Blogging for small business beginners

Blogging for Beginners

- SBDC, Aug 2010

Charlie GunninghamManager, reiwa.com

3Blogging for Small Business

NOW Age of Social Media

1994 Age of Surf

1998 Age of Search


BLOGS

- a “web log”- leave comments, post- Start your own * go search/read/comment*www.blogger.com or Wordpress

http://www.blogger.com/

WORDPRESS BLOG STATSJune 2010

- 11.4 mn blogs hosted- 260 mn visitors / month- view 2 billion pages / mth- 66% are in English (9% Spanish)-350,000 new posts / day-400,000 comments / day


– What do people want?

Communication!

– What do businesses do?Talk AT,

not WITH customerswww.visitsteve.com

“Markets are conversations”

conversations among humans sound humannatural, uncontrived, humble, honest

public can switch, so can staff – quicklyif you want us to talk to you, tell us something

business is only part of our lives, it’s all of yours

talk is cheap, silence is fatal

The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usualby Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David WeinbergerPub 1999 : read it for free at www.cluetrain.com

http://www.cluetrain.com/

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738204315/entropygradientr

“Markets are conversations”human

natural, honestquick

tell us something

business is only part of our lives


http://www.iinet.net.au/

“Markets are conversations”human

natural, honestquick

tell us something

business is only part of our lives


“Ask not what the internet can do for you… ”

Peer to Peer Sites Communitainment Sites

BLOGS (“Web Logs”)RSS Feeds

Podcasting

Web 2.0 – or ‘Social Media’

THE RULES…not expensive in $’s

Blog often, blog interesting

Show your passionEncourage staff to blog

Be authenticIdeas spread

Allow public to comment

BUT…

expensive in time

DON’T blog if you’re..trying to sell

boringa command + control freak

BENEFITS? You’re asking the wrong question, but since you

asked…

Better Traffic & SEO to your site

Fun, empowering for you/staffListen + Learn from your public

Gather interesting contentWhat goes around comes around

“Markets are conversations”= the future of marketing?


Blogs are fantastic for SEO!


MarkAnderson’sBLOG

Look at blogs, read loads of them

If you had a soap box, what you speak about?

Start one today (it’s free – www.blogger.com)

How could your media

(your website) have a blog?

http://www.blogger.com/


BLOGGING 101 - eXAMPLES

1. Blogger e.g. 538.com

2. Wordpress e.g. Business2.com.au

3. DotnetBlogEngine e.g aussiehome.com

4. Micro Blogging e.g twitter, facebook, 4square


BLOGGING 101 – fEATURES

- The Post (newest to top)- Comments (live or moderated?) & commenting- RSS / subscribe- Tag Cloud / Categories- linking to FB, twitter


BLOGGING 101 - iSSUES

- Dealing with spam- SEO benefits - Long form (3-4 paras)- Short form (twitter, updates on FB)- Security/Risk Management- Investing the time, who? What? When?


(long form)

1. Blogger let’s start one now!

2. Wordpress e.g. look inside Business2.com.au

3. DotnetBlogEngine - inside aussiehome.com

http://www.business2.com.au/wp-login.php

http://blog.aussiehome.com/login.aspx


BLOGGING 101 – so what?

Start one?Start commenting (gain confidence/SEO)Read lots of themDecide what you’ll blog aboutYou do need to be able to write well!


How can

BLOGS help your business?


FORUMS

- interactive, Q&A- opinions, learn from customers?- you/they post question points- comments ‘thread’ / link thru’

>> seabreeze.com.au Platforms: BeeHiveForum.net …


PODCASTING

- audio file (usually)- record interview, testimonial…- have them downloadable

www.byoaudio.com

http://www.byoaudio.com/


THANK YOU!

- and all the best with blogging!

- for these slides, contact me… [email protected] 0411 092 669

mailto:[email protected]

Blogging for small business beginners

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