PAII Blogging seminar January 2011

This is Your BrainThis is Your Brain

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This is BloggingThis is Blogging

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This is what your brain feels like This is what your brain feels like every time someone mentions every time someone mentions that you should be bloggingthat you should be blogging

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This is what your brain This is what your brain SHOULDSHOULD feel like, every time someone feel like, every time someone

mentions bloggingmentions blogging

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Blogging:Biggest excuse: no timeSecond biggest excuse: I'm a bad writer, I don't know how to write or I don’t think I write well enough to be interesting

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If you email, you can Blog

A Blog can be updated by email.

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Why Blog?Why Blog?#1 Blogging is about branding#1 Blogging is about branding

#2 Blogging is about customer #2 Blogging is about customer

retention and conversionretention and conversion

#3 Blogging is about SEO#3 Blogging is about SEO

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Blogging is the Blogging is the ultimate soft sellultimate soft sellIf all your doing on your blog is If all your doing on your blog is

pitching a sale then your missing the pitching a sale then your missing the two most important points, branding two most important points, branding

and customer retention and and customer retention and conversion. conversion.

SEO is important but should not be the SEO is important but should not be the primary reason you blog.primary reason you blog.

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Bloggerblogger.com

Wordpresswordpress.com

Wordpress wordpress.org

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Tumblrhttp://www.tumblr.com/

Posteroushttp://www.posterous.com

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Summer is the busiest readership, for this inn, averaging about 300 plus readers in off season and 600 or more a month when the inn is busier

Inn publishes an average of 2-3 posts per week, most are under 3 sentences long generally with a photo

One is a sales post (about a special offer or package or a RECIPE)

The other one-two posts are about whats going on in the area, a blurb about a local restaurant or shop or a comment/blurb about something in the area, like a brief post about migrating birds in the area.

Since January of this year. 3965 views up to Nov. 12th

Inn shows up DAILY in Google alerts. ©Forfeng Designs

Blog was started in June 2008.Blog was started in June 2008. Blog is on the main page and all subsequent Blog is on the main page and all subsequent

pages of website. pages of website. Blog autofeeds into twitter and facebook fan Blog autofeeds into twitter and facebook fan

page.page. Innkeeper spends about 10-20 minutes per Innkeeper spends about 10-20 minutes per

week writing posts, stays ahead of the game week writing posts, stays ahead of the game by writing many of them up in advance.by writing many of them up in advance.

Blog is not leveraged and is only using 20% Blog is not leveraged and is only using 20% of the options out there to leverage it.of the options out there to leverage it.

85% of blog traffic is organic directly from 85% of blog traffic is organic directly from the search engines.the search engines.

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Current clickthroughs until Nov. 12thCurrent clickthroughs until Nov. 12th

bbonline.combbonline.com 923 clickthroughs923 clickthroughs

at the pro level = $359 a yearat the pro level = $359 a year

bedandbreakfast.combedandbreakfast.com 866 clickthroughs866 clickthroughs

At the gold level = $500 + a yearAt the gold level = $500 + a year

bnbfinder.combnbfinder.com 775 clickthroughs775 clickthroughs

At max.exposure: level 1 = $299 a yearAt max.exposure: level 1 = $299 a year

blogblog = = 3965 views3965 views, , resulting in 1178 clickthroughsresulting in 1178 clickthroughs through the post links and on the blog info tab and through the post links and on the blog info tab and

sidebar directly to the website sidebar directly to the website

@ innkeepers 12-15 hours per year@ innkeepers 12-15 hours per year

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Photo Photo LiabilitiesLiabilities

Or

be cautious about what you shoot

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Lovely romantic photos of guests enjoying themselves at your inn

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Slight problem, not that person’s significant other

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Slight problem, not that person’s spouse

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Make sure you get permission Make sure you get permission from guests before using their from guests before using their

photos.photos.

Verbal is good, but written is Verbal is good, but written is better, model releases are better, model releases are

suggested. 1 minute of time for suggested. 1 minute of time for them to sign.them to sign.

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While the people in question may While the people in question may not have any legal gripe with you, not have any legal gripe with you,

they will never returnthey will never return

ANDAND they will never say anything they will never say anything nice to anyone else about your nice to anyone else about your

property and may go out of their property and may go out of their way to talk about it. way to talk about it.

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Photo CopyrightPhoto Copyright

©©©Forfeng Designs

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Snitching from Google ImagesOr stock photo sites without paying for them is illegal

Note the watermarks on both photos

(photos used for example purposes only)

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Good inexpensive sources Good inexpensive sources of stock photosof stock photos

dreamstime.comdreamstime.com istockphoto.comistockphoto.com fotolia.comfotolia.com bigstockphoto.combigstockphoto.com

Free sites but but be cautiousFree sites but but be cautious sxc.hu (stock exchange)sxc.hu (stock exchange) morguefile.commorguefile.com

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wylio.com wylio.com Free Creative Commons pictures Free Creative Commons pictures

Search for a pictureSearch for a picture Resize and position itResize and position it Copy and paste the codeCopy and paste the code Wylio automatically sizes the image, Wylio automatically sizes the image,

hosts the image, and builds the photo hosts the image, and builds the photo credit into the code.credit into the code.

