introduction to blogging

Effective & Simple BloggingFor Your Business

Introduction to Blogging

Blogging for You

• What is a blog?• Why Blog?• Benefits of Blogging• Business Blogging• How to Attract Your Target Market• How to become a Thought Leader• Which Blogging Platform?

What is a blog?

Why Blog? / Benefits of Blogging

• Improved SEO• Brand Awareness• More traffic• Free Publicity• Reveal your personality• Connect with (potential) customers• Open for Business• Cost effective• Showcase your product / service

Blog = Open Door

Blog = Displaying Products

Business blogging

• Showcase• Don’t make it all about the product/service• Add value • Benefits of product/service for customers• Have a ‘negative’ strategy in place• Call to action – v important

AIDA approach to blogging

• Attract – readers with a good headline e.g. 10 tips to / How to / Probably the best xxxx ever

• Interest – Interest them in your offer/info• Desire – Make them want it but don’t give all

the information away.• Act – end with the “Call to Action” that you

want them to take

How to Attract Your Target Market

• Keyword Analysis Tool• Expertise• Community – conversational • Commenting on other blogs• Be professional, not too personal• Never apologise for not blogging

Keyword Research Tool

Keyword Results

How Much Traffic Can You Expect?

• 2 Experiments – 2 blogs started on 1st Sept 2011

• Irish Farmerette – for me and for friends. Lots of comments. No keyword analysis. More non-friend visits now.

• Wallpaper Review – purely keyword analysis. V few comments. More traffic than IF

Traffic to New Blogs

‘Community-built’ traffic

Using Keyword Analysis

Stats by Month

Become a ‘Thought Leader’

• Be Topical (within your business area)• Be quick – follow the news• Show your expertise• Be seasonal

• No Jargon – plain English

How Much Time?

• Minimum of one post a week• Try to be consistent (but don’t apologise)• 10-90min depending on research / links /

images• Keep a list of ideas for blog topics – prevents

bloggers block

Which Blogging Platform?

• Blogspot • Tumblr• Wordpress.com = hosted by Wordpress• Wordpress.org = self-hosted

• Integrate your business blog into your website

Find Me At:

• Lorna Sixsmith• www.garrendennylane.com• www.facebook.com/GarrendennyLane• www.write-on-track.com• www.facebook.com/Writeontrackresults• 086 1051007 / 056 4442310• www.linkedin.com/in/lornasixsmith