Blogging 101

Suzanne HullContemporary Business Solutions

suzanne@contemporary-business-solutions.comTwitter: @getitdonegirlia

WHAT IS A BLOG?

A blog is a discussion or informational site published on the Internet and consists of entries ("posts"). A majority are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments.

www.wiktionary.org

Platform Options

WHY BLOG?

• Showcase your knowledge

and expertise• Build a community• Low cost marketing

tool to promote products/services• Helps you create trust & credibility• Search engine friendly and drives traffic

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGBEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC

• Define your customer– Where do they come from?– What type of content should you

create that helps them? – Where do your customers hang out online so you can

go and find them when you’re ready to launch

• Register your social media accounts• Compose your posts in Word• Write for several weeks before you tell anyone –

this takes a lot of practice

THE BIG PICTURE

HOW TO WRITE A BLOG BEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC

• Spend some time building an audience– Search for at least 15 blogs & save them to

feedly– Read and comment on a few of them

• This will get your website URL on other websites• The blogger and their readers may take an interest

HOW TO WRITE A BLOG BEFORE YOU GO PUBLIC

• Reach out to key influencers– All small business niches have industry

leaders who are online and could potentially assist you with getting the word out regarding your blog

– Get to know them before you launch!• Subscribe to their blog in feedly• Comment frequently on their posts• Engage with them via their social media outlets

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE

• Variety– Mix short posts with long posts (250-300 wds)– Mix text with photos and video (blog/vlog)– Mix personal with professional

• Include an image and eye rests

• Don’t just ramble – be helpful - educate

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE

• Build a community by:– Asking questions

– Mentioning others

– Answering questions

– Thanking others

– Asking for help

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGYOU’RE READY TO WRITE

• Virality– Write good headlines

with <120 characters

– Use numbers or lists

in the headline

– Use keywords and

unexpected words

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGMAINTENANCE

• More blog posts equals more of everything

• Develop and stick to your editorial schedule – consecutive days builds traction

• Draft at least ten posts in advance and have them loaded with preset publish dates

HOW TO WRITE A BLOGUSING THE RIGHT METRICS

• Generate traffic with specific keywords– Total visits

– Percentage of new visits

– Visits from search engines

• Want to convert a visitor? Funneling traffic from the blog to some other destination to make a purchase is the prime objective– Average length of stay

– Number of pages viewed per visit

– Referrers from other sites

Blogging Homework• Choose a WordPress theme that suits

you & your business

• Write blog posts in Word

• Find your industry’s key influencers and begin creating a relationship

THE BIG PICTURE

QUESTIONS?

Suzanne HullContemporary Business Solutions

suzanne@contemporary-business-solutions.comTwitter: @getitdonegirlia