1. technology and computing
2. internet technology
3. web search

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Ult
THE HOW TO
B
L
G
O
FOR BUSINESS GUIDE
Table of contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHY
WHO
PART 1
Identify your goals
4
PART 2
Know your audience Find contributors
WHERE
PART 3
WHAT
PART 4
WHEN
PART 5
Pick a home
Create killer content
Find a rhythm
6
8
11
15
22
PART 6
HOW
Grow your audience
Case Studies
24
26-30
Copyright © 2012 Deluxe Enterprise Operations, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Feel free to share this eBook or publish excerpts from it, but please link back to www.deluxeforbusiness.com/learning-center for attribution.
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HELLO
“Blog, blog, blog.” It’s a rhythmic chant that’s been building in the business world for the past decade. Maybe you’ve already answered the call.
Maybe you know you should.
Consider the numbers. The percentage of companies
using blogs for marketing has risen along with the rise
of social media. In 2007, only 16 percent of companies
had blogs. In 2012, eMarketer projects 43 percent will.
75%
of small businesses
(<100 employees)
plan on increasing
their use of blogging.
MARKETINGSHERPA, 2011
But statistics alone can’t show
the value of blogging. Consider the testimony of Virginia
real estate agent Doug Francis,
who lost more than half of
his business in the recession.
Blogging, he says, turned it
around. (Francis is featured on
page 29.)
While it doesn’t take much to launch a blog, managing a good one requires some skill. So it’s important
to have a good foundation. This eBook covers the
Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of business blogging. We’ll share tips on topics from
choosing a blogging platform to finding ideas for your posts — as well as some on-the-ground guidance from businesspeople like Francis.
Enough with the evangelism. Let’s get to it.
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WHY
Identify your goals
PART 1
Given the daily stress of running a business, it may be easier to come
up with reasons NOT to blog: You don’t have the time. You don’t have the
energy. You don’t have the help. You don’t have ideas.
Actually, if the thought of blogging makes you totally break
out in hives, maybe it’s not for you, says Jonathan Kranz,
author of “Writing Copy for Dummies” and founder of Kranz
Communications. “Really. With so many communications
options to choose from, why force yourself into a marketing
tactic that doesn’t fit your schedule or abilities?”
But if you know blogging could really benefit your business and
are ready to dive in, relax. You can do this.
The first step is to establish “a clear business purpose for your
blog,” Kranz says. “What exactly do you hope to accomplish?”
BY THE NUMBERS
Top Reasons Entrepreneurs Blog
1. To attract new clients for business
2. To share expertise and experience
3. To gain professional recognition
Why Entrepreneurs Blog More
74%
60%
40%
“It has proven valuable
for promoting my business.”
“It has proven valuable
to my profession.”
“I enjoy interacting
with my audience.”
SOURCE: TECHNORATI, 2011
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SOME POSSIBLE GOALS FOR A BUSINESS BLOG
Humanize your company. A blog is a way to tell your story, let people know who you are and
engage customers without hard-selling. This kind of trust-building can be especially useful for
companies with longer, complex sale cycles or service- or business-to-business (B2B) orientations.
Get found online. Search engines love fresh content, and they favor sites with more indexed pages.
By providing a steady stream of posts, blogs are an ideal tool for boosting your brand’s search engine
optimization (SEO). But you’ll need to develop a keyword-rich strategy to get the most results.
Establish yourself as a thought leader. If you regularly share useful and insightful information,
you can gain an edge over the competition by appearing knowledgeable in your field. Participating
in the larger blogosphere also helps you stay atop industry trends and gain wider authority as a
resource.
Nurture leads: A blog helps keep relationships going until prospects are ready to buy. By giving
customers a place to quickly learn a lot about your business, a blog can reduce sales time and
deliver better quality leads. Call-to-actions within or beside posts can also move prospects further
along the sales cycle.
Open dialogue. Most blogs permit comments on posts. By tuning into and participating in
conversations, you can get a better grip on customer questions, needs and wants. You can also
hear their reactions to new products or services.
Expand your social media presence. A blog gives plenty of fodder for sharing on social media
outlets, including other blogs. It’s also easy to incorporate social media buttons, for example, to
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+, so readers can pass along your content to their own
networks.
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WHO
Know your audience
PART 2
Now that you’ve established your blogging objectives, let’s turn to the
“WHO.” Defining your target audience and identifying who will blog for you
are two critical steps of any successful blogging strategy.
WHOM IS THE BLOG FOR?
Has your business already developed profiles for your likeliest or most ideal customers? If so, then
you can use those customer personas as a guide to keep your posts relevant. If you’ve never gone
through the exercise of creating a persona, now’s the time. Instead of lumping everyone together
in one anonymous bucket, aim to develop one to three distinct personas. Give each persona a
name (real or fictitious) so you can have someone concrete in mind as you develop blog content.
SAMPLE AUDIENCE PERSONA
Say you’re the owner of a business that sells dance shoes, apparel and other supplies. You want to start a
blog. So you develop a persona for “Suzanne,” a composite of some of your most loyal customers.
SUZANNE MITCHELL
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor’s degree, psychology
Job: Marketing director for an area non-profit that focuses on workplace skills
Family: Married with two girls, ages 3 and 7, and a son, age 5
Household income: $75,000
Spends most time online: Sharing pictures on Facebook. Surfing the web for
articles related to nonprofits, parenting and gardening.
Prefers to be informed or entertained? A mixture. She likes watching
humorous videos, but is voracious about searching for online information.
Voice/style she responds most to: Warm, professional and family-oriented.
Why she would pick your product or service over a competitor’s: Quality,
selection, staff knowledge, ability to try things out in the store and price.
What causes she cares most about: Buying local. The environment.
What kind of information she’s seeking related to (but not necessarily
about) your products or services: What types of ballet shoes are best for
young girls? What is going on around town related to dance for kids? What
music or DVDs could help kids have fun with dance at home?
What motivates her to take action (e.g., visit the store or make a
purchase): A coupon or a seasonal sale. Stories or videos of kids really
enjoying a particular product.
Hobbies, activities and interests: Shuttling her kids around to various
activities. Connecting with other moms. Gardening.
Biggest day-to-day challenges: Having enough hours in the day.
