BLOGHow to write a BUSINESS

OF MARKETERS PLAN TO INCREASE THEIR USE OF BLOGGING 68%

Blogging is the top area marketers invested in in 2014.

More than half of marketers (58%) selected original written content as their most important content, followed by original visual assets (19%) and then original videos (12%).

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport2014.pdf

• RAISE AWARENESS • INCREASE WEB TRAFFIC • START CONVERSATIONS • ESTABLISH TRUST • DEVELOP AUTHORITY

BENEFITS OF A BUSINESS BLOG

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• An easy way to update your site regularly

• Owned media — feature your company branding

• Ideal for developing a company voice

• Real-time

• The best way to support a variety of media types

• Easily distributed via multiple channels

• A destination for prospects and customers

• Easy to measure and refine

BLOG FEATURES

BAD FOR BLOGGING

• Lacking the time, talent or commitment

• Not willing to be open with information/complex approval processes

• Unwilling to experiment

IS BLOGGING A FIT FOR YOUR COMPANY?

GOOD FOR BLOGGING

• Eager to build community around relevant topics

• Integral to your social media strategy

• Aiming to improve search rankings

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

USEFUL & INSPIRATIONALYour blog should be so useful, and inspirational that your readers want to hear from you again and again.

Your articles should be so helpful that your readers want to share them with their colleagues and friends. That’s how you raise your company’s online profile. ~ Henneke Duistermaat

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

OBJECTIVESDETERMINE YOUR BLOG’S BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

BUILD THE BRAND EXPAND REACH SUPPORT SALES POSITION SENIOR EXECUTIVES

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

• Articulate your approach to the content and industry.

• Clearly define who the content is for. • State how the content will satisfy the

needs of the readership.

CONTENT MISSION

Example:

American Express OPEN Forum: Help entrepreneurs share ideas, get and give advice, and discuss experiences leading to small business success.

STATEMENT

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

TOPICS & FEATURES

Create a list of topics and regular features Key content categories to be included regularly—describe the focus. Ensure your content aligns with business goals and readers’ needs.

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

You need to define a voice and strive for consistency.

• Have a personality • Tell a story • Be contextually relevant • Sound like a real person • Have a point of view • Avoid corporate-speak

VOICE

AFS BLOGGING - 2014 11AFS BLOGGING - 2014

AN AUDIENCE OF

ONEImagine having a conversion... with one ideal reader. What does she think?

How does he feel?

What questions will they have?

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

Ditch the pitch.The idea is to teach, not preach. Start a conversation.

AFS BLOGGING - 2014

IDEAS FOR GENERATING IDEAS

What are you ideal readers’ business or personal objectives?

What prevents readers from achieving their goals?

What questions do readers have about your industry, products and services?

What decisions does a reader have to make?

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AFS BLOGGING - 2014

IDEAS FOR GENERATING IDEAS

What mistakes are readers making?

How can you help readers turn weaknesses into strengths?

What tips would make life easier?

What are influencers creating content about? What’s trending?

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AFS BLOGGING - 2014 15

Headlines. Essentials.

Write a headline to • grab attention

• arouse curiosity

• and promise a benefit

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Headlines. Cheat sheet.

Helpful Emotion Ask Do’s and don’ts List Inspire Nightmare Empathy Success

http://feldmancreative.com/2013/12/headlines-9-letter-cheat-sheet-writing-winner-every-time/

A Nine-Letter Cheat Sheet for Writing a Winner Every Time

Headlines.. Templates.

HOW TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

## WAYS TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

SIGNS YOUR [YOUR SOMETHING] IS BAD.

MISTAKES THAT [CAUSE A NEGATIVE RESULT].

THE SECRET FOR GETTING [RESULT].

THE TRUTH ABOUT [SOMETHING].

IMPROVE [SOMETHING] IN A [SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD].

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO [ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC RESULT].

DO YOU SUFFER FROM [PROBLEM] WHEN [SPECIFIC SITUATION]?

THIS, THAT, AND THE POINT OF THE STORY.

HOW TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

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Headlines. Examples.

HOW TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

THE TRUTH ABOUT [SOMETHING].

## WAYS TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

SIGNS YOUR [YOUR SOMETHING IS BAD].

# MISTAKES THAT [CAUSE A NEGATIVE RESULT].

THE SECRET FOR GETTING [RESULT].

IMPROVE [SOMETHING] IN A [SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD].

[ACHIEVE RESULT] WITH THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY [TO DO SOMETHING] .

DO YOU SUFFER FROM [PROBLEM] WHEN [SPECIFIC SITUATION]?

How to Become a Successful Blogger in 180 minutes.

10 Ways to Write a Headline that Captures Your Readers.

Obvious Signs Your Website Fails to Attract and Convert Prospects.

The Truth About Online Marketing (Your Agency Won’t Tell You).

7 Common Blogging Mistakes that Repel Readers.

The Secret to Building Authority Through Your Blog.

Are You Sweating Bullets When Your Article Is Due?

Go From Clueless to Killer With Your Blogging in 5 Days.

Double Your Social Shares With the Most Effective Headline Templates .

