seven habits of magnetic bloggers final - lee rodrigues, m.a

©TechnologyDojo2009 TechnologyDojo.net 866‐556‐4269

Followthisfive‐weekprogramtoconditionyourmindanddevelopthe

bloggingpracticesthatturnyoursiteintoaSearchEngineSupermagnet.

LeeRodrigues,M.A.ChristinePoremski,M.B.A.TechnologyDojo

Seven Seven

Habits of Habits of

Magnetic Magnetic

BloggersBloggers

SevenHabitsofMagneticBloggers TechnologyDojo.net

Welcome This Program Is For YOU If:

• Youenjoywritingandaregenuinelyexcitedabouthelpingyourtargetaudience.

• YouwanttoSEO(searchengineoptimize)yourownsite,withouthiringexperts.

• Youcancommittospendingaminimumoftwotothreehourseachweek(forfiveweeks)toreadandlistentobackgroundmaterial,dotheactivities,andwriteyourweeklyblogpost.

Technical Stuff

• Tobenefitfromthisprogram,youshouldalreadyhave:

o