An Overview of Blogging with WordPress from our July Meetup.

1. BLOGGING
WITH WORDPRESS

2. RULE #1:
Don’t Worry About Knowing
Everything or Even Anything
RULE #3:
Be Yourself.
RULE #2:
Stop Worrying About Sidebar Widgets or
Theme Design and Just Write.
3 KEY RULES OF BLOGGING

3. TYPES OF PERSONAL BLOGS
NICHE BLOG GENERAL INTEREST

4. THE IDEAL BLOG READER:
WHO ARE YOU WRITING FOR?
Where Do They Live?
What Do They Do For Fun?
What is Their Personality
Like?
What Products Do They Buy?
What Problems Do They
Need Solved?

5. WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT?

6. THE LIST POST
10 Best Coffee Shops in Pittsburgh
36 Ways to Entertain Your Cat
27 Reasons WordPress is Better Than Joomla
7 Secrets to Baking the Perfect Cupcake
18 Tips for Better Smartphone Photos

7. THE HOW-TO POST
How to Organize Your Digital Photos
Easy DIY Mason Jar Lanterns
How to Build a Birdhouse
How to Install WordPress the Right Way
How to Build an Epic Blanket Fort

8. CONFLICT POSTS
Should We Stop Watching Football?
An Open Letter to People Who Write Open Letters
Why I’m Not Sending My Kids to College
Can We Really Make Lemons Into Lemonade?
Why I Stopped Caring About SEO

9. https://keywordtool.io/
KEYWORD RESEARCH

10. https://www.portent.com/tools/title-maker
PORTENT CONTENT GENERATOR

11. DAILY POST WRITING PROMPTS
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/postaday/ebook-365-writing-prompts/

12. ORGANIZING IDEAS

13. WORKFLOWY
https://workflowy.com

14. EVERNOTE
https://evernote.com

15. REMEMBER THE MILK
https://www.rememberthemilk.com/

16. BLOG POST WRITING TIPS
• Write in a Relaxed, Conversational Tone
• Make Content “Scannable” - Lists with Sub-Headings
• Use Short Paragraphs - Around 3-4 Sentences Max
• Have a Call to Action at The End: “Share your thoughts
in the comments below” or “Get Updates by Email” or
“Buy My Latest eBook!”
• Post on Regular Schedule
• Check Facts + Cite Resources
• Proofread + Edit for Spelling/Grammar/Typos

17. ANATOMY OF A BLOG POST
AN INTERESTING TITLE
RELEVANT IMAGE
INTRO PARAGRAPH - SHOULD EXPLAIN TITLE
MAIN CONTENT:
USE SUB-HEADINGS AND/OR LISTS WITH BULLETS TO MAKE
FOR EASY READING
CONCLUSION - CALL TO ACTION

18. BLOG MARKETING STRATEGIES

19. NETWORK WITH OTHER BLOGGERS
• Join Blogging Groups
• Link to Other Bloggers -
Follow Up With Email or
Social Media
• Offer to Write a Guest Post
• Collaborate on Projects - A
Free eBook or Podcast
• Interview Other Bloggers
Relevant to Topic/Audience

20. SOCIAL MEDIA
• Use Consistent Images/Colors
Across All Channels
• Post on a Regular Schedule
• Use Only Social Networks
That Make Sense
• Make Genuine Connections
With Your Audience
• Have Social Sharing Icons on
Your Posts

21. EMAIL MARKETING
• Use Email Marketing Service
MailChimp, Aweber, GetResponse, etc.
• Place Code on Website
Sidebar Widgets, Below Content
• Give Subscribers an Incentive
Free eBook, Special Offer, Coupon, etc.
• Send On Regular Schedule
Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Daily
• Give it Value
Exclusive Posts, Subscriber Only Content

22. OPTIMIZE FOR SEARCH ENGINES
• Use Relevant Keywords
in Title and Content
• Use Multiple Variations of
Keywords in Content
• Add Tags + Categories
• Utilize WordPress SEO
Plugins: Yoast SEO,
AllinOneSEO

23. MONETIZATION METHODS
AD PUBLISHER NETWORKS
Earn Per Ad Click
Examples: Adsense, Mediavine, Infolinks
PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP
Requires Connecting With Brands
Examples: Sponsored Posts, Product
Reviews
AFFILIATE MARKETING
Earn Commission % of Sale When
Someone Buys Something
Examples: Amazon, Etsy, ShareASale
YOUR OWN PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Best Potential for Revenue
Examples: eBooks, Print-On-Demand
Products, Consulting

24. FAVORITE BLOGGING PLUGINS
YOAST SEO
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/
MASH SHARE
https://wordpress.org/plugins/mashsharer/
ADVANCED ADS
https://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-ads/
UPDRAFTPLUS
https://wordpress.org/plugins/updraftplus/
WP SPAMSHIELD
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-spamshield/

25. Q & A: OPEN DISCUSSION