What she aspires to: At work, advancing to a vice president role. Raising
happy, confident children.
What car she drives: Honda CR-V
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With “Suzanne” in mind, your business can now tailor blog posts that
are more likely to interest her and keep her coming back to the store.
It’s all about knowing who’s on the other end.
“You have to speak to the needs and concerns of your target audience,”
says content specialist Jonathan Kranz. “Everything, from the content
of the posts to your attitude and tone of voice, must be shaped with a
regard for your intended readers.”
CONSUMERS VISIT BLOGS FOR…
Ideas and inspiration
News or information Entertainment Product reviews Product recommendations SOURCE: PERCENTAGES BASED OFF 1,231 ADULTS
POLLED. TECHNORATI, NOVEMBER 2011
OTHER TOOLS FOR LEARNING ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE
Website analytics: If you have a website, you may already be gathering data, for instance,
through Google Analytics or WiredMinds, that can help you analyze the segments of your online
audience and sources of web traffic.
Third-party sites: You can also enter URLs for your business or competitors into websites, such as
www.alexa.com and www.compete.com, to check out the search terms bringing people to your
site and your audience demographics. (Note: Data may be less available for sites with low traffic.)
Surveys: If you’ve got a customer database, you can also use free tools such as Google Docs or
SurveyMonkey to send a questionnaire by email. Or you can post a survey on your website.
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55%
52%
51%
33%
29%
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WHO
Find contributors
PART 2, CONTINUED
Who will blog for you? If you are a one-man band, the answer could be simple:
You will. As with other “solo-preneurs,” you are your brand. So having a blog that
speaks personally from your perspective as an owner or as an expert in your field makes sense.
But if your business has multiple employees or you are on your own and open to external
contributors, your blog can feature other voices. Carol Davis, who runs a Texas bed-and-breakfast
(see page 28), enjoyed writing her own posts until she decided she couldn’t keep up with it, so she
hired someone to ensure consistency and smart use of keywords. (More on outsourcing later.)
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING MULTIPLE BLOGGERS
n
It’s easier to maintain an active blog because it lessens the burden on one person to generate
fresh content week after week.
n
A larger pool of potential authors enables you to tap into the expertise of individual employees
and broaden the amount of rich content you offer.
n
It empowers employees to spread the word about your business. And when employees share
posts with their own social networks, your blog content spreads farther faster.
n
It fosters a natural diversity in the use of words and phrases that can benefit your search engine
optimization.
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TIPS FOR HAVING MULTIPLE BLOGGERS
n
Appoint a blogging administrator to oversee the effort and troubleshoot issues as they arise. Or
be prepared to fill that role yourself.
n
Share your blogging objectives and target personas.
n Train your employees on blogging software, blogging dos and don’ts and how to promote their posts.
n
Motivate employees by sharing results, prizes and contests. OpenView Labs, a Boston-based
venture capital firm that asks all its employees to blog, regularly recognizes individuals and
teams for having the:
l Most blog posts per month.
l Most page views per week.
l Best use of keywords.
n
Adopt a basic social media policy. Good sources for boilerplate or sample social media policies:
socialmediagovernance.com or socialmedia.policytool.net.
TIPS FOR RECRUITING INTERNAL BLOGGERS
Look for contributors who:
n Have a knack for writing or
different media types, such
as video, audio, etc.
n
Understand your business
and brand.
n
Are active on social media.
n
Have time to blog.
n
Have technical expertise. If
such people are less inclined
to write or are short on time,
pair them with others for
Q&As or co-written posts.
TIPS FOR RECRUITING “GUEST” BLOGGERS
In addition to internal contributors, you can also enlist “guest” bloggers. Having external experts
can help grow your own audience by attracting some of their followers, and if you guest blog for
them, it can help with link building back to your site. Look for possible guest bloggers among:
n
Your customers.
n
Readers who leave insightful comments on your blog posts.
n
Suppliers or business partners.
n
Bloggers in your niche, industry or trade association.
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OUTSOURCING YOUR AUTHENTIC VOICE
Amy Haake, DeluxeSocial Team Lead
As a copywriter, I get to pretend to be all sorts of brand personas, from a motherly figure
who embraces road-weary hotel guests to an attorney who specializes in legal advice for
small businesses. If you’re thinking about outsourcing your blog to a freelance writer, here
are a few things to look for:
A good writer asks questions — lots of them. You’re the expert of your company; a good
writer is an expert with words. In order for your blog to best represent your brand voice, a
freelance writer needs to be able to quickly gain knowledge about your company’s brand, target
market, products and goals.
A good writer will get excited about your brand. Writers are like actors — they’ll take on
a persona and express that persona through the written word. If your writer doesn’t show any
eagerness about your company’s brand, keep shopping.
A good writer writes good, er, well. It’s obvious, right? Or at least it should be, but it’s worth
mentioning because so many people think they can write well. It’s always a good idea to ask to see
a writer’s portfolio to gauge his or her experience and ability.
WHERE TO FIND HELP
OK, so now you know what to look for, but where?
n
Deluxe offers copywriting assistance with blogs, websites and social media, such as Facebook,
Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.
n You can also seek local writing talent by posting an ad on craigslist under “writing/editing” jobs,
announcing an opening on your LinkedIn Company page or searching for résumés on sites like
indeed.com.
n
Junta42, Elance, Contently and Business2Blogger are other sites that bring companies and
content vendors together.
WHAT FREELANCE BLOGGING COSTS
n What
you’ll pay for freelance help can vary significantly, depending on the length and frequency
of the posts and the skill of the writer. Other factors include delivery format, whether articles
come with companion images and the amount of research or interviewing a post requires.
n Some vendors charge as little as a few cents per word, or $10 to $20 for a 500-word piece. Others
may charge more like 50 cents to $1 per word or $40 to $100 per hour.
If it is an ongoing relationship, you may be able to get a monthly or yearly rate. For instance,
Deluxe copywriters offer blogging packages that include four 500-word blog posts for $299 a month.
n
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WHERE
Pick a home
PART 3
Deciding where your blog resides is one of the most important choices you’ll
make when starting a blog. It can influence everything from what you name your
blog to how it looks to how people find and interact with it. Here are a few things to consider:
CHOOSING A HOST
You can either let a blogging platform host your blog, or host it yourself on your website or on a
separate domain. Each option has its pros and cons. Let’s review.
