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Blogging For Profit - A presentation given at the CIMCIG Conference on Strategy & Tactics of Digital Communication
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Blogging for Profit
Gemma WentRed Cube Marketing@GemmaWent
What is blogging?
Blogging allows you to publish thought pieces, opinion and advice ...
... that showcase your expertise and knowledge. The stuff you’re good at
It’s an online platform that allows you to engage with your audiences
The results achieved through PR in the past are amplified in a successful blog
The benefits of blogging
Establish yourself as a thought leader
Grow your community
Raise awareness and establish credibility
Connect with people previously out of reach
Strengthen your press and pr activity
Greatly improve search engine optimisation
Yes yes, that’s all well and good. But how does it make PROFIT?
Your blog SHOWS you know what you’re talking about …
… instead of TELLING readers you know what you’re talking about
ShowingTelling
Website
Brochures
Advertising
Press Releases
Blog
Social Networkin
gEvent
SpeakingTestimonial
s
Case Studies
Press Articles
The difference …
if you tell people, they are less likely to believe than if you show them
If they believe you, they’re more likely to buy from or recommend you
Butyou
can’tdive
in
It’s a marathonnot a sprint
Getting Started
ObjectivesAudience
Content planMeasurement
Objectives
What are your goals? What do you want to achieve from the blog?
Thought leadership?
Brand awareness?
Improved SEO?
New business generation?
Online PR
Audience
Who do you want to connect with?
Segment as much as possible
Then think about what they need to hear. Remember, you’re writing for them, not yourselves or your peers
Content
What are the common questions you’re asked by clients?
What are industry bloggers and journalists interested in right now?
This gives you an idea of what your audience will genuinely be interested in
If you already have a SEO strategy, list your target keywords and ensure these are included in your blog posts ... naturally though, nobody wants to read an obviously optimised blog post
Hold a mind mapping brainstorm with your team
Suggest the key topic areas you should write about
Then come up with a range of blog post ideas for each topic
Ask people to volunteer to write posts
Measurement
Once you have your objectives, think about how you will measure them
What does success look like for each? Put a target on it
Once objectives and metrics agreed, create a system to measure
A simple spreadsheet works well
Metrics should be recorded and reported monthly, alongside other marketing and pr measurement reports (because you’re doing this already right?)
What MakesA Good Blog
Passion
Authenticity
Transparency
‘Real’ knowledge
Healthy debate
Controversy
NO selling
Who Can Do It?
Some really enjoy blogging, so make the most of your internal
talent and let them get involved
Share the strategy and content requirement and ask for volunteers
The writing stars will soon shine through
Once you’ve identified a team of capable bloggers and agreed who will write, set deadlines ...
... and appoint one person to proof, edit and publish if you’re not
comfortable with self publishing
Integrate
Integrating the blog with other activities to increase reach and drive traffic
Link with all online activities
Promote and support other activities such as press pr, speaking events, emailers, newsletters
Thank You.
Gemma WentRed Cube Marketing
+44 (0)20 7993 [email protected]/gemmawentlinkedin.com/in/gemmawent
