This document provides tips for using blogging to drive business. It discusses choosing a blogging platform like Blogger or WordPress, writing regularly about topics like products/services or employees, and promoting posts on social networks. Stats show blogging helps with visibility, sales, and thought leadership. Key recommendations include starting anytime, writing with a weekly theme, using time-saving tools, and joining existing online conversations to bring them to your site. The goal is to provide insight into the company rather than just selling with every post.
19. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010
21% of bloggers blog for their own company or organization
2/3 of bloggers are male
42% of respondents say they blog about brands they love or hate
20. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
You.com or YourBusiness.com/blog
YOU If you’re using a tagline, do some research, see: Unvarnished.
21. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•You.com or YourBusiness.com/blog
•Get your profiles on social networks
YOU
22. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•You.com or YourBusiness.com/blog
•Get your profiles on social networks
YOU
Make yourself easy to find. Use the same branding across all
networks.
23. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Who is going to write the blog?
•Marketing, Communications
•Customer service or support
•CEO, Founder
YOU
•Hired help*
24. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Who is going to write the blog?
•Marketing, Communications
•Customer service or support
•CEO, Founder
YOU
•Hired help*
*Please note this does not mean a “social media guru” who
has 20 followers on Twitter and talks only of ROI, SEO,
SEM, and other acronyms. This means someone who is
passionate about your business, your industry, and is an
experienced online storyteller
25. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Profile and showcase your contributors
•So there’s a voice & perspective
•Build up a following
YOU •No one in your office is named “Admin”
26. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
It's easy to see the associated risks of a life-logging
device. From stalkers to identity theft, recording
such information (and to unlock its true value,
posting it online) makes us vulnerable to all
manner of bad actors.
But what about the cost of not sharing?
In the online realm, that might mean you
simply don't exist.
Pete Cashmore of Mashable
on CNN.com
27. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010
39% of respondents believe that more people will be getting their
news and entertainment from blogs than traditional media in the
next 5 years
28. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010
The top ways that blogging has helped businesses:
1. Greater industry visibility (64%)
2. Acquired new customers, made sales (58%)
3. Built thought leadership (54%)
4. Asked to speak at conferences (32%)
5. Helped recruit employees (17%)
29. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Start anytime
•Write anytime
•Update often
•Promote when published
30. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010
Most bloggers update 2-3 times a week
31. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Time-saving tips:
•Think of a weekly or daily theme
•Schedule posts when you get on a roll
•If you have time to write an email, you
can write a post...
33. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Free
•Online-based
•Owned by Google
•http://YourSite.Blogspot.com
34. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Free
•Online-based
•Owned by Google
•http://YourSite.Blogspot.com
•Free
•Online-based
•Powering 18 million + counting
•http://YourSite.WordPress.com
35. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Free
•Online-based
•Powering 18 million + counting
•http://YourSite.WordPress.com
36. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Free
•Online-based
•Powering 18 million + counting
•http://YourSite.WordPress.com
WordPress.org
•80-90% of SEO is covered
•You control 100%
•Endless theme & design possibilities
•Plugins
•Advertising
38. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Keep your online
presences gathered at
your “home base” Website
whether that’s your main
site or your blog Wiki
Twitter
Outside Site
39. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
•Share your content
•Give options to find
you elsewhere, but
where people can come
back to the home base
40. BUSINESS BLOGS
What
Who What
Who When
Why Where
When Where
Why
Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2010
72% of bloggers are using twitter to promote their blog content
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42. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
43. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
44. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
45. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
46. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
47. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
What can you write about?
•Again, you can think of a weekly or daily theme
•Photo posts (quick & easy)
•Profile products, services, “How To”
•Profile employees or loyal customers
•Top Ten lists
•Talk about something you’ve read somewhere else
50. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
How to “join the conversation” that’s already out there...
...How to bring the conversation to your home base online
51. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
If you’re going to promote your online
presences please tell us who you are:
Find us online! Find us online! Find us online!
@mycompany
/mycompany
mycompany.com/social
52. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
Use plugins and tools...
•Google Analytics, Feedburner
•Link shorteners (bit.ly ow.ly •Sitemeter, Statcounter
•Mobile site (WPtouch) •HootSuite
54. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
A good blog post (this is what
Darren actually wrote)
www.darrenbarefoot.com
55. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
Don’t blog for the money.* If you are
genuine, real, and informative, that will
be the natural result.
*Unless you’re John Chow who makes money blogging by telling
others how to make money blogging... and that’s your goal.
56. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
Blog posts aren’t just flyers or coupons. They’re
insight into what makes the company tick, the
products people love, news, and information.
Don’t “sell” with every post.
57. BUSINESS BLOGS
Bonus Tips What
Who When Where Why
You have a business already. Blog about why you
have that business. Why it’s your PASSION and
why customers are/should be passionate too.