Blogging to Market Your Business

smallbiztrends.com Slide 1

Blogs: Today’s Marketing and Sales Tool for Business

SEM Made SimpleAnita Campbell – May 2007


Hello, My name is Anita.

I’m a blogger.


Your Presenter

• Anita Campbell • 20 years in Corporate world• Blogging since 2003• Small Business Trends is flagship blog• Blog started as a better way to publish

newsletter articles • Blogging transformed my business


Blogs in Business

We Will Cover:

1. What is a blog?2. Why have a business blog?3. Blogging Do’s and Don’ts4. The power of RSS


About Blogs (web + logs)• Chronologically arranged websites • Lots of content • Easy to update / instant Web publishing• Attract inbound links• Informal two-way conversations• RSS feeds = more ways to be found

– develops loyal readers who subscribe– indexed in additional search engines


Business Blog Example“Me to You”


Business Blog Anatomy

Chronological entries: most recent at top. Easy to scan.


Blog “Conversations”

Comments by readers


More “Conversations”

Conversations continued on other blogs through trackbacks


Links for Search Engines Blogroll links to other sites


Who’s Blogging?

• Mainstream – small businesses• Technorati.com tracking 70+ million

– One third are active• 5% (over 1 million) are business blogs• 55 million read blogs (Pew Internet study)

“Everybody has a blog today” – Website Services Magazine, May 2007


Benefits of Biz Blogs• Sales and Marketing

– Generate leads– Build house email list via online sign-up box– Cut through marketing-speak – communicate

authentically– Develop status as an “expert”– Replace a newsletter / content does double duty

• Online Search– Naturally high search engine rankings– Draw traffic to your main website


Benefits of Biz Blogs (cont’d)• Public Relations

– Fast / inexpensive way to publish press releases online

– Back door to media interviews– Repeater effect – expands impact of other PR

• General– Inexpensive -- levels the playing field for small biz – Recruit employees – Network with industry professionals


Are Blogs for Everyone?

• Not everyone likes to write– Possible solution: team blogs or hire writers

• “Blogging is a contact sport”– Interaction with visitors and other bloggers is

important: are you comfortable with this?• Not a substitute for a full Web strategy

– Just one element of your Web marketing plan


Biz Blog Tips: Do’s• Get a professional design using your logo • Integrate blog into your overall Web presence• Host at your own URL• Post at least once a week • Write for customers – information they can use• Participate in the conversation / comments• Use photos (team & office)• Do “day in the life” posts• Use keywords customers are likely to search by


Biz Blog Tips: Don’ts

• Don’t try to be Google News – add value• Don’t forget the “Mom” rule• Don’t stray off theme• Don’t oversell• Be inclusive, not exclusive – watch that lingo!• Don’t be boring • Don’t forget to link, link, link!


A Word About RSS Feeds

• Blogs generate RSS feeds – your content is also distributed as a news feed

• Expands reach of your message– More search engines to be found in– Embraced by the Big 3: Google, Yahoo and

Microsoft (Vista and IE 7) • Develops community following – readers

subscribe through “feedreaders”


Feedreaders are convenient, letting a person read many websites from

one place at one time


…all it takes is one click to jump

to see another site’s updated

content


… it’s a little like reading

email – except that you are reading Web site content – and no spam!


Look For Them…

Feed chiclets Rectangular

“Add” buttons


RSS is the Future

• Blogs automatically generate RSS feeds of your content

• Another important reason to have a blog!


Getting Started• Experiment with a free, hosted blog:

– Blogger - www.blogger.com – WordPress.com – www.wordpress.com

• But not for long – upgrade to a professionally-designed blog at your own URL for flexibility & branding:– WordPress -- www.wordpress.org (notice the dot org)

http://www.blogger.com/

http://www.wordpress.com/

http://www.wordpress.org/


Website

Email marketing

Blog

Pay-per-click ads

SEO

LinkedIn

Twitter

Affiliate program

Facebook

MySpace

Voting sites: Digg, Mixx

Squidoo, Knol

Podcasts

Video / YouTube

Bookmarking: Del.icio.us, Stumbleupon

Online press releases

Forum / Blog commenting © 2008, Small Business

Trends

Small Biz Online Marketing ROI

Yellow Pages listings


Blogs in Business

• Thanks and Questions???

• More resources: www.smallbiztrends.com/blogging

http://www.smallbiztrends.com/blogging

http://www.smallbiztrends.com/blogging

Blogging to Market Your Business

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Transcript of Blogging to Market Your Business