blogs: what are they (and why should you care!?)

Blogs: What are they?And more importantly – why you should care!

A weblog, or "blog", is a personal journal on the Web. Weblogs cover as many different topics, and express as many opinions, as there are people writing them. Some blogs are highly influential and have enormous readership, while others are mainly intended for a close circle of family and friends.

Source: http://technorati.com/help/blogging101.html

patmcgraw @ www.mcgrawmarketing.com

So many men, so many opinions.- Terence

Too often we . . . enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.- John F. Kennedy

I know where there is more wisdom than is found in Napoleon, Voltaire, or all the ministers present and to come - in public opinion.

- Talleyrand

A few thoughts about public opinion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSV1nHiuwSU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmykFKjNpdY

So, you wanna start a blog?!

Does anyone here own a boat?

THE DREAM

THE REALITYpatmcgraw @

www.mcgrawmarketing.com9

Step 1: Decide on a niche• Academics

– Adult Education– Brain & Learning– Campus Life– Colleges & Universities– Curriculum– Education Reform– Elementary Education– History– Home Schooling– Homework Help– Librarians– Literature– Mathematics– Multicultural– Reference– Research– Scholarships/Loans– Special Education– Vocational

• Animals– Animal Rights– Breeding– Pets– Species– Research

• Arts & Entertainment– Acting– Anime– Architecture– Artists– Books– Comics– Creative Writing– Dance

• Arts & Entertainment– Games– Movies– Photography– Performance Art– Poetry– Radio– Television– Trends– Visual Arts

• Blog Resources– Advertising/Monetization– Development/Coding– Plugins– Templates– Tutorials– Writing

• Business– Career & Jobs– CEOs– Copywriting– Design– Entrepreneurship– Home Business– Human Resources– Marketing– Outsourcing– Project Management– Public Relations– Reference– Research– Sales– Small Business– Training– Unemployment

• Communications/Personality– Advice– Debate– Humor– Multimedia– Photo Blog– Podcasting– Video Blogging

• Computers– Hardware & Software– Privacy– Security– Tutorials

• Crafts– Crochet– Beading– Ethnic Crafts– Fabric Arts– Glass Arts– Home Decorating– Jewelry Making– Kids Crafts– Knitting– Leather Work– Mosaic– Needlework– Paper Crafts– Pottery– Scrapbooking– Sewing– Soap Making– Spinning– Stamping– Weaving– Woodworking

• Environment– Activism– Ecosystems– Environmental

Education– Global Warming– Green Living– Industry– Nature– Weather

• Events– Business– Conferences– Event Planning– Local– Niche– Recreational Events– Seminars– Web Events– Weddings

• Food & Drink– Baking– Cake Decorating– Dining– Entertaining– Healthy Eating– International– Organic Cooking– Recipes– Wine

• Health/Well Being– Addictions & Recovery– Allergies– Alternative Health– Breastfeeding– Coaching– Dieting– Disabilities– Diseases– Fitness– Genetics– Healing– Infertility– Medicine– Meditation– Men’s Health– Mental Health– Personal Care– Psychiatry– Psychology– Public Health– Stress– Smoking– Suicide Prevention– Women’s Health

• Home & Garden– Antiques– Construction– Interior Design– Gardening– Holidays– Home Repair– Homemaking– Landscaping– Kitchen & Bath– Organizing

Step 1: Decide on a niche• Internet

– Blogging– Internet Marketing– Programming– Social Networking & Media– SEO/SEM– Web Design– Web Development– Web 2.0

• Industries– Advertising– Agricultural– Architecture– Automotive– Broadcasting/Media– Finance– Government– Health Care– Industrial– Insurance– Investing– Law & Legal– Lending– MLM– Packaging/Paper– Property Management– Publishing– Real Estate– Telecom– Textiles– Trucking

• Music– Artists/Bands– Awards– Composition– Genres– History– Instruments– Lessons– Lyrics– Notation/Chords/Tab– Regional– Reviews– News/Gossip

• Personal– Children/Teens– Family– Journal– Parenting– Personal

Development– Relationships

• Politics/Government– Civil Rights– Commentary– International– Legislation– Lobbying– Military– Peace– Presidential Studies– Terrorism– War

• Pop Culture– Beauty– Celebrity– Entertainment– Fashion– Gossip– Popular Brands– Television Shows– Trends

• Religion/Philosophy– Denominations– Ethics– History– Metaphysics– Schools of Thought– Spirituality

• Science– Anatomy– Anthropology– Archaeology– Astronomy– Biology– Biotechnology– Genetics– Geology– Oceanography– Physics– Research– Zoology

• Shopping– Books– Cameras– Clothing– Coupons– Children’s Products– Fashion– Fine Living– Gadgets/Tech– Gifts– Home Décor– Music– Office– Reviews

• Society/Culture– Adoption– Charity– Civilization– Community

Development– Controversy– Criminal Justice– Death– Ethnic Issues– Family Issues– Feminism– Genealogy– GLBT– Men– Mythology– Seniors– Social Security– Violence– Volunteering– Urban

• Sports/Recreation– Competitions– Gaming– Outdoor Recreation– Hobbies– Individual Sports– Leisure– Martial Arts– Memorabilia– Motorcycles– Pro Sports– Pro Teams– Racing– Sporting Activities– Sporting Events– Sporting Goods– Sports Heroes– Team Sports

• Technology– Cameras– Communication

Devices– Companies– Electronics/Gadgets– Engineering– Innovations– Mobile– Networking– News– Tools– Travel/Places/Local– Camping– City Guides– Destinations– International– Vacations

Helpful Hint:Create a ‘Throwaway Blog’

Step 2: Decide on a name

Step 3: Decide on a homeUser Hosted

Developer Hosted

Proprietary Open Source

Step 4: Sign up for an account

Step 5: Start Posting(aka “Welcome to writer’s block!”)

How to Attract Readers

What’s this?

Looking at ‘Successful Blogs’

Top Corporate Sites

Dell2Directhttp://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/

Lenovohttp://lenovoblogs.com/

Marriotthttp://www.blogs.marriott.com/

Higher Ed Blogs

Capella Universityhttp://www.capellacommons.com/

Kaplan Universitywww.rethinkinghighereducation.com

The University of Chicagohttp://news.uchicago.edu/more/blogs.php

Mount Holyokehttp://www.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/blogs/blog/mount-holyoke-alumnae-quarterly

blogs: what are they (and why should you care!?)

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