Option 1: Let a blogging platform host your blog.
You can get started quickly by having a platform, such as WordPress, Blogger or Tumblr, host your blog.
Pros: For the less technically savvy or those without access to internal or external IT support, this
is an easy way to start. Many blogging platforms also will host your blog for free.
Cons: Going with a hosted platform gives you less control over the look of your blog and ownership
over content, such as your archives. It also won’t add as much SEO value to your company website.
Tip: If your website is separate from your blog, don’t forget to link the two sites.
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Option 2: Self-host your blog on your own website.
You can install your blog on your existing business website, for example, in a subdirectory (also
called a subfolder), e.g. www.example.com/blog.
Pros: The advantage of going this route, says Social Media Explorer’s Jason Falls, is that your
website may already have a history with search engines and a more robust link profile. That
can help your blog content rank better for search results right away. As time passes, the links
and activity on the company blog will help the company website rank higher for terms as well.
Cons: Integrating a blog with your website requires a bit more technical know-how. It may
not be possible to integrate a blog with all website templates.
Option 3: Self-host your blog on a separate domain.
You can put your blog on its own domain or a sub-domain of your website, e.g. www.blog.
yoursite.com. Although a sub-domain looks like a part of your website, search engines technically
consider it a separate domain. For this option, you will need to buy a web-hosting plan (for
storage space) and a new domain (site name).
Pros: If your blog’s main theme focuses on a subset of the company but not the whole enterprise,
it might be best to go this route, Falls says. You can better optimize the blog for search engine
results since you can pick a new domain name (perhaps with critical keywords) and even brand it
differently. Standalone blogs also tend to have more credibility with a social media audience.
Cons: Search engines favor fresh content. By having a blog on a separate domain, your website won’t
reap as much SEO benefit (although your business will still gain some SEO value by producing
fresh, ongoing blog content). You’ll also need someone with technical know-how to install a blog on
a separate domain.
Tip: If you choose this option, link your website to your blog or pull a feed of your posts onto
your main website.
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PICKING A URL
Your hosting decision will influence your blog’s address or URL.
n
If you have a platform host your blog, check with the platform to find out which names are available.
n If you don’t want the platform as a part of the name (e.g., www.example.wordpress.com),
you
can pay roughly $10 to $40 per year to claim a domain name through a registrar, such as www.
aplus.net/domains. Consult your blogging platform or registrar’s instructions on how to “map”
or point that domain name to your hosted blog.
n
If you self-host your blog on an existing website, you can make the
blog a subfolder of your site, e.g., www.example.com/blog.
n
If you self-host your blog on a separate domain, you can have your
blog look like a sub-domain, such as www.blog.yoursite.com, or
choose an entirely separate domain.
Brainstorm domain names with a colleague or friend.
n
Pick something short and memorable.
n
Incorporate a keyword that makes sense for your business. It helps with SEO.
n
Remember: The title of your blog (what shows up at the top of a browser window) may look
somewhat different from the domain name (the URL) but should be related. It’s easier to tweak
the former than the latter.
n
Compile a list of domain names that best represent your business, industry or theme.
Check domain availability.
n
Type a desired domain name into a website such as who.is or www.aplus.net/domains, to see
whether it’s available.
n You can opt for a name ending in “.com” (most common) or another
n
extension such as “.org” or “.net.”
If a domain is already taken, a registrar may suggest variations.
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PICKING A PLATFORM
Blogging platforms are software that allow you to input content into a system and publish it online.
Below are some criteria for picking a platform, and a quick review of some of the most popular.
Customization: To make a blog match your brand, you’ll need greater control over the blog’s
design and functionality. “The more you want to own and customize,
the more it’ll cost you, so determining a budget and choosing a
BY THE NUMBERS
platform that fits with that are important,” says Jess Ostroff, founder of
Most popular platforms
for entrepreneurs
Don’t Panic Management, a social media agency.
Flexibility: Does the platform allow multiple authors? Can you set up
a platform to which contributors can submit content, and others edit it?
Does the platform allow you to schedule posts in advance? If those are
important features to you, make sure your platform has them.
WordPress67%
Blogger18%
TypePad2%
Tumblr1%
Other or customized 12%
SOURCE: TECHNORATI, NOVEMBER 2011
Ease of use: “Think about the platform that you actually want to use
and understand how to use,” says Ostroff. “If people can’t figure out how to use a platform, they
simply won’t use it. If it takes testing several platforms to find the one that works for you, so be it.
It’s worth spending extra time at the beginning so that you can create a blog that you’re proud of
and want to contribute to.”
A Comparison of Popular Blogging Platforms
WordPress
Blogger
Typepad
Tumblr
Cost
Free
Free
$8.95+ / mo.
Free
Simplicity
lll
lll
lll
lll
Customization/
flexibility
lll
lll
lll
lll
Hosts blogs
Yes, via wordpress.com
Yes
Yes
Yes
Can install on
a site you host
Yes, via wordpress.org
No, but allows
domain mapping
No, but allows
domain mapping
No, but allows
domain mapping
Comments
Most popular and
robust blogging
platform. Opensource, with
numerous themes
(design templates)
and widgets. Easy to
use, but the number
of options may feel a
little overwhelming
for the less tech-savvy
at times.
Extremely easy to use.
Google owns Blogger,
so it does well with
search engines. Some
people think it’s less
professional to use
for a company blog.
A default link at the
top of each blog says
“Next Blog,” which
could lead readers to
questionable content.
Has a plethora of
design templates and
features. TypePad
has the distinction
of having more
personalized customer
support. With the
others you may search
for or post questions
in forums, but are not
guaranteed to get an
answer.
A cross between a
blog and a social
network. Posts are
easily “liked” and
“reblogged.” Great for
media-rich content,
links and shorter
posts. Small learning
curve. Popular in
fashion, art and
design circles and
younger audiences.
There are numerous other platforms. If you want more custom design features or plug-ins, you’ll get maximum flexibility
with self-hosted options, such as Wordpress.org, Movable Type, Drupal or Joomla. But those will require greater technical
knowledge to set up, customize and maintain.
