Get Your Business Blogging

Who We Are

Fred GreenhalghInternet Marketing/Communications Managerfred@hallme.com

Hall Web Serviceswww.hallme.com

• 10+ Years in Business• Over 80 Search Marketing Clients• 98% of Customers "Very Satisfied"

Got Questions?

• Use GoToWebinar “Chat” or “Ask a Question”

• Twitter with #SEOvision tag

What is a Blog?(Would it be a blog by any other name?)

• Reverse-chronological order• Easy to update• Personality• Focus• Archives

The Magic of RSS

How are Blogs Used?

• Personal Blogs

• Professional Bloggers

• Business Blogs

How Businesses Use Blogs:

• Launch New Products

• PR

• Demonstrate Expertise

• Disseminate Information

• Answer Common Questions

Benefits of Blogging

• Establish authority in an industry

• Network with others in your field

• Expand Brand Awareness

• Communicate with sales leads

• Create personality for your business

Other Benefits of Blogs:

• More content for your site

• SEO optimized

• Great source of links

• Indexed quickly by Google

• Google will revisit your sitemore frequently

Getting Started

• Windows or Linux Hosting?

• Which Software?

– Wordpress

– Movable Type

– Typepad

• Create (or choose a theme)

• Integrate Plugins

– SEO plugins

– Multimedia Sharing

– Social Media Sharing

Technical Considerations

Start Blogging!

• Title – Should be quickand catchy

• Content – Concise, clear, lotsof formatting

• Media – Photos help spruce uptext

• Categories/Tags – Aid in organization

• Publish – Just do it!

Essential Aspects to a Post:

What to Write About?• Appeal to a Need

– “Ten Secrets to Saving Money with Accounting Software”

• Debunk

– “5 Myths of Online Recruiting Debunked”

• Resource

– “100 Best Sites for Researching Accounting Software”

• Respond to News

– “What Washington's New Family Leave Act Means to You”

• React to Another Blog Post

Writer's Block?

• Shed Mental Barriers• Take a Walk• Don't Take it Too Seriously• Just Start Writing• Write During an Assigned Time• Browse the Web a Bit

Sometimes it'll be tough,but you just need to write!

• Keep up to date

• Keep on-subject

• Provide value

• Show personality

DO!

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/439462046/

• TMI

• Lambast the Competition

• Get (too) Political

• Forget to Update

• Advertise Events that Already Happened

DON'T

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenr/2275553683/

Keeping Up With the Blogosphere

Measuring Success

• Increased Traffic

• Comments left on Blog

• RSS Subscribers

• Inbound links

• More conversation about your brand/company through the blogosphere

Know What You Want,So You Can Know When You Get It

Are you Ready to Blog?

• Ready for the commitment?

• Ready to say something great?

• Ready to lose control?

Re-cap

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/5-0_og/1304841776/

• Say something worth reading

• Keep at it

• Be honest

• Listen!

www.hallme.com

Learn More!

• SEO Vision Blog - http://www.hallme.com/blog• Webinars – Every Tuesday at 2PM EST

http://www.hallme.com/webinars

• Email Me: fred@hallme.com• Follow us! http://twitter.com/hall_web