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Blogging to Grow your Business

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

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 Trust, 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

What is Marketing?

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Here’s What!Marketing 101 (in 1 slide)

Who is your Market?BrandingWhat is your Mission? - Why Are You in Business?• Simon Sinek TED Talk - goo.gl/4OMRpr

Manage your Message – Takes Time and EffortFeatures vs. BenefitsMarketing is Not Selling!

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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

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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

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

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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Why use WordPress?• Easy to Use• Lives on your Website• Free• Many Theme Options – Many are

Free• SEO Friendly• Plugins & Widgets• Lots of Support

A Few Words about WordPressWordPress is a free and easy to use tool

to build websites. www.wordpress.org

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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 References

Create compelling content for your blog – Lots of ideashttp://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