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WHAT
Create killer content
PART 4
You know what’s cool about blogging? You don’t have to write like Shakespeare
to do it. You’re not gunning for a Pulitzer Prize. If you’ve got a personality, you can
blog. Write as if speaking to a friend, and pretend it’s a conversation because, well, it is.
Still, we know — one of the greatest challenges of blogging is figuring out what to say. So in this
section, we introduce some frameworks for brainstorming ideas, writing posts and thinking about
various multimedia to help your blog sustain a lively mix of content month after month.
GETTING IDEAS
Do a little homework
n Check out other blogs in your niche. Identify a few you like, bookmark them and jot down some
ideas. Later, these blogs can be a source of further inspiration or link-worthy content.
n
Consult blog directories, such as Technorati, which has a searchable directory of blogs by
category and a top 100 list. Or go to Google Blog Search, a search engine for content posted on
blogs related to your industry or product.
n
You can also Google your industry or product name plus the word “blogroll” to look for other
people’s lists of favorite blogs in that category..
n
Or if you’re already blogging, depending on your platform, you may be able to click on tags to
see what others on the same platform are saying about the topic.
n
Review which topics customers and prospects are asking about during sales and customer
service interactions. You can answer common questions through blog posts.
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Brainstorm topics
Now that you have some perspective on what others in your
industry are blogging about, it’s time to brainstorm your
own topics. Mike Brown, founder of strategic innovation
firm The Brainzooming Group, suggests the following
“Think – Know – Do” exercise to get some ideas flowing.
Step 1: Pick a content area.
n Step 2: Think about some questions your customers or
prospects might wonder about their situation relative
to that content area.
n Step 3: Look at what your organization thinks, knows
and does that can address those questions.
n
You can sketch a bubble map or mind map for each category of what your company thinks, knows
and does, and then come up with sub-topics or article titles branching off those topics. Don’t get
hung up on making them perfect. “These exercises are just a way to get started,” says Brown.
Your Audience
Answer with What Your Brand
What information
are they seeking?
Thinks: What is your company’s philosophy toward doing
business or approaching a particular issue, problem or topic?
What are their
areas of focus?
Knows: What expertise or resources are you aware of that can
help your customers out?
What challenges are
they trying to solve?
Does: What do you, your products and services or company
provide that can solve some of the issues your customers face?
Research keywords
Once you have some topics in hand, you can research relevant keywords. If search engine
optimization is a priority, then being deliberate about the keywords you include in your posts is a
critical part of your blogging strategy.
n
Start with some of the words and phrases from your brainstorming sessions.
n Enter these keywords into tools such as Google AdWords, Keyword Discovery and Wordtracker.
These tools will show how popular and competitive the keywords are — as in how many people
are searching for the words and how many people are bidding on the words in pay-per-click
advertisements. In general, aim for keywords with larger search volume and lower competition.
n
Target “long-tail keywords,” longer phrases, typically between three and five words, which may
have lower search volume and lower competition, but are a closer match to what your post (and
business) is about. Example: “split-sole ballet shoes” is a longer-tail keyword than just “ballet.”
n
Pick a few keywords to rank for in each post. You’ll want to include one main keyword in the
title and again a couple times in the post itself.
n
Certain blogging platforms also have SEO plug-ins (e.g., SEO Scribe in WordPress) that can
help you optimize your use of keywords in posts.
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WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE | THE ‘CONTENT RULES’ TEMPLATE
There’s no right way to write a blog post, but having a framework can help. Here’s one excellent
and simple template for blogging, courtesy Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, authors of “Content
Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More).”
Title
Keep it short. Use keywords. Let readers know how the post will be useful or
entertain them. Entice them to read more. Some popular starting phrases
How to _______________________
10 ways to _____________________
n Check out our __________________
n The secrets of ___________________
n The best (or worst) _______________
n Why __________________________
n
n
First sentence
Hook the reader. Say something intriguing. Stick to one idea per post. Get to the point — what
this post is about. If it’s a question, ask it. Again, remember your keywords.
Next paragraph
Here’s where you start explaining the initial statement or
answering the question. Fill in the details. When you refer to
another site or article, don’t forget to link to it.
List of bulleted or numbered points
It’s a great way to tighten your post and make it easy for
readers to scan the key ideas. A few should do, with a few
words or a short line for each.
First point.
Second point.
n Third point.
n
n
Image
Platforms like WordPress make it easy to upload a picture,
size it and choose where to put it on the page. You can even
post a slideshow or a gallery.
Question
Close with a question or anything else that encourages
interaction, meaning comments. Be specific. Another way to
end a post: a poll or survey.
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HOW LONG SHOULD A BLOG POST BE?
If you’re shooting for SEO value, it’s a good idea
write posts that are at least 200 words long.
Some bloggers advise against writing more
than 500 to 800 words because people have
short attention spans and skip around online.
But if you’ve got depth, length may not be an
issue. Either way, formatting is your friend. Be
generous with your use of bullets, numbered
lists, bold subheadings and pictures to break
up text. Your readers will thank you!
TIPS FOR WRITING KILLER HEADLINES
A headline or title is the first thing readers — and
search engines — see of a blog post. And it may
be the only thing someone sees on social media
to decide whether to click on a link (or pass it by).
n Keep ‘em short (less than 70 characters).
n Use keywords, as far left as possible for SEO.
n Use numbers. People love lists, especially
ones with odd numbers (e.g. "7 Reasons...").
n Surprise. Share news, a contrarian stance or
an interesting question.
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ADDING MULTIMEDIA TO YOUR BLOG
Imagine Las Vegas without the lights, as one marketing professional puts it. That’s a blog without
multimedia. In this age, audio, video and images belong in your arsenal. They’ll make your site more
engaging, reinforce your message and increase the chances your posts will get linked to. Platforms like
WordPress and Tumblr make it easy to embed multimedia without being an expert in HTML code.
