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Social Media Masters LA

How to blog like your business depended on it!

Tin Dizdarevic - Zemanta

DISCLAIMER:

IMPLEMENT these steps right from the start, it will be much much much harder to do it later after you’ve already started blogging.

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CONTENT

ENGAGEMENT

MEASUREMENT

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Blogging for Business

- BASICS- Setting up and optimizing your blogging platform

- CONTENT- Content Strategy

- ENGAGEMENT- Find your audience and engage with them

- MEASUREMENT- Bare Bones Analytics- Social Media

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Set up and Optimize your Blogging Platform

- WordPress (self-install) or WordPress.com

- Other options (Blogger, TypePad, MovableTypeother CMS platforms)

- Find a web host that offers excellent support for your blogging platform.

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Setting up Plugins/Tools

- Basic- Setting up WordPress (Theme, Akismet, User Mgmt)- Blog Roll- Google Analytics- Dedicated Email Address- Photo Sharing Service- Commenting Platform (Stick with WP/Akismet or consider Disqus, et al)

- Analytics- Google Analytics

- Social Media- Twitter Tools- AddThis

Creating a Content Strategy

- Who’s writing?- Double check, triple check- Split up the responsibilities (by expertise, by availability, etc.)- Outsource?

- Style/Voice- Design your blog to match your overall branding.- Create styling/copywriting templates for bloggers to follow.- Aside from guest posts, stick with same voice for the posts.

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Creating a Content Strategy - Who’s Writing

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CEO/OwnerProvide overall company vision as well as personal thoughts.

Product ManagerWrite about new product updates,

upcoming features, ask for feedback.

Marketing ManagerAnnounce new initiatives.

Promote team members. Write about press mentions. Follow

overall marketing strategy

Dedicated BloggerFill in the gaps, develop new series. Prod

team members for blog ideas

Sales ManagerAnnounce new customers,

interviews with existing customers

Creating a Content Strategy - Outsource

- Influential blogger in the field- Content marketing services (Contently)- Go cheaper? Is it really worth it?

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Creating a Publishing Schedule

- Create regular series:- Customer Profiles- Influencer guest posts and interviews- Product highlights- News (mentions, product/service changes)- Lists!

- Highlight trends in your space:- Respond/Republish relevant stories

- News:- Mentions in the media- Product/service changes

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Examples of Posts - Customer Profile

- Highlight your best customers- Show how they are using your organization’s services or products (ideally with a video)- Use direct quotes from the customer- Allow them to write their own post in their own words- Can be reused as case studies or can reuse existing material

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Examples of Posts - Influencer Interviews

- Create a set list of questions that you can reuse- Allow for flexibility- Best is in person > skype > phone > email- Record the interview for use as video as well- Take into account resources to transcribe and edit the interview

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Examples of Posts - Product Profile

- Evergreen posts on products that can rotate or be republished- Focus on underperforming products and tout the benefits- Present relevant use cases

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Examples of Posts - Company News

- New Hires- New Product Features- Company mentions in social media (blogs/twitter/Facebook)- PR mentions (traditional media)- Official announcements (press releases, statements)- Issues/Resolutions

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Examples of Posts - Industry Trends

- Quotes from relevant recent media coverage- Links to blogs by influencers in your space- Your organization’s stand on these trends

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Examples of Posts - Lists

- Quick links to 10-15 stories of note

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Engaging Your Audience

SLOW DOWN!

- Potential Audience- Look at your competition- Find users on Twitter and Facebook

- Take advantage of resources like Technorati and Klout to ID audience and influencers

- Influencer Outreach- Link to stories by influencers- Reach out to them to let them know of the link- Comment on the original post

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Engaging Your Audience - Encourage Comments

- Challenge Them- Finish off with a concrete question

Make sure you have the resources to react to comments when they come in! No crickets, please!

- Embed a poll

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Engaging Your Audience - Embed a Poll

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Perfect Blog Post

- Keep the copy concise (~500 words max)- Include a relevant image - Include links to related content (both internal and external)- Be cognizant of SEO (titles, subtitles, keywords)

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More Relevant Posts

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What if no one is reading?

Consider Distribution Services, such as Outbrain, BlogGlue and.... Zemanta.

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SEO Optimization

- CMS Optimization (URL Structure, Title)- Post Optimization (Title, Headers, Tags)- ID Keywords (Google Keyword Tool)

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Now, measure it all

- Social Media Reach (Crowdbooster, Klout)- Web Traffic (Google Analytics)- Bits and Pieces (Hootsuite, Bit.ly)

- Share back with the team regularly

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Measurement - Social Media Reach (and Effectiveness)

- Post Retweets/Likes/+1 (total reach)- Comments (holy grail of engagement)- Facebook Likes - General Social Media Sentiment

- Social Media Measurement Tools - Crowdbooster, Klout, HootSuite Reporting

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Now, measure it all - Web Traffic

- Visits/Visitors- Time spent on blog- Traffic coming from known sources (own web site, social media, partners, mentions, influencers)- Organic traffic

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Now, measure it all - Sharing

- ROI? - Keep all stakeholders apprised- Change strategy as needed- Create actionable reports - Connect activity to specific events

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ResourcesZemanta Business Blogging Series

HubSpot - Tremendous resource for online marketing

Content Marketing Institute

SEO Myths & WP Magic - Casie Gillette

15 Must Have Tools for Better Blogging - Contently

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Questions?Get in touch

Tin Dizdarevic - Marketing Director, Zemanta

SLIDESHAREslideshare.com/zemanta

TWITTER@zemanta / @tdizdarevic

FACEBOOKfacebook.com/zemanta

WEB/EMAILzemanta.com/tin@zemanta.com

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