Social Media Boot Camp Series Module 3

Blogging, Video and LinkedIn With Shane Gibson

@shanegibson

Part 1 - Blogging •  How a blog will give you an advantage over

competitors that don’t blog

•  12 key characteristics of a great blog

• What to blog about

•  Video blogging and YouTube

•  How to build traffic and subscribers

•  How to launch a professional blog quickly and cost-efficiently

LinkedIn •  How to build a media-rich LinkedIn profile

that builds credibility and sells for you

•  How to prospect and make connections using LinkedIn

•  LinkedIn tips on saving time while keeping engaged

•  Setting up a business page

•  Tools and Tips for increasing your contact base

Islands

Ecosystem

Social Readiness? 1) Website/blog platform: Is it based upon a platform that is social ready?

2) Is it easy to upgrade and keep pace with social media advancements?

3) Does it offer multiple channels/media for two-way communications?

4) Does it aggregate online conversations about your brand and industry?

5) Does it provide a launch point to your social media outposts?

6) Does it provide industry standard blogging capabilities and plugins?

7) Is it search engine friendly?

8 ) Does it allow community contribution of content, ideas or questions?

9) Does it include multiple methods and media to learn about how you can help?

10) Is it easy for visitors to share all of your content on the web?

11) Are you proactively participating in communications and conversations on your site?

12) Is the content consistently updated and current?

2-Way Communication

Via Comments

Comments? #SMWVan

One Click Sharing

What to blog about?

•  Frequently Asked Questions (List 20)

• New product launches and features (cool factor, fun, innovative, news)

•  Events on-site or in the community

•  Your take on local news

•  Your take on auto news

What to blog about? •  Video (Yours and Others)

•  Twitter stream on a topic

•  Guest bloggers (experts, influencers, key staff)

•  Interviews via email, video, skype etc.

•  Seasonal Tips: Top 10 – Winter, Travel, Back to School, Safety, Performance, Trade-ins

•  Transcribe Audio/Video

✘ Marketing materials and brochure ware

✘ Endless event announcements with no added value

✘ Cut and paste corporate announcements and press releases

✘ Product and service pitches

✘ No comments or heavy moderation

✘ Not a personal voice

Corporate Blogging Errors

Launch a blog! - Domain Registration: Hostmonster.com or Godaddy.com

- Hosting and Wordpress Software: Hostmonster.com

- Theme and design?

-  Socialized! Themes

-  Custom Themes

-  DIY or Free

Video • Can be faster to produce than text

• Humanizes the message

•  Easy to distribute and repurpose

•  Additional SEO benefits

•  Smartphones make it mobile and instant

•  Increases conversions

•  Increases visitor stays

SEO •  Search Engine Optimization

•  Title Tags

• URL aka Slug

• Content Density

•  Internal and External Links

•  Velocity of posting

Building reader base •  Post content links (and partial posts) on social

networks

•  Have an email subscription option

•  Notify customers and existing newsletter subscribers – use newsletter as a digest

•  Reciprocal guest blogging

•  Link from all other networks

•  Put it in print

LinkedIn

Resources Demo blog: http://socialized.me/ford Training site: http://socialized.me/fordtraining Social Media Podcast: http://closingbigger.net Socialized: http://socialized.me