IMAGES
You can easily find images online. But be careful. Just because you find an image on Google
doesn’t mean it is copyright-free. Some resources:
n
Your own business: This is your most authentic source of images. Share pictures that showcase
your customers, staff or new products. People like to see other real people. Grab a basic pointand-shoot camera or enlist the help of a professional photographer for special events.
n
Free image sites: Flickr (www.flickr.com) is the big daddy with millions of user-uploaded
photos. You can also consider Morguefile (www.morguefile.com) or Wikimedia (commons.
wikimedia.org). Read each license closely, and always credit the photographer, preferably with
a link back to the photographer’s page.
n Stock image sites: iStock (www.istockphoto.com), Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com)
and Stock.xchg (www.sxc.hu) offer royalty-free images (and video) for a fee. You’ll find the most
selection with iStock, where an x-small or small image will typically work for online posting.
n
Good basic image editors: Picasa (http://picasa.google.com) and IrfanView (www.
irfanview.com) are free and allow you to do basic image touch-up, cropping and resizing.
VIDEO
Increasingly prevalent, video is a medium you shouldn’t ignore. Some bloggers even turn to
“vlogging” (or video blogging) using video as their primary communication channel. But even if
video just makes occasional cameos, here are a few ideas for leveraging video in your blog:
n
Turn the camera on your business: Do a
tour of your business, make a how-to video,
film a live event or interview a customer or
industry expert.
n
Start with the basics: Many digital
cameras and smart phones have video
recording capability. Use a tripod to get a
steadier shot. Cast light on a subject from
the left and right to brighten your videos.
To add an intro, outro or other sound
effects, find royalty-free music on sites like
iStock or beatsuite.com.
n
Keep your videos short. About 30 seconds to three minutes is plenty. Aim shorter if you’ve
only got talking heads.
18 T H E U LT I M AT E H O W TO B LO G F O R B U S I N E S S G U I D E
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n
Upload your video to third-party sites: Once you have your first video, upload it to a
platform, such as YouTube, where you can establish a business “channel.” Another high-quality
option is Vimeo, which is free for casual users and about $60 per year for more storage and
customizable features.
n
Embed your video into your blog posts. On sites such as YouTube, this is as easy as clicking
the “Share” button below any video, selecting “Embed” and then copying and pasting the code
into the “HTML” or “Source” view of your post.
n Don’t forget SEO: Many users find videos via search on platforms such as YouTube. So include
keywords about your business or product in your video’s title, description and tags. Link to your
blog or website at the top of video descriptions.
n
Record screencasts: To capture short videos
with audio of what you see and do on your
monitor, use free tools such as Jing (Techsmith),
Screenr or Screencast-o-matic. All have paid
“PRO” versions that allow longer recordings and
more robust editing. Techsmith’s Camtasia is
particularly good for recording presentations and
demos and costs about $300.
AUDIO
It’s one more way to share interviews, tutorials,
product reviews, testimonials or personal messages.
n Helpful tools include: Audacity (free audio editing
software), GarageBand (for Macs), BlogTalkRadio
(a platform for hosting live talk shows by phone)
and PodBean (a podcast platform).
OTHER MULTIMEDIA TIPS & TOOLS
n
Avoid auto-playing sounds or video. It’s not ideal for people browsing your website at work.
n
Repurpose: Turn your audio or video into transcripts for your blog posts. And vice versa, turn
text-based articles into (audio)visual pieces.
n
Watch file size: Multimedia takes up more storage space and bandwidth than text-based posts
so you may want to check if your blogging platform has any limitations on monthly uploads.
For example, the first tier of TypePad limits uploads to 150 MB a month. (Note: That is plenty
for most users. And if you embed content hosted on other platforms, for example, videos on
YouTube, space is less an issue.)
n
File-sharing tools: To upload and download large audio or video files, you can use free FTP
software, such as Filezilla, or tools such as Basecamp, YouSendIt or Dropbox.
n
Document sharing tools: Other great tools for embedding content include SlideShare or
Scribd, which work well with PowerPoint presentations, Word docs and PDFs.
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THE BRAINSTORM BANK: IDEAS FOR YOUR BLOG
For times when you have a bad case of writer’s block, here are 40 topics to unclog your creative juices.
Your Customers
1. Help your customers make choices. Compare tools, products or solutions.
2. Address a question or problem customers have. Discuss how your business approaches such issues.
3. Post a question with customer responses (e.g., from a Twitter chat). Or invite comments.
4. Share customer success stories, case studies or even interesting profiles unrelated to your product.
5. Showcase creative ways customers are using your product.
A FEW MORE WRITING TIPS
6. Conduct a poll or survey. Share the results.
Write the way people talk. It’s more ac7. Hold a contest, and offer a prize or discount.
cessible, and it will improve your SEO.
Your Industry
Tell stories. Aim for a beginning, middle
and end. Stories resonate with people.
Have a point of view. Respond to what’s
8. Do a Q&A with an industry expert or a business partner.
going on in your world. Let your blog
9. Invite a guest post from someone interesting in your industry.
have voice.
Share links. Linking to related posts,
10. Shoot down common misconceptions in your industry.
other blogs and resources provides value
11. Review a book related to your niche.
to readers and builds SEO.
Be timely. Search engines favor content
12. Share your thoughts about the future of your industry.
related to hot topics. Balance with more
13. Write about key takeaways from a trade show or conference.
evergreen topics.
14. Create an information graphic on the state of your industry.
15. Share a list of resources, relevant links or best blogs or industry websites, etc.
16. Give your take on industry news or the impact of a larger trend. Share data from an industry study.
17. Summarize an article or whitepaper you’ve written about industry best practices.
18. Curate news from other sources. Gather articles, graphics or video and add your own analysis.
20 T H E U LT I M AT E H O W TO B LO G F O R B U S I N E S S G U I D E
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Your Company, Employees, Products and Services
19. Explain your company’s mission and values through everyday examples.
20. Write a story about what makes your company different.
A REMINDER ...
21. Write an FAQ about questions you get about your business.
n When blogging about your company
or yourself, make a human connection.
22. Discuss the pros and cons of products or services.
n Always tie your content back to your
23. Expand on a benefit or feature of a product or service.
audience’s needs and interests.
24. Alert readers to a special offer. Link to a coupon.
n Give the jargon a rest.