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Q. Where do the photos come from? How do I know I can use them on my blog?

A. When you use Wylio, you're searching through the millions upon millions of Flickr photos that have been designated as Creative Commons works by their owners/uploaders. We don't guarantee the validity of the licenses since we can't control what people decide to upload to Flickr.

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Photo recommendationsPhoto recommendations1-3 being suggested.1-3 being suggested.

1.1. Take the photos yourselfTake the photos yourself

2.2. Get a photographer or a friend that’s a good Get a photographer or a friend that’s a good amateur take them (many photographers are amateur take them (many photographers are starving artists and happy to trade a byline starving artists and happy to trade a byline with a link back to their websites, it doesn’t with a link back to their websites, it doesn’t hurt to ask.hurt to ask.

3.3. Buy them from a reputable stock site.Buy them from a reputable stock site.

4.4. Use creative commons photos (carefully)Use creative commons photos (carefully)

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Group ClassworkGroup Classwork

5 Minutes5 Minutes

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Additional uses for a blogAdditional uses for a blogCreate a custom landing page for a Create a custom landing page for a special, special event, special offer special, special event, special offer

or anything else you want to or anything else you want to publicize. Use this for your twitter publicize. Use this for your twitter profile url and in email mailingsprofile url and in email mailings

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HubSpot found that businesses with an active blog get 55% more online traffic than those without a blog.

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TipsTips

Have a page on your blog that’s a Have a page on your blog that’s a custom landing page or pages for custom landing page or pages for

specials, offers or events that you can specials, offers or events that you can use instead of your static website link use instead of your static website link or instead of paying a web developer or instead of paying a web developer

to put up for you.to put up for you.

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Tips: advertising your blogTips: advertising your blog

If you on twitter, make sure you add If you on twitter, make sure you add a little socializing into the mix, a little socializing into the mix,

results when you tweet you blog results when you tweet you blog post title and link, you get much post title and link, you get much better click through results if you better click through results if you

have engaged your audience (even have engaged your audience (even a little bit)a little bit)

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Write down the time of day Write down the time of day once a week when you feel once a week when you feel

like you can ignore the like you can ignore the phone for a few minutes, phone for a few minutes,

sit down and relax and just let sit down and relax and just let you mind think. you mind think.

Write this day and time down.Write this day and time down.

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Write a blogging schedule for Write a blogging schedule for yourself.yourself.

Every Wednesday at 6 am while I Every Wednesday at 6 am while I have my coffee I will jot down 2-3 have my coffee I will jot down 2-3

blog postsblog posts

OROR

Get ahead of the game Get ahead of the game

and write down post titles.and write down post titles.©Forfeng Designs

Keep a paid of paper or a word Keep a paid of paper or a word document or some other form document or some other form

of recorder, of recorder, or email it your self.or email it your self.

When you have an idea When you have an idea for a blog post.for a blog post.

WRITE IT DOWN!WRITE IT DOWN!

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Think about the types of Think about the types of guests you want to attract or guests you want to attract or

do already attract.do already attract.

What do they like to do? What do they like to do?

What are some things they What are some things they seem to find interesting in seem to find interesting in

your area?your area?©Forfeng Designs

http://www.reddit.com

http://www.stumbleupon.com

http://digg.com/

Social Bookmarking

Increasing readership and clickthroughs

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Guest posting, think of one business locallyGuest posting, think of one business locally

that would write a paragraph about theirthat would write a paragraph about their

business or service (or more) the hookbusiness or service (or more) the hook

being free publicity, i.e. their name addressbeing free publicity, i.e. their name address

phone number and Weblink if available,phone number and Weblink if available,

even better if they don’t have a Website.even better if they don’t have a Website.

Everyone loves free publicity and ifEveryone loves free publicity and if

someone Googles their business, your blogsomeone Googles their business, your blog

will come up as well!will come up as well!©Forfeng Designs

Use the content that’s already out there:Use the content that’s already out there: Area Videos on YoutubeArea Videos on Youtube Other local bloggersOther local bloggers Local Chamber, State and Association Local Chamber, State and Association

CalendarsCalendars You read a great article about dietary You read a great article about dietary

restriction breakfast ideas, write a brief blurb restriction breakfast ideas, write a brief blurb about it and link to the article.about it and link to the article.

A local wildlife photographer tooks some local A local wildlife photographer tooks some local animal photos, point it out!animal photos, point it out!

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2 Essential Resources2 Essential Resources

Copyblogger.comCopyblogger.com

Socialmediaexaminer.comSocialmediaexaminer.comBoth have free email Both have free email

subsciptionssubsciptions

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THANK YOU!Further Marketing articles for B&Bs

http://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/marketing-for-lodging-resources/

Please email me at

[email protected]

If you have questions

or ask me on twitter

@forfeng, I’m usually online for most of the day

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PAII Blogging seminar January 2011

Business

Transcript of PAII Blogging seminar January 2011