What does it take to keep up with a blog and use it to build your business? Understand your market, create engaging content, post consistently, connect with the world. Erin Thiem and Coryon Redd presented Blogging for Business (Part 2) on June 3rd 2014 for Sierra Commons.

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Blogging to Grow your Business
Part 2

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View this presentation online at:
http://www.coryon.com/sc-blogging
Thanks to Sierra Commons.
Our Local Business Ignitor!
Coryon Redd
coryon@gmail.com
Coryon.com
Erin Thiem
erin@outsideinn.com

3. Why Should I Blog for Business?

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Here’s Why!
Blog Marketing to Achieve Business Goals
Generate Traffic, Leads and Sales
Build Audience and Influence
Link Bait for SEO
Answer Questions

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What are your Blogging Goals?
Marketing – Branding, Content, Generate Leads
Build Customer Engagement
Increase Brand Awareness
Good Content
• What Topics Are You Going To Write About?
• What is Expertise, Passion, & Mission?
Website Traffic, Generate Leads, Sales

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Get to Know
the Outside Inn
History
Mission
A Bit about the Hospitality Industry
Locally Focused Marketing
Learn more at Outsideinn.com/about-us/

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http://outsideinn.com/blog/hallmark-movie-the-christmas-card-locations.htm/
The movie “The Christmas Card”
brings visitors to Nevada City.
Match your blog content to the
market!
What’s Interesting & Relevant?

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• Look at past blog posts to
see if they can be updated
• Add text to images to bring
blog content to life
• Create Pinterest friendly
images
• Pin and drive traffic to blog
• http://outsideinn.com/blog/best
-of-nevada-county-hikes.htm/
What Works?

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What do People Love?
Epic Outside Inn Blog Giveaway
• Encourages local businesses
to donate items
• Visitors must comment to
enter
• Sharing on social media
doubles your chances
• Very popular because people
win great stuff!

10. Make a Blog the Hub
of your Online Marketing

11. Blogging Basics
Blog Should Be On your Website
Use Keywords in your Blogs (Don’t go nuts)
Set a Goal for Frequency of Posts
Plan Out your Content
Check Spelling and Grammar
Promote in Social Media

12. Get the Word Out
Blogger Outreach
Answer Questions in Forums
Register in RSS Directories
Press Releases
Social Media
• Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.
Tie into your Website and Email

13. Mistakes to Avoid
Inconsistency
Using Other People’s Content – (Curation OK)
No Attention to Detail
Ignoring the Basics of Marketing
Not Connected to Social Media
Inconsistent Voice

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• What is your voice? – Clear content, style and ton
• Develop an editorial policy / mission statement
• Plan your content ahead of time
• Show your expertise – Build your prestige
• Don’t market directly through your blog
• Use multimedia content – Pictures, videos, etc.
• Use good titles – descriptive and eye catching
• Check your spelling and grammar
• Interact – reply to comments
• Distribute – Use Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest
• Read more - http://www.coryon.com/blogging-best-practices
Blogging Best Practices

15. Find your Audience, Plan your Content
Who’s your Audience?
Fish Where the Fish Are
Brainstorm Interesting Topics
Keyword Research
Survey Your Customers
Social Listening Tools
• Google Alerts, Topsy.com, SocialMention.com
Check out:
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/11422-19-tools-to-improve-your-content-marketing-strategy

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Find Forums and Blogs
• Search for “keyword” – add forum or blog
Find Related Pages on Facebook
• Interact and Tag Friends, Allies and Pages
Find Top Users
• Who posts/comments the most
Create a Profile
• Be honest and add link to your website
Find your Fish
Research your Market

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Tie your Blog into your Existing Marketing
• Events, Website, Social Media, Emails
Engage your Readers
• Reply to comments, promote conversation
Seek Out your Audience
• Find influencers and interact
• Follow them, connect, comment, work at it!
Build Community, Recruit Evangelists
• Guest Blogging - Offer to contribute and ask for guest blogs too.
• Email everyone mentioned and ask for cross promotion
Build Community
Connect your Blog to your Website

18. Content Creation vs. Content Curation
Source: http://pinterest.com/coryonredd/infographics/

19. Editorial Calendar (Oh no, it’s a spreadsheet)

20. Blogging Tips and Tricks
Answer Questions
• Questions Audience is Asking and Should be Asking
Cross Promotion and Co-Marketing
Contests and Giveaways
Use Blog to Create Content on your Website
Use Stock Photography

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WordPress Support and Tutorials
Learn How to Blog and Use WordPress
http://becomeablogger.com/
Thousands of Free Themes
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/
Big list of WordPress Tutorials
http://www.syntaxxx.com/15-best-wordpress-tutorials-for-beginners/
List of WordPress Articles including Setup, SEO and Backup
http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/
Detailed Tutorial on How to Use WordPress
http://youtu.be/G8o8u7OtuZY

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Blogging and SMM References
Create compelling content for your blog – Lots of ideas
http://www.copyblogger.com/
Blogging glossary (including dofollow/nofollow)
http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2010/03/blogging-glossary-defining-basic-
blogging-terms/
21 Tactics to increase blog traffic
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/21-tactics-to-increase-blog-traffic
7 tips to increase your blog comments
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-tips-to-increase-your-blog-comments/
Tips and lots of links for small business owners
http://www.successfulblogging.com/essential-blogging-tips-from-2010/

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More Blogging and SMM References
Why a blog should have an editorial policy
http://blog.case.edu/webdev/2008/05/04/editorialpolicy.html
Blog Commenting to increase PageRank
http://www.seohosting.com/blog/link-strategies/effective-blog-commenting-to-
increase-page-rank/
How to find dofollow blogs:
http://www.smuggecko.com/seo-tips-how-to-find-dofollow-blogs/
Ad Age list of top marketing blogs
http://adage.com/power150/
2011 review of best blogging software
http://blog-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

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