25. Discuss the cost or price of a product or service.
26. Announce company news and events. Note milestones, and give a little history.
27. Write a how-to (or how-not-to) guide. Or post a how-to video or demo.
28. Introduce a new product or service. Include pictures or video. Solicit feedback.
29. Embed a slideshow or behind-the-scenes video tour of a day in your company’s life.
30. Post a podcast, say a conversation with a co-worker about a cool product.
31. Talk about causes your company supports (e.g. green initiatives, charities or community events).
32. Feature something great one of your employees has done. Or announce a job opening.
33. If your company makes a mistake, write about how you’d handle things differently next time.
You
34. Share an anecdote from your personal childhood or family life.
35. Write about a source of inspiration (a person, book, film, etc.).
36. Recount a bad experience, and reflect what it taught you.
37. Discuss your aspirations for the business.
38. Write about something your readers would find surprising about yourself.
39. Talk about something new you are testing out.
40. Write about your favorite or most popular posts and what was behind them.
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WHEN
Find a rhythm
PART 5
Starting a blog is relatively easy. Maintaining one is the real challenge.
According to Technorati, the No. 1 reason entrepreneurs start blogging less is
work and family commitments — or essentially time. Time is money, right?
So you must find a rhythm you can sustain. You don’t want to start out strong, then peter out.
How often should you blog?
If one of your key objectives is search engine optimization, frequency certainly helps. Not only
will blogging more frequently give you more indexed pages, search engines will also return to
your site more often to see what fresh content you have. Likewise, if you are trying to build a
community around your blog (e.g. via RSS subscriptions), frequency and consistency will help
you attract an audience.
With that said, according to Technorati, half of entrepreneurs who blog say they post one to three
times a week. About a third post once every few weeks or less.
Find your own blogging rhythm
Mike Brown of The Brainzooming Group recommends would-be bloggers figure out how often
they want to post per week, and then write about a month’s worth of posts before publishing the
first one. It’ll help you gauge the time commitment involved and hone your topical categories.
Blogging Formula: ___ posts per week x 4 = Head Start and a Cushion
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Create an editorial calendar
n
Use a calendar to align posts with key seasons and buying cycles and to make sure you’re
hitting the right mix of keywords.
n
An editorial calendar is also helpful when working with a team of bloggers. If they’re unsure of
how often and when they are supposed to post, they won’t.
n
Some blogging platforms have calendar plug-ins that allow you to schedule posts in advance.
For an old-school alternative, Brown suggests buying a month-based calendar with date
blocks large enough to fit small post-its, which you can use to scribble blog titles on and move
around.
Other Time Management Tricks
n
Repurpose or “atomize” your content: “Write one article, and then break it into chunks
you can spread out over time,” says Jonathan Kranz, author of “Professional Copywriting for
Dummies.” “Bam! In one shot, you can cover your business blog for a month.”
n
Block off a dedicated time each week for blogging: Make it a date with yourself and stick
to it. You can also have set publishing days. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the occasional
Sundays, tend to be good days, according to the book “Content Rules.”
n
Keep a notebook. Ideas may strike at any time. Having a convenient place to jot down stray
thoughts can help.
n
Enlist help. Revisit the “WHO” section of this eBook for ideas on how to get more content
from internal or outsourced contributors.
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HOW
Grow your audience
PART 6
OK, so your blog is up and running. It’s time to grow your audience. You
work hard to create great content so people can see it, right? Focus on three
areas: promote you blog, interact using your blog and track results.
PROMOTE YOUR BLOG
n
Share the URL: Link to your blog from your
company homepage (if it’s not part of your website
already) and other online profiles (e.g. on YouTube,
Flickr, Slideshare). Add your blog’s URL to your
email signature and e-newsletter excerpts. Some
bloggers even share links to a few of their latest
posts at the bottom of emails.
BY THE NUMBERS
Tools blogging entrepreneurs use
Social sharing widgets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 79%
Built-in syndication (e.g., RSS feeds)
79%
Site search
60%
Video hosting site (e.g., YouTube)
41%
Photo hosting site (e.g., Flickr)
24%
Ability for multiple authors to contribute
24%
Commenting system outside platform23%
n
Don’t forget offline: Include your blog on business
cards, press releases, signage and other marketing
materials.
n
Share via social media: Tell your connections on the big four (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
and Google+) when you have new posts. Add a human touch. Don’t just say something generic
like “New blog post!” Add a thought-provoking question or comment. Remember to use
relevant hashtags or @ mentions when promoting via Twitter. Find influential Twitter users
with a tool such as Followerwonk.
n
Automate syndication: Save some time by automating the syndication of some of your posts
with such tools as Networked Blogs or HootSuite. But avoid over-automating. If you’ve got
fans on multiple networks, it can get old fast to see the same thing everywhere.
n
Let your fans share, too: Social share buttons on your blog are a must. It makes it easier for
your readers to pass content along to their networks. Besides the big four, you can also include
buttons to other social bookmarking sites, such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and Delicious.
n
Add an RSS/Subscribe button: Enable your blog’s RSS feed to allow visitors to get your
latest updates in an RSS reader without having to manually go to your site each time. You
can also add an email subscription option for visitors who want to sign up to get new
posts delivered directly to their inboxes.
SOURCE: TECHNORATI, NOVEMBER 2011
n Submit your blog to directories. Add your blog to directories, such as
Technorati, Alltop and
Networked Blogs. TopRank maintains an extensive list of other directories to which you can
submit your blog and RSS feed.
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INTERACT USING YOUR BLOG
n
“Don’t think of your blog as an island,” says content specialist Jonathan Kranz. “Think
of it as one harbor among many in the vast blogosphere of related issues and topics.”
n Make it a conversation: “Subscribe to the top five to seven blogs in your business area,”
Kranz says. “Read them. After a while, contribute to them by submitting relevant comments.
After a longer while, introduce yourself via email. Talk. Share. Schmooze. When you become part
of the larger community, you’ll amplify your own impact. And you’ll have more fun.”
n
Comments. Open your own blog to comments. Respond in a timely fashion when appropriate.
You can use your blogging platform’s own commenting system or install an outside platform,
such as Disqus. Consider encouraging comments through occasional contests (e.g. a small
prize for the best comment to a particular post).
n
Connect with other bloggers. Offer to write guest posts for other blogs, and include a link
back to your blog. Seek guest posts for your own blog. If there are industry-related blogs you
admire, add them to your list of favorite blogs or “blogroll.” Your blog may get listed in return.
n Answer questions on forums. If people are talking about or asking about topics related to your
blog in forums, such as Yahoo! Answers, Answers.com, LinkedIn Answers, Quora or other niche
industry forums, share helpful commentary and a teaser of your blog post followed by a link.
