickSeed

+ClickSeed

/ClickSeed

Thank you!

148 West Patrick Street, 1st Floor, Frederick, Maryland 21701 (301) 228-2432| http://www.clickseed.com | [email protected]

Digital Marketing for Growing Businesses

Blogging for-business

Marketing

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