Building Your BrandBuilding Your BrandWith BloggingWith Blogging

Expand Your Presence Online

Make Sure Your Message Gets HeardMake Sure Your Message Gets Heard

Building Your Brand With BloggingBuilding Your Brand With Blogging

• Why start a blog• Blogs are websites but not all websites are blogs• How to set up a blog• Reach out and engage with your customers• Find and build your content• How to grow your fan base

Why start a blog? Why start a blog?

Discover your real reason for starting a blog

• Passion to make a difference• Extend the reach of your brand• Become a thought leader • Add value to your company’s marketing mix

You have a voice. And you've been given something to say. You have a voice. And you've been given something to say. People need to hear it. People need to hear it. - Jeff Goins- Jeff Goins

How much time can you invest? How much time can you invest?

The investment of time is just that … an investmentThe investment of time is just that … an investment

• Spend more time in the beginning• What does your schedule look like now?• Blogging can be like a part-time job

Blogs can be Websites … but not all Websites Blogs can be Websites … but not all Websites can be Blogscan be Blogs

“A blog is what all ‘websites wanted to be’ - updated on a regular basis, contains content that is of interest to a select or target audience and is easy to update and change.” – Author Unknown

Blogs can be Websites … but not all Blogs can be Websites … but not all Websites can be BlogsWebsites can be Blogs

Ease of Use: • Blogs publish info frequently, without learning tech skills • Most sites have static info and require tech skills to update

Written Content: • Blog copy like a conversation with your customers • Website copy is written in ‘marketing-eze’ with key words and links to pull you into the site

Blogs can be Websites … but not all Blogs can be Websites … but not all Websites can be BlogsWebsites can be Blogs

Customer Engagement: •Blogs: posting comments and linking from their blog to your posts •Website: only option for comments is your Contact Us form

SEO: "Blog" stands for "Better Listings on Google”•Blog’s features: frequent posts, linking from other sites to get your site better listings •Website: have to wait for Google to ‘crawl’ your site for new content and could take up to 2 weeks

How to setup a BlogHow to setup a Blog

•Host or not to Host? •FREE blogging programs – Blogger vs Wordpress•Host your own Blog

How to setup a BlogHow to setup a Blog Free blogging programs: Blogger vs Wordpress

Free Blog Sites: your domain will be mycompanysblog.wordpress.com and you won't actually own the blog

Host your own blog: more flexibility and freedom to do what you want

• Have your own domain name and own the blog• You can get this for as little as $30 per year

Blogger vs WordpressBlogger vs Wordpress

Blogger vs Wordpress Blogger vs Wordpress Which to use? Which to use?

Host your domain with WordPress (WordPress.org) - full functionality and the ability to change any of the code

Most businesses and companies use WordPress for their blog/website.

Many personal bloggers who are only interested in the blog for entertainment value choose Blogger.

How to set up a Wordpress BlogHow to set up a Wordpress Blog

• Choose domain name Choose domain name • Register your domain Register your domain • Get web hosting Get web hosting • Connect your domain to your web hostingConnect your domain to your web hosting• Install Wordpress (or it may be pre-installed)Install Wordpress (or it may be pre-installed)• Choose your theme or styleChoose your theme or style• Set up the basicsSet up the basics• Start writing your content!Start writing your content!

Wordpress PluginsWordpress Plugins

What’s a Plugin?What’s a Plugin? Plugins extend and expand the functionality of your WordPress blog

Popular plugins fall into these categories: • enhance your readers’ experience • behind the scenes that help you with blog management and optimization

To install any of these plugins: • WordPress admin dashboard• click on plugins and then search by name

Wordpress PluginsWordpress Plugins

• Audio, video and photo - add more interaction to your blog• Twitter tools – add tweets to your blog• SEO tools• Google Analytics • Facebook like button • Social media bookmarks - visual graphics that encourage

your reader to share your posts

Wordpress Commenting ProgramsWordpress Commenting ProgramsCommentLuv- visits the site of the person commenting and allow you

to add a link to your blog site; proven to increase click-throughs and is a great tool for increasing community engagement

Other options: Disqus and Livefyre

You’ve got a blog … NOW what?You’ve got a blog … NOW what?

Finding your focusFinding your focus

• What am I passionate about? • What topic do I have experience with? • What could I write about for a year without running out of ideas or energy? • What’s the message that I want to get out?

What’s good content?What’s good content?

Characteristics of Good Content

Provokes thought – add value to their lives Entertains - engages the reader to share or come back Educates – become an ‘expert’ in your field Inform – breaking news, updates on your projects, product information Empowers – prospects, customers and clients to take action

Where to find content ideas? Where to find content ideas?

Questions to ask:

• What are your customers or other bloggers talking about? • How is your industry talking about your businesses top concerns? • Where are they getting their information and resources?• Learn what other people in your focused area are writing Learn what other people in your focused area are writing about, quote them and link to their postsabout, quote them and link to their posts

Just the facts ma’amJust the facts ma’am

Stumble upon some facts that are amazing … research to write about how they relate to your customers

• Industry trends• Your company’s product facts• Let me tell you about a pool company

Content, content and yep, more contentContent, content and yep, more content

Use other blogs for inspiration - write your own post in your own “voice” keeping your reader’s interests in mind

You’ll be contributing to a larger conversationYou’ll be contributing to a larger conversation

• Treat your readers like you care - whether you have 20 readers or 20,000, acknowledge their presence • Write your blog posts like a piece of real writing - have a beginning, middle and end• Keep it short - long narratives are fine if you’re telling a story,

otherwise, keep it short

We live in a world of smaller screens, smaller attention spans, and smaller conversations where media platforms continuously shrink discussions.