TRACK (AND FINE-TUNE) YOUR RESULTS
To improve your blog’s results, you need to know
what’s working well and what’s not. That’s where
analytics help. Most blogging platforms have analytics
built in or allow for Google Analytics to be installed.
n Measure the size of your audience: To gauge your
blog’s overall performance, watch your total number
of blog visitors over time. Review the number of
RSS-feed or email subscribers to see whether your
base readership is growing.
HOW ENTREPRENEURS MEASURE SUCCESS
1. Number of unique visitors
2. Personal satisfaction
3. Number of posts or comments
4. Number of people sharing content on social media
5. Links to their blog from other sites
6. Number and quality of new business leads
7. Facebook likes
8. Twitter followers
9. RSS subscribers
10. Revenue
SOURCE: TECHNORATI, NOVEMBER 2011
n
See what’s driving traffic: After you’ve been blogging for some time, review your analytics to
see which keywords readers are using to find your blog. Also check out your top posts in terms
of traffic. This information will help you discover what’s of particular interest to readers and
which topics may be useful to revisit. Also look at which websites or social media sources are
sending traffic to your blog posts. That’ll help you figure out where to focus your efforts on
promotion of your blog content and what’s contributing to your overall SEO.
n
Measure engagement: Good metrics for engagement include time on site, the number and
quality of comments on posts, as well as the overall number of social media shares.
n
Track leads: If people reading your blog posts click on a call-to-action link to visit your site to
browse products, buy something or sign up for a consultation, you’ll be able to measure a more
direct benefit for your business.
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CASE STUDY | Joel Schoenmeyer, Attorney
While practicing on his own for more than a decade, with the help of an intern and a clerk,
Joel Schoenmeyer maintained one of the nation’s best-known and vibrant legal blogs, “Death
and Taxes,” rated among the top 50 tax blogs by TaxConnections.com. Schoenmeyer, who
recently accepted a job with Northern Trust, finally retired the blog, which he started in 2005
and offered readers a meaty diet of advice on estate planning and probate law. His guidance
on blogging for legal eagles:
Platform of choice: Movable Type
His schedule: He once posted five to seven times a week, which meant there was a lot of
content “out there in the ether” that people continually discovered. Eventually, he aimed for two
or three times a week.
His not-very-short posts: He just wrote until he didn’t have anything more to say.
The estate lawyer who didn’t write much about estate law:
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Schoenmeyer wrote a lot about probate law. As for wills and trusts,
Current position: Senior legal counsel,
he found that topic more difficult. “There are only so many ways to
Northern Trust
Former position: Owner, Joel
say, ‘You need a will and a trust,’” he says.
Schoenmeyer, Attorney at Law
Why he blogged: It forced him to keep current on estate
Specializes in: Estate planning, estate
planning and probate and sharpened his writing and thinking.
and trust administration
Three biggest challenges:
n Keeping his readers in mind — not writing for other
attorneys.
n People who thought because he had a blog he was in the business of offering free legal advice.
n “Trying to be informative and not a straight advertisement.”
Advice for other business bloggers: “The key to success is finding your niche and your voice.
Is anyone else writing about your topic? If not, that’s good. If so, then what are you bringing to the
table that’s different from what’s out there?”
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CASE STUDY | Lorelei Eurto Jewelry
Lorelei Eurto works as an assistant registrar at an art museum in upstate New York; yet, on the side she’s
found time to build a flourishing business and popular blog on jewelry. The blog is visually striking, with
a natural emphasis on photographs of her pieces. In one popular post, she challenged readers to
create their own designs from certain kits of beads (available for purchase) and then show them off
online on a set date, comparing them to hers. Tutorials also are very popular.
Platform of choice: Blogger
Letting pictures tell the story: It didn’t take her long to grasp the correlation between
photography and selling online. She doesn’t post without including a photo. Preferably a
really big one. “It’s nice to see jewelry at such a large scale to show all the little details,” Eurto says.
If she doesn’t have one that she took, she uses other artisans’ photos or stock pictures “to get my
point across.”
Short, sweet and fresh: She tries to post at least
Location: New Hartford, N.Y.
once a day, generally no more than two paragraphs
Business: Handmade, beaded jewelry
at a time. “It’s not like I don’t want people hanging
Founded: 2007; Blogging since: 2007
Employees: 1
around, but I tend to blog like I would have
Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/loreleieurtojewelry
a conversation.” The floor is always open for
Blog: Lorelei’s Blog: Inside the Studio
comments, but Eurto goes out of her way to solicit
them, asking readers questions.
Not all business all the time: “I write about the jewelry, the beads, my favorite online shops,
cooking, gardening, shopping, travel, anything happening in my life.”
What she doesn’t write about (anymore): Hot-button topics like copycats. She’s been chastised for
her opinions, so she tends to stay away from those kinds of issues. “It just isn’t worth the added stress.”
What the numbers tell her: About 45 percent of her online store visitors come from her blog.
The blog’s global reach: Most of her sales come from around the United States and overseas —
Australia, Canada, Britain, Spain and France.
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CASE STUDY | BlissWood Bed and Breakfast
The first thing you notice on Blisswood’s blog is a screen-wide shot of a ... railroad crossing. No
inn. If you look closely enough, you can see the sign for Cat Spring on the other side of the
tracks. Clearly, proprietor Carol Davis is not bound by convention. Another thing you won’t
find: a lot of recipes, a staple of most B&B blogs. What you will see is news about guests, like
this story: “Scottish Couple Escapes to Texas for an Elopement,” complete with a big, color
picture of the pair. You’ll also find retreat ideas, a horseback riding tutorial and a little Cat
Spring history.
Platform of choice: WordPress
Why the railroad picture: “Cat Spring is a small town, 75 people. I just thought this would be a
good photo. I have 16 houses and cabins, so choosing a photo of just one is difficult,” Davis says.
