Business Blogging

Reaching Your Customers

• Educate customers about products

• Easy user-friendly interface

• New content displayed at the top

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Branding opportunities

Blog

Parts

and

Pieces

http://www.hwyblogs.com/hiw-blog-parts.php

http://blogclassinfo.wordpress.com/2007/05/17/blog-parts-pieces/

Blog Header

• (1) This includes the title of your blog, which is the same or similar to the blog’s URL (web address). Along with a title in the header, very often there will be a subheading as well:

• For example –

Problogger: Helping Bloggers Earn Money

Blog Calendar

• (2) Some bloggers include a small calendar on the sidebar, but this is not at all required. It’s just one of the many extras often available for bloggers to include.

Blog Archive

• (3) Archive of past posts is one of the elements that make a “blog” a “blog.”

• Allow readers easy access to previous posts

• Normally organized per month

• Reverse chronological order

Blog Search

• (4) A search box allows readers to search for specific key words

• Concept similar to a search engine for your blog

• Use key words and phrases

Article Categories & Recent Articles

• (5) Categories - Similar to monthly archives • Organized per category• Categories created by the blogger• Readers can select per category of interest• (6) Recent Articles- Lists the most recent posts• Again in reverse chronological order

Favorite Links

• (7) Favorite sites are hot linked and added as a list.

• Aka Blog Roll

• Selected by the blogger

• Normally related to the blog topic

• Located in the side bar

RSS Feeds

• (8) RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication

• Sharing of content

• Notification of updates

• Use an aggregator aka feed reader

• Bloglines.com

Blog Article Title

• (9) Each post (article) needs a title

• Blogs made up of multiple posts

• Headline like a newspaper

• Use of key words

• SEO considerations

Blog Content& Permalink

• (10) Content is the text inside a post.

• Content = any writing on the web

• Your clever prose

• (11) Permalink is a hot link to an individual post

• Page for each single post

Comments

• (12) Comments include feedback from your blog readers.

• Readers “comment” to your post

• Leave open for anyone

• Or require approval for each comment

• Creates a conversation

• Often includes other links

Blog Lingo

• Blogosphere: blogging community

• Dashboard: blog control panel

• Blog Roll: list of blog URLs

• Page view: number of clicks

• Ranking: how high on search engines

• Stats: statistics

• Strikethroughs: deleted info

Locating Blogs

• Blogsearch.google.com• Technorati.com• Blogpulse.com• Other blogs

Let’s find some blogs!

Bloglines.com

• Free blog aggregator:

http://www.bloglines.com/

Add blogs to bloglines

via favorites.

Blog Etiquette

• Link Love• Link inside text• Add links to blog roll• Include links in

comments• Give links• Get links

Posting Comments

• Have something to say

• Part of the conversation

• Don’t spam• Generates traffic

Blog Topic Brainstorming

• Passion!• What kind of business

do you run?• What topics are

related to it?• What do you read

about regularly?• What activities are

related to your work?

Blogging Preliminaries

• Blog purpose• Type of blog

– Filter/journal/k-blog/mix?

• Blog host• Blog topic• Title and subtitle• Public or private• Blog revenue

Starting a Blog

• Free Blog Networks:– Blogger.com– Wordpress.com– LiveJournal.com

• Look @ other blogs on the networks

• How is the site navigation?

• Try setting up your blog

Blog Software Options/Basics

• WYSIWYG software• Freebies first• Blog software - Blogger - Moveable Type - Typepad - Word Press• Bells & whistle vs.

tech savvy

Linking to Other Blogs

• Link love• Be a good

blogosphere neighbor• Create a blog roll• Link internally in posts• Give links = get links• No blogger is an

island

What to Blog About?

• Tutorial, a “how-to”• Review a book • Pros and cons• Answer a question• Current event• Interviews• Post about a post

• Product/service news• Related web news• Interviews• Company personnel

Visual Elements

• Bulleted text• Easy to read• Min. 1 image• Short paragraphs• Mix text/images• Content related