Think about it … radio and TV interviews these days are typically no longer 3 – 6 minutes. And, social media tools, like Twitter, limit your remarks to just 140 characters.

How do I begin? How do I begin?

Content Calendar

Definition: An editorial calendar is the listing of planned themes, features and promotions to highlight your company’s projects and upcoming events

Create a Content CalendarCreate a Content Calendar

•Use an old school calendar

•Use a blog plug-in: self-hosting a WordPress blog, get the plug-in called Editorial Calendar

•Try a pre-fabbed spreadsheet – excel spreadsheet

•Use Google calendar

Content Calendar: TopicsContent Calendar: Topics

Plan 4 – 6 months out

• Leave room if something new comes up

• Create a guideline for ‘themes’ for your posts: Mondays – updates about your company or story

Wednesdays – success storiesFridays – 5 Friday Fun

• Think about your tags that relate to your Think about your tags that relate to your categoriescategories

Writing ScheduleWriting ScheduleDon’t feel obligated to post every day -- wait until you have enough material for a complete post

• Schedule time for research and write drafts• Add in time to engage/comment on other blogs

• Set a due date for each post – include research, writing and review

• Consistency as a blogger may be one of the hardest things we Consistency as a blogger may be one of the hardest things we will ever learnwill ever learn - find a schedule/routine that works for you

Time to start writing! Time to start writing!

Blog Writing Tips Blog Writing Tips

Your writing will not improve if you don’t write - get the words out of your head and onto paper or computer; don’t let well intentioned criticism of others get you down

Keep on writing!Keep on writing!

Bonus blogging lesson: write for just one member of your audience as is you’re talking directly them

You can’t be everything to everyoneYou can’t be everything to everyone

Blog Writing Tips Blog Writing Tips Keep an Idea Notebook HandyKeep an Idea Notebook Handy

Carry a pen and a small notebook where ever you go Write down your topic ideas, resource articles and even thoughts on what to say in one place

When you’re ready to write – its all in one place!

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Blog Writing TipsBlog Writing Tips

Make a List

• Pick one of your topics and make a list – use just a couple of words for each entry.

• Have a blogging brainstorm session – write as fast as you can for a specific period of time.

• Don’t stop writing – just think!

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Blog Writing TipsBlog Writing TipsMake a List: Part TwoMake a List: Part Two

• Break down your elephant into bite size pieces

• Pick one of the items on your list and repeat

• Do this until the bites are small, you can eat them quickly and they’re easy to digest

• Add as much detail as you can and your blog post will emerge

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Authenticity means it’s true to you, your company

and your brand.

‘Be who you are, not who you’d like to be, or who you think others would like you to be.’

Who are you? Your mission/values, your vision, what makes your business distinct, and what you can honestly and authentically live up to?

Be passionate about what you know - share yourself without being concerned about whether what you’re doing is right

Just be and do what comes naturally and easily to you - learn to trust and follow your instincts

Commenting CampaignsCommenting Campaigns

Engaging in Commenting Campaigns is one of the best ways to increase your visibility to readers

• Consistently posting thoughtful, valuable blog comments will cause other readers to take notice

• Quality over quantity – choose a few selected blogs

• Drive traffic directly to your site

Commenting Campaigns Commenting Campaigns Things to Avoid:

• Blatant self promotion - directly promote your blog or site in comments; it hurts your credibility

•Extremely brief and meaningless comments - such comments as “good post,” “bad post” and “I agree!”

•Links to your own articles in every comment you post - only acceptable when the link is relevant and directly relates to the subject matter discussed

•Don’t be afraid to actively involve yourself in a discussion, even if your opinion differs from that of anyone else

Let’s talk about ME Let’s talk about ME Don’t create a boring About PageDon’t create a boring About Page

• Second highest viewed page on your blog after your home page

• Show your personality • Let them see why you know what you do, write about what you do and why they want to come back for more

Online Promotions Online Promotions • Post your blog link on your company’s website

• Create a post on your Facebook fan page and re-purpose that content to your Twitter profile

• Add Wordpress plugin to Linkedin profile or post blog link in your Linkedin status

• Join industry groups on Linkedin and post new blog posts

Offline Promotions Offline Promotions • Add your blog URL to business cards and email signature

• Promote your blog at industry events

• Get print publications to pick up your blog posts

• Use word of mouth to let customers and friends know about your blog

• Include the blog URL in your company’s press releases

What did we learn? What did we learn? • Decide which program to use – Blogger or Wordpress

• Host or not to Host

• Find to show off your unique voice

• Use the writing tips to create compelling content

• Create a writing schedule to use with your content calendar

• Promote your blog!

Questions?? Questions?? Connect with Penney: Connect with Penney: Become a fan at Become a fan at www.facebook.com/FoxInteractiveFBFollow my Blog: Follow my Blog: www.innersocialmedianess.comMy Personal Blog: My Personal Blog: www.authenticlifejourneys.com