This document provides tips for using blogging to build a business. It discusses choosing a topic readers care about, writing engaging content through storytelling and humor, optimizing posts for search and social media, and ending with a compelling call to action. The author has written 4,000 blogs over 5 years and recommends writing freely without editing initially, then polishing content with headers, bullets and formatting before promoting it through search engine optimization and social sharing.

1. How To Use Blogging To Build
Your Business
Andy Nathan

2. My Name Is Andy Nathan

3. Certifiable Blogger Since 2010

4. A little about me…
• Written 4,000 blogs over the past 5 years
• Published blogger for Intuit, Kabbage, Kissmetrics, ProBlogger,
Technorati, and other high end blogs.
• Full-time freelance contract writer. 95% of business is blogging for
marketing companies and small businesses. 5% social media
consulting.
• Organizer and Speaker at WordCamp Chicago and Milwaukee for the
past three years. Also a regular speaker at Score Chicago and the City
of Chicago on blogging, Facebook marketing, and copywriting.
• Interviewed by WGN, Fox News, and 560 AM about business model.

5. Three Guiding Principles
Passion
Education
Continuity

6. • Why do you want to
start blogging?
• Who do you want to
read your blog?
Why Blog Benefits of Blogging
Content Is King
• How will blogging help
you readers,
subscribers, friends,
clients, and you?
• What does your audience need more
info on to make an educated decision

7. Creating Dynamic Content
Your content must entertain your readers long enough to engage, so
you can educate them on the benefits of your point of view.

8. How do we do that?

9. http://socialtriggers.com/perfect-blog-post/

10. The best way to learn about
blogging is to blog!

11. Create The Perfect Headline

12. To do this, write a list of 5 questions your
clients regularly ask you
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

13. Turn your Questions into Headlines
Surprise – “This Is Not a Perfect Blog Post (But It Could’ve Been)”
Questions – “Do You Know How to Create the Perfect Blog Post?”
Curiosity gap – “10 Ingredients in a Perfect Blog Post. Number 9 Is
Impossible!”
Negatives – “Never Write a Boring Blog Post Again”
How to – “How to Create a Perfect Blog Post”
Numbers – “10 Tips to Creating a Perfect Blog Post”
Audience referencing – “For People on the Verge of Writing the Perfect
Blog Post”
Specificity – “The 6-Part Process to Getting Twice the Traffic to Your Blog
Post”
https://blog.bufferapp.com/perfect-blog-post-research-data

14. Create An Intro
When I first started blogging, I knew nothing about writing. In fact,
after high school English I swore off writing forever. It was boring, and I
had no aptitude for writing. At least that was what I believed for most
of my life. Then in 2010, I created my first blog.
As a social media expert, I needed a way to connect with my audience.
Social media made this possible. Over the years, I improved and even
started writing for clients. Despite what my ex-wife calls, the worst
grammar that she ever saw, I get paid for writing great blog content.
What I have realized after writing 4,000 articles in the past 5 years is
that your content must entertain your readers long to stay on the site,
and educate them, so they remember who you are.

15. 9 Scientific Things Every Blog
Post Needs
How do we educate and entertain our audience with our content?

16. Write To Your Audience
Stephen King said that he writes all of his books for his wife. She is his
audience. If she likes what he writes, he keeps it in the book. If she
does not, he changes or omits it. Everyone else who likes his work is an
added bonus.

17. Tell Stories
Stories are a bridge between entertainment and education. They can inspire and
educate at the same time.
For example, my first blog, AndyNathan.Net, received 5 visitors the first day.
When it was active, it generated over 300,000 lifetime page views.

18. Have a sense of humor!

19. Be Interesting/Be Yourself
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/05/19/everything-needed-know-social-
media-learned-star-trek/

20. Use different types of media to engage with
people on different levels.
As a former teacher, one of my favorite
books was Multiple Intelligences by
Howard Gardner.
Have videos, photos, and other media
support your writing.
E.G. pictures of attractive women increase
the response rate by 4.5%.

21. Optimize for search and social traffic
Search and social traffic are the top two traffic sources.
Make sure to optimize your posts for search.
Lengthy articles of 2,500 words that are broken up for
sound bites for social media.
Use Click to Tweet or Pin It Button for Image
Paragraphs should be a max of 2-3 sentences. At the same
time, use bullets and headings to breakdown the point of your article.
60% of your readers never make it past the median scroll bar. Have a call to action
before the mid-point, asking clients to share content.

22. Formatting
• Bullet Points
• Short Paragraphs
• Headers (H1, H2, H3, etc)
• Ensure that it meets Accessibility Criteria

24. 1st CTA
• Get a Free Copy of the Article Outline I Give My Freelance Writers:
http://forms.aweber.com/form/59/402992359.htm

25. How to Advice
The best advice then with all these different ideas is to write like you
talk. In fact, you probably forgot how to talk if you are new to writing.
We spend so much of lives thinking about what to say to people in the
appropriate manner that writing as human beings is just…scary.
Therefore, you need to write all your drafts in free flow without editing.
Those are your true beliefs. If you want to remove something later on
for being too controversial go ahead. For now, just write.

26. Get Third Parties Involved
• HARO
• MyBlogU

27. Photo Credit: http://www.slideshare.net/chaddyner/skyscraper-technique-backlinko
Skyscraper Technique: http://backlinko.com/skyscraper-technique

28. Edit your stinking werk! (SP)

29. That’s A Wrap People
Now we get to the end. Review
the content you shared in the
body.
End with a rock star call to action.
Make it simple, and compelling for
your readers to take action on
your content.
Sell the sizzle of what you do?
Maybe just ask customers to
engage with your post. Small yes’s
lead to big sales.

30. CTA 2
Get a FREE 30 minute digital marketing coaching session with yours
truly on Skype!
Free? Did he say Free! Yup!
Here’s the link to get started:
http://andynathan.net/make-an-appointment/

31. Connect With Me
• Andy Nathan
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/andrewmarcnathan
• Website: http://smartatthestart.com
• Phone: 847-710-7093