Search Made Simple - Blogging
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smallbiztrends.com Slide 1
Blogs: Today’s Marketing and Sales Tool for Business
SEM Made SimpleAnita Campbell – May 2007
smallbiztrends.com Slide 2
Hello, My name is Anita.
I’m a blogger.
smallbiztrends.com Slide 3
Your Presenter
• Anita Campbell • 20 years in Corporate world• Blogging since 2003• Small Business Trends is flagship blog• Blog started as a better way to publish
newsletter articles • Blogging transformed my business
smallbiztrends.com Slide 4
Blogs in Business
We Will Cover:
1. What is a blog?
2. Why have a business blog?
3. Blogging Do’s and Don’ts
4. The power of RSS
smallbiztrends.com Slide 5
About Blogs (web + logs)
• Chronologically arranged websites • Lots of content • Easy to update / instant Web publishing• Attract inbound links• Informal two-way conversations• RSS feeds = more ways to be found
– develops loyal readers who subscribe– indexed in additional search engines
smallbiztrends.com Slide 6
Business Blog Example“Me to You”
smallbiztrends.com Slide 7
Business Blog Anatomy
Chronological entries: most recent at top. Easy to scan.
smallbiztrends.com Slide 8
Blog “Conversations”
Comments by readers
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More “Conversations”
Conversations continued on other blogs through trackbacks
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Links for Search Engines
Blogroll links to other sites
smallbiztrends.com Slide 11
Who’s Blogging?
• Mainstream – small businesses• Technorati.com tracking 70+ million
– One third are active
• 5% (over 1 million) are business blogs• 55 million read blogs (Pew Internet study)
“Everybody has a blog today” – Website Services Magazine, May 2007
smallbiztrends.com Slide 12
Benefits of Biz Blogs
• Sales and Marketing– Generate leads– Build house email list via online sign-up box– Cut through marketing-speak – communicate
authentically– Develop status as an “expert”
– Replace a newsletter / content does double duty• Online Search
– Naturally high search engine rankings
– Draw traffic to your main website
smallbiztrends.com Slide 13
Benefits of Biz Blogs (cont’d)
• Public Relations– Fast / inexpensive way to publish press releases
online
– Back door to media interviews
– Repeater effect – expands impact of other PR
• General– Inexpensive -- levels the playing field for small biz
– Recruit employees
– Network with industry professionals
smallbiztrends.com Slide 14
Are Blogs for Everyone?
• Not everyone likes to write– Possible solution: team blogs or hire writers
• “Blogging is a contact sport”– Interaction with visitors and other bloggers is
important: are you comfortable with this?
• Not a substitute for a full Web strategy– Just one element of your Web marketing plan
smallbiztrends.com Slide 15
Biz Blog Tips: Do’s
• Get a professional design using your logo
• Integrate blog into your overall Web presence
• Host at your own URL
• Post at least once a week
• Write for customers – information they can use
• Participate in the conversation / comments
• Use photos (team & office)
• Do “day in the life” posts
• Use keywords customers are likely to search by
smallbiztrends.com Slide 16
Biz Blog Tips: Don’ts
• Don’t try to be Google News – add value
• Don’t forget the “Mom” rule
• Don’t stray off theme
• Don’t oversell
• Be inclusive, not exclusive – watch that lingo!
• Don’t be boring • Don’t forget to link, link, link!
smallbiztrends.com Slide 17
A Word About RSS Feeds
• Blogs generate RSS feeds – your content is also distributed as a news feed
• Expands reach of your message– More search engines to be found in
– Embraced by the Big 3: Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (Vista and IE 7)
• Develops community following – readers subscribe through “feedreaders”
smallbiztrends.com Slide 18
Feedreaders are convenient, letting a person read many websites from
one place at one time
smallbiztrends.com Slide 19
…all it takes is one click to jump
to see another site’s updated
content
smallbiztrends.com Slide 20
… it’s a little like reading
email – except that you are reading Web site content – and no spam!
smallbiztrends.com Slide 21
Look For Them…
Orange chiclets Rectangular
“Add” buttons
smallbiztrends.com Slide 22
RSS is the Future
• Blogs automatically generate RSS feeds of your content
• Another important reason to have a blog!
smallbiztrends.com Slide 23
Getting Started
• Experiment with a free, hosted blog: – Blogger - www.blogger.com
• But not for long – upgrade to a professionally-designed blog at your own URL for flexibility & branding:– WordPress -- www.wordpress.org
smallbiztrends.com Slide 24
Blogs in Business
• Thanks and Questions???
• More resources: www.smallbiztrends.com/blogging