THIS, THAT, AND THE POINT OF THE STORY.Daydreams, Smelling Salts, and the Blog Posts that Inspire Readers.

THE TRUTH ABOUT [SOMETHING].

HOW TO [ACHIEVE SOMETHING].

http://boostblogtraffic.com/headline-hacks/MORE

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Headlines. Tips.

Use a template Start with “how to _______” Use them loosely, experiment Write 10 or more Swap words in and out Create a swipe file Try colons Try parenthetical statements Practice Incubate Get opinions Would I read that? Check the emotional value

http://www.aminstitute.com/

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Talk to, not at, your reader “You” and “I” Ask questions Use contractions 86 the jargon Anecdotes I “feel” you Honest Self-deprecation

WRITE CONVERSATIONALLY

Writing. Tips. 1

AFS BLOGGING - 2014 21

Replace predictable with precise words Activate with verbs Use adjectives sparingly Choose sensory words Delete dead weight: actually, really, etc. Nix bland or soft words: nice, bad

TURN ON THE WORD POWER

Writing. Tips. 2

AFS BLOGGING - 2014 22

Writing. Tips.

Read your writing aloud Vary sentence length Bam One word and staccato sentences Shorter paragraphs

GET SOME RHYTHM3

AFS BLOGGING - 2014 23

WRITE A STRONGINTRODUCTION

Empathize with the reader “You’re in the right place” Introduce the gap: now and soon Foreshadow the journey Or tell a story Transfer some confidence Deliver an irresistible “why”

A common practice is to write the opening paragraph last.

Strong opening. Strong close.

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WRITE A STRONGFIRST SENTENCE The job of each sentence is to move the reader to the next one.

Strong opening. Strong close.

2Make it short. Make it fun.

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WRITE A STRONGCONCLUSION

Strong opening. Strong close.

3The objective is to inspire action.

Overcome objections Make the request small Aim for some zing 1/2/3 Alliteration Repetition Clear direction Call to action: do business

And you often invite the reader to respond.

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Editing. Tips.

Working title Reader’s challenge Outline main body First draft Incubation period Reread Write opening Revisit headline Read aloud

YOURPROCESS 1

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Editing. Tips. Cut “that” out (and “there” and “this”)

Nix “ing” Reduce redundancies Remove jargon, increase clarity Purge the passive voice Kill nothing phrases Break up long sentences Cut self-indulgence Avoid the “today” stamp (these days, currently) Add quotes and links Add questions Upgrade verbs Strengthen point of view Use examples (and images) Mix it up

REFINING THEFIRST DRAFT

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http://feldmancreative.com/2014/06/copy-editing-tips-improve-your-writing/

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Long-tail keywords Google AdWords Reasonable search volume Low competition

KEYWORD RESEARCH 1

Optimize for search.

AFS BLOGGING - 2014 29AFS BLOGGING - 2014

Permalink Title Body copy includes keywords Derivatives of keywords Image alt tags Snippet/meta description (for search engine listings)

ON-PAGE SEOESSENTIALS 2

Optimize for search.

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SEARCH TIPS 3Optimize for search.

Lengthier posts tend to rank higher Internal links Install (and use) Google Analytics Find places on your site to link to posts Cite other sources Share across social networks often

https://yoast.com/articles/wordpress-seo/

WORDPRESS SEO GUIDE

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PERMALINK AND TITLE WORDPRESS SEO by YOAST PREVIEW (TITLE & DESCRIPTION)

IMAGES ALT TEXT

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Article Concept Author: [author name]

Target SEO Keyphrase: as of [date] (check Keyword Planner and Trends) • “[keyphrase]” [x] searches / month • “[secondary keyphrase]” [x] searches / month

Title: [title, start with keyphrase, 66 max characters] Meta Description: [single sentence summary with keyphrase, 155 max characters] PermaLink / Shortcut URL: [use the keyphrase, keep it short]

• Headline <h1> Includes the target keyphrase and 3 of these 4 attributes... ◦ Be USEFUL to the reader ◦ Provide him with a sense of URGENCY, ◦ Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE ◦ Do the above in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way

• Formatting short paragraphs, headers, subheads, bullets and bolding

• Image at least one, should be interesting on its own, creative commons

• Keyphrase usage four to six times in the body of the article

• Length 1500+ words for search optimized posts

• Mention quote or refer to someone with a social following

• Link from the post to a web page

• Call to action for comments

• Author box short bio, links to Twitter, Google+, etc. ◦ Bio page: <a href="BIO PAGE ADDRESS”> ◦ Twitter: <a href=”http://www.twitter.com/TWITTER ACCOUNT”> ◦ Google+: <a rel="author" href=”https://plus.google.com/GOOGLE_ID?

rel=author”>

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C63_MyNOscjBJHXKeZEYj7qU8qYdDJBDPG8ZcPi6QcU/edit

Blog post. Template.

Courtesy of Orbit Media Studios By Andy Crestodina

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SCORE?Does your blog

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

BLOGGING

introduction to business blogging

www.Hubspot.com

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Thank you.

Let’s talk about business blogging.

Contact us.www.feldmancreative.com