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Page 1: Blogging basics for pet retailers   Superzoo 2012

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Blogging Basics for Pet Retailers

September 12, 2012

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• Consumers Are Increasingly Researching Or Discovering

Information About Brands On The Internet Via Blogs

• Blogs Have Become A Primary Source For Information And

Recommendations As Well As A Way For You To Expose Your

Brand

• Blogging Is A Platform That Is Actively Used By Over 181

Million People (Nielsen Data For October 2011)

• 53% Of Total Internet Users Went To A Blog As A Source For

Information And Education About Products And Services

Offered.

The Word Is Out – What You Need To Know About Blogging

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Seminar Overview

• Why Does Blogging Matter For Your Pet

Business?

• How To Start A Blog

• How To Create Effective Blogging Strategies

And Policies For Your Business

• Next Generation Blogging Techniques That

Your Business Can Utilize Today

• Case Studies Of Successful Retailers And

Brands Use Effective Blogging

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Companies Use Blogs To Showcase Thought Leadership And Expertise

Why Blogging Matters For Your

Company:

• Participation In Blog Writing Can

Help Improve Team Spirit And

Company Morale

• Writing A Blog Makes One Stay Up

To Date On Important Industry Ideas

And Initiatives

• Blog Writing Makes Businesses Pay

Attention From the Consumer Point

Of View – Not A Personal Point Of

View

• Blog Comments Means Readers Are

Engaged With Your Business

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• A Type Of Web Site

• The Content Is Displayed Like A Journal

• Type Of Informal 2-way Conversations

• Content Can Be Anything The Author Chooses To Write Or Post, As It Is Referred To In Blogging Terms

• Easy To Update

• All Entries Are Stored In Chronological Order

• Blogs Use Lots Of Links To And From Other Blogs, Websites And Web Links Making It A Robust Form Of Search Engine Optimization

What Is A Blog? Definition: Communication Software That Permits Anyone Who

Can Type To Post Content To A Web Site Or Blog Home Page

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• Blogging Is A Timely Marketing Activity

• Companies Can Post And Respond

Quickly

• Low Barrier To Entry & Cost

• Retailers That Blog Are Seen As A

Leader In The Industry And Have A

Strong Brand Affiliation

• Consumers That Engage Socially With

Brands Are 50% More Likely To Buy

• Companies That Blog Regularly Have

Improved Search Engine Rankings

• Blog Content Can Enhance Newsletter

Content

There Are Numerous Benefits To Blogging On Behalf Of Your Retail Organization

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Monitor A Group Of Relevant Blogs

• Use A Blog Search Engine And RSS Reader To Locate And Subscribe To A Dozen Or So Relevant Blogs

• Evaluate Blogs On Your Industry, Competitors, Experts, Etc. To Learn How People Blog, What They Write About, And How They Engage Their Readers

Comment On A Group Of Relevant Blogs

• Visit Some Of Your Chosen Blogs, Add Relevant Comments, And Engage In The Conversation Going On Inside These Blogs - This Is An Important Part Of Online Networking And May Help Get Your Blog Noticed Down The Road

Create Your Own Blog And Start Posting Content

• Only After You’ve Engaged In Steps 1 And 2 For A Reasonable Time Period Do I Advise Entering The Deep End Of The Blogging Pool

The Best Ways To Start Blogging; Start Slow

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Choose Your Blog Software Based On The Capability You Need

Many Blog Software Programs Are Free

• Blogger (Owned By Google) Is Free Www.Blogger.Com/Start

• Wordpress Is Free, But You May Have To Pay For Some Features. Www.Wordpress.Com

• Typepad Micro -Not Free, But Has Great Features. Www.Typepad.Com/Micro

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Six Steps To Achieve Blogging Success

• Have A Strategy And A Plan

• Provide Valuable Content

• Be Transparent

• Utilize Your Employees And

Fans

• Listen And Respond

• Measure Your Results

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

What Are Your Stores’ Goals

For Using A Blog?

• Enter The Conversation

• Use An Additional Platform To

Amplify Messages

• Transition To A Digital Company

• Create More Loyal Followers

• Engage Current Customers

More Effectively

• Showcase Knowledge Base Of

Company

• Drive Sales To Website Or Brick

And Mortar Location

Step 1: Make A Plan; Create Goals And Utilize A Strategy To Help You Achieve Those Goals

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Step 2: Provide Valuable Content; Always• Share Tips & Tricks

• Answer Questions

• Tell A Story

• Peek Behind The Scenes

• Cover Events For Those Who

Can’t Attend

• Be Timely

• Create Regular Features

• Maintain An Internal &

External Event Calendar To

Help You Plan

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• Clearly Indicate Who You Are On Your

Accounts And When Commenting On

Other Sites

• Do Not Delete Negative Comments

• Be Yourself, Be Real

• Avoid Ghost Writing

• Don’t Force Anyone

• Have An Employee Social Media

Policy

• Be Sure Bloggers You Work With

Adhere To FTC Policy

Step 3: Be Transparent About Who You Are On Your Blog

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• Tap Into Your Best AssetsG.Your

Employees

• Employees Know Your Business The

Best – Customers Want To Hear From

Them

• Let Your Fans Tell And Share In The Story

• Give Them The Scoop

• Share The Experience

• Invite Guest Bloggers

• Feature Customer Testimonials To:

• Highlight Experiences With Your Store

• Recognize Creative Uses Of Your

Products

Step 4: Use Your Best Assets To Help Write Your

Blog; Employees & Fans

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• Enter The Conversation

On Behalf Of Your

Company

• Answer Questions That

Customers May Have

• Listen To Customer

Feedback To Improve

Your Business

• Crowdsource – Share

Responsibility Of Posts

With Other Stakeholders

Step 5: Listen And Respond To Blog Comments

And Questions Every Day

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

What Should You Measure?

