With so many kind of social media and online networks, is good ol’ blogging still useful for business? Yes! This session, intended for independent professionals and business owners, will cover the basics of why and how to create a blog for business, and then how to go beyond the basics to make something amazing. Why blog, how to start, where to find content, how to connect it with other marketing and business processes, and where to find help (especially free resources).

1. Blogging for Business
Cynthia Closkey
Big Big Design
PodCamp Pittsburgh 5
September 19, 2010

2. Why blog?
• Everyone else does
• Have been given a directive from above
• Need to express yourself
• Want to make more money
• Or ... ?

3. Make more money
• Gather new leads from search engines
• Build credibility > turn leads into sales
• Get new business from existing clients
• Get new leads from referrals
• Reduce costs of serving existing clients
• Reduce costs of working with partners & clients
• Retain clients
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aresauburnphotos/2678453389/

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/eye2eye/50892860/

5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindaugasdanys/3766009204/

6. Building business
through your blog
• Create an original work:
guide, checklist, workbook, toolkit
• Offer this original work on your website
in exchange for contact info
• Write posts about related news,
tying it back to your original work
• Post updates to your original work on your blog
• Invite feedback
• Repeat

7. What should I
blog about?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/etohaholic/3049800858/

8. Value proposition

9. Value proposition
For [target audience]

10. Value proposition
For [target audience]
who need [compelling reason to read],

11. Value proposition
For [target audience]
who need [compelling reason to read],
[name of blog] is a [blog type]

12. Value proposition
For [target audience]
who need [compelling reason to read],
[name of blog] is a [blog type]
that provides [key benefit].

13. Value proposition
For [target audience]
who need [compelling reason to read],
[name of blog] is a [blog type]
that provides [key benefit].
Unlike [main competitor],

14. Value proposition
For [target audience]
who need [compelling reason to read],
[name of blog] is a [blog type]
that provides [key benefit].
Unlike [main competitor],
[name of blog] [key differentiation].

15. Example: Big Big Web

16. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals

17. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need clear ideas for building business online,

18. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need clear ideas for building business online,
Big Big Web’s blog is a how-to business blog

19. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need clear ideas for building business online,
Big Big Web’s blog is a how-to business blog
that provides step-by-step advice that even tech-averse
people can follow.

20. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need clear ideas for building business online,
Big Big Web’s blog is a how-to business blog
that provides step-by-step advice that even tech-averse
people can follow.
Unlike Mashable,

21. Example: Big Big Web
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need clear ideas for building business online,
Big Big Web’s blog is a how-to business blog
that provides step-by-step advice that even tech-averse
people can follow.
Unlike Mashable,
Big Big Web’s blog doesn’t overload or bog down with
techie details, but cuts to the meat of the advice.

22. Create a business blog
in 7 days
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjordan/1531979022/

23. Day 1
• Create an account on WordPress.com
• Get a domain name or create a subdomain
(http://blog.MyCompany.com)
• Point the domain to the new WordPress
account
• Create a mailing list account, put form on
blog

24. Day 2
• Make your About Us page with a photo
• Make Contact Us page
• Make page for Services or Products

25. Day 3
Write your first blog post:
• Find an article that would be useful for
your customers
• Write 3 to 7 sentences about why the
article is worth reading
• Choose a key paragraph from the article
• Link to the article

26. Day 4
• Write your second blog post, just as you
did in Day 3
• EXTRA CREDIT:
At the end of the post, include a question
for readers about how they would address
the issue in the article

27. Day 5
• Find 3 blogs in your industry
• Set up a feedreader
(e.g. Google Reader)
• Add the feeds to the feedreader
• Add useful sections of the NYT/news source
• Add industry publications

28. Day 6
• Look through your Sent folder for a
question you’ve answered
• Turn question and answer into a blog post
• Add a photo from Flickr or stock photo
(or your own photo)
• Publish!

29. Day 7
“Soft open”:
• Send emails to 6 trusted contacts with
link to blog
• Ask specific questions to get feedback

30. Easy blog posts
• Link to useful info • Event announcement
• Q/A • Poll
• Recurring theme • Interview
(“Video Wednesday”)
• Guest post/partner post
• Group theme
(“Mixology Monday”) • Photo post/photo essay

32. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more

33. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining

34. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy

35. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain

36. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain
• Curate

37. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain
• Curate
• Be the go-to guy for a particular topic

38. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain
• Curate
• Be the go-to guy for a particular topic
• Give a home to a community

39. How to make a compelling
blog that’s something more
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain
• Curate
• Be the go-to guy for a particular topic
• Give a home to a community
• Start a movement

40. Be really
funny
and/or
entertaining

41. Foster
controversy

42. Teach,
inform,
explain

43. Curate

44. Be the
go-to guy
for a
particular
topic

45. Give a
home to a
community

46. Give a
home to a
community

47. Give a
home to a
community

48. Start a
movement

49. Start a
movement

50. How to create a
compelling blog
• Be really funny and/or entertaining
• Foster controversy
• Teach, inform, explain
• Curate
• Be the go-to guy for a particular topic
• Build a home for a community
• Start a movement

51. Example redux

52. Example redux
For small business owners & independent professionals
who need to share ideas and resources and commiserate
with others like themselves,
Big Big Web’s blog is a community
that provides a supportive and safe space to connect with
like-minded professionals.
Unlike the local chamber of commerce,
Big Big Web’s blog includes people outside of the
immediate region, but in the same industry.

53. Why blog?
• Everyone else does
• Directive from above
• Express yourself
• Make more money
• Or ... ?

54. Why blog?
• Everyone else does
• Directive from above
• Express yourself
• Make more money
• To see what amazing things
could happen

55. Tools & Resources
• WordPress
• Delicious
• Firebug
• Flickr
• Google “19 Online Presence Management
Tasks You Could Do Every Day”

56. Sites referenced
• Amanda Palmer • Murketing
• Perez Hilton • WTF Podcast
• John Haydon/ • LeanBlog
CorporateDollar.org
• Seth Godin
• Maud Newton
• Secret Agent L
• John August

57. Twitter: @cynthiacloskey
Email: ccloskey@bigbigdesign.com
Web: BigBigDesign.com & BigBigWeb.com
Also: MyBrilliantMistakes.com