Tailoring the blog to her business: “I try to promote
my wedding and retreat business, also horseback riding
Location: Cat Spring, Texas
Business: Bed-and-breakfast inn on working ranch
close to Houston. ... I don’t think recipes sell what I’m
Founded: 2001; Blogging since: about 2005
trying to sell. Perhaps, they help other B&Bs.”
Employees: 4 full-time, 4 part-time
Source of ideas, not the words: Davis used to do the
Website: http://www.blisswood.net/
Blog: http://www.blisswood.net/blog/
writing but decided to pay someone else “when I couldn’t
keep up with it anymore. I found that it was better to be
consistent with the blogging, so paying somebody was more consistent. I also wanted to be sure
the right search words were in the blogs.” Now she feeds someone story ideas and pictures.
Who takes the photos: She uses guest photos and relies on a professional photographer who
conducts photo workshops at the B&B. With phones that snap pictures, she adds, “photo ops are
at your fingertips.”
Advice on getting help: Finding someone to maintain the blog was not difficult. Davis uses
someone with the company that hosts her website. “It’s good to keep consistent with the same
person, since they get to know your property and what happens there.”
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CASE STUDY | Doug Francis, Realtor
Doug Francis has racked up more than $100 million in sales over 20 years as a real-estate agent,
but when the economy went south in 2009, so did his business. Blogging helped turn it around.
In 2011, his blog drove 50 percent of his business, Francis estimates. Now, he’s an evangelist,
convinced most real-estate agents don’t get nearly as much out of their blogs as they could.
So, what’s his secret? He rarely sells. He informs. The blog helps people better understand
the buying and selling process in his market while subtly positioning him as a potential
agent. “A lot of people put together what they think is a blog post, and they’re talking about
‘how well I’m doing, and I’m doing this, and I can sell your house by doing this.’ My posts are
mostly about what you’re experiencing.” Two recent ones: “5 Tips for Condo Buyers Paying Cash”
and “Home Sellers: You Gotta Paint!”
How that generates leads: When he writes about things
like a radon tests or a home inspections, he reaches potential
Location: Vienna, Va.
homebuyers while they’re doing research. “So, even though it
Business: Northern Virginia real-estate
firm with RE/MAX Presidential
seems very educational, there’s still an objective of selling my
Licensed since: 1991; Blogging since: 2009
services.” A backlog of posts, a steady flow of new ones and the
Employees: 1
use of keywords such as “moving to Northern Virginia” all make it
Website: http://www.dougfrancis.com/
Blog: http://www.dougfrancis.com/blog/
likelier that his posts will pop up higher on Google search results.
Why real estate is like “Seinfeld”: OK, maybe not quite as
funny — though Francis tries to inject humor whenever he can — but the point is there’s so much
to talk about. Real estate is perfect for blogging. “Stuff just comes up all the time that’s interesting,”
he says. For instance, seeing cracked chimneys after an earthquake sparked one post about why
buyers should request photos as part of home inspections.
Platform of choice: WordPress, customized with a design theme (not free) and plug-ins.
Advice to other bloggers: Plan ahead. Figure out topic categories to write about. Set a schedule.
“You have to write consistently to be recognized by search engines as an authority on the subject.”
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CASE STUDY | SAS
OK, so SAS isn’t exactly a small business. But the company has learned many lessons about
blogging that could benefit small businesses. The world’s largest privately held software company
has put a huge emphasis on blogging with more than 200 bloggers writing externally and a
thriving intranet program with more than 700 employee bloggers. The effort is led by Alison
Bolen, the company’s editor of blogs and social content.
Why blogs matter to the company: “We are always trying to find ways to improve our
name recognition and to continue our tradition of excellent customer support. The blogs
help us accomplish both of those goals.”
Benefits of blogging: “We receive comments regularly from customers who find the blog content
helpful in their use of SAS software. We have bloggers who have been invited to [write] books, keynote
conferences and be interviewed by the media.”
Three things all businesses should know:
Headquarters: Cary, N.C.
n Align your program with your business goals.
Business: Business analytics software, services
Founded: 1976; Blogging since: 2007
n Conduct regular training for bloggers.
Employees: 12,382
n Do not force blogging on anyone. Find the naturals, and
Company blogs: 25; Company bloggers: 200+
Website: http://www.sas.com
then find ways to support them.
Blogs: http://blogs.sas.com/content/
Platform of choice: WordPress (SAS made the switch in
August 2011 from another platform, called Serendipity.)
Deciding on a platform: “All platforms have their challenges. For a large corporation, WordPress
has offered a lot of improvements, but the complexity of our blog network makes it difficult to take
advantage of a lot of WordPress features and plug-ins. I’ve also used TypePad and Posterous for
personal use, and enjoy both platforms, but they’re better for individual bloggers.”
One of experience’s biggest lessons: “We learned that a group blog will not succeed without
an editor or project manager. Somebody needs to lead, manage and encourage the group.
Otherwise, everyone will assume others are doing the blogging.”
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NEXT
If you’ve made it to the end of this eBook, congratulations! You
should have a firmer foundation for success with your business blog.
Here’s one last checklist to keep you going.
BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS
WHY
q Pick a goal.
WHO
q
q
q
q
q
q
Define your target audience.
Gather info, e.g. using web analytics or surveys.
Develop a target persona.
Designate who will do the writing, editing, posting, etc.
Recruit employees or guest bloggers as contributors.
Consider outsourcing some of your blogging.
WHERE q Choose a host.
q Pick a good domain/URL.
q Choose a blogging platform.
WHAT
q
q
q
q
q
WHEN
q Build a one-month cushion before you start.
q Set a schedule or an editorial calendar.
HOW
q
q
q
q
Check out what others in your industry are blogging about.
Review the topics/questions that interest your customers most.
Do mind maps. Relate your customers’ concerns with what your brand “Thinks, Knows and Does.”
Brainstorm related keywords to include in your posts.
Incorporate multimedia — images, video, audio, etc.
Interact on related blogs with comments or guest posts. Respond to comments. Link to other sites and blogs.
Promote with online and offline marketing collateral. Share posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+.
Create an RSS feed so people can subscribe to updates. Set up an email subscription option.
Use metrics to track and refine your blog’s performance.
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31 T H E U LT I M AT E H O W TO B LO G F O R B U S I N E S S G U I D E
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