• Customer Interaction

• Inbound Traffic

• Outbound Traffic

• Web Links

• Social Media Links

• Direct Customer Calls

• Business Referrals

Step 6: Measure The Results Of Your Time And

Effort

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Do:

• Get A Professional To Help Design

Your Blog; First Impressions Matter

• Post 1 To 2 Times/Week

• Identify Yourself By Name In All

Blog Posts

• Use Photos To Create Connections

With Readers

• Remember That What You’re

Producing Needs To Have An

Impact And Have Real, Shareable

Power To It

• Use Industry Keywords

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Blogging

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Blogging

Don’t:

• Don’t Try To Be Google News

• Don’t Oversell On Your Blog

• Don’t Overlook Creating A

Company Policy For All

Bloggers To Follow

• Don’t Hesitate To Improve

Blog Exposure By Using

Facebook for WordPress

plugin

• Don’t Forget To Link!

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• Packaging Will Provide Inspiration To Readers Blogs Will Focus on

Packaging Content In Different Formats Like Podcasts, Video And

Infographics To Reach A Wider Audience

• Generating Traffic To Your Blog From Alternative Sources

• RSS Feeds, Email Marketing Campaigns, Company Website And

Social Networks

• Key To Developing An Established Readership Of Subscribers To

Your Blog Rather Than Those Who Happen To Land On It By Way

Of A Search Engine

• Blogs Will Help Define And Build Brands

• Laser-focused on a very narrow niche

• Offer original content at the same time as curated content with

commentary

• Mundane is out; Marvelous is in. Be prepared to dazzle your readers.

What Can You Do Today To Draw Attention To Your Blog Tomorrow?

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Who/What Else Is Out There For You To Use? Tumblr:

Tumblr Is A Micro-blogging Service If You

Are Looking To Provide Content In All

Types Of Media Formats

• Text, Audio, Video, Photo, Chat, Etc.

• Has Good Customizing Features

Instagram:

Instagram Is A Free Photo-Sharing

Program And Social Network

• Allows Users To Take A Photo, Apply A

Digital Filter And Share It With Other

Instagram Users They Are Connected

To On The Social Network

• Integrates (And Owned By Facebook)

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Who/What Else Is Out There For You To Use? Pinterest:

Another Photo Sharing Site. Create Pinterest Boards

To Generate Shares

• Pinterest Provides More Referral Traffic To Other

Sites Than Google+, Youtube And Linkedin

Combined

• Users Spend 16 Minutes On Site

Google +:

Amalgamation Of Existing Google

Services Including:

•Multiple Video Chats

•Contact Groups

•Find Content Based On Interests

•Group Text Messaging

•Photo Uploads

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

• The Daily Mail’s Website Covers All

Things News, Gossip And Viral Online

• Daily Mail Automatically Rearranges

The Content On Their Homepage

Based On How Many People Are

Clicking On Which Articles.

• Expanded Concept Of Article

Clustering’. It’s A Tactic That Allows

Them To Create Viral, Meaty Content

Faster Than Ever Before

• Clustering Is To Write A Huge

Piece On A Hot News Item, And

Constantly Use That Same

Information Whenever They Cover

The Story Again.

Case Study: Daily Mail Newspaper - London, UK

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Case Study: Tory Burch

• Tory Burch's Blog Is One Of The

Most Fully Developed Retail Blogs

• Full Of Linkable Interesting Content

• Rotating Photos/Videos

• Up To Date Fashion News

• Behind-the-scenes (Insider

Information)

• Fashion Inspirations

• Interviews And Spotlights With Key

Fashion/Celebrities

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Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

Case Study: Pet Blogs United

• Compiles Popular Pet

Blogs

• Create Community Around

Pets

• Utilize Google Connect To

Engage Followers

• Utilizes Other Blog Content

Regularly

• Encourages Members To

Visit Other Members Blogs

And Leave Comments

• Monetizes Blog With Paid

Advertising

Creative Business Consulting Group www.cbc-group.net

CBCG Can Help You Engage With Your Online

Customers • Help You Identify the Long-Term

Business Opportunities Created

By Using Social Media

• Teach You How to Create Social

Media Marketing Programs That

Engage Customers

• Show You The Cost Saving

Benefits Of Using Social Media

• Share How to Create An

Engaging Social Media Strategy

for Your Retail Business

Call Today: (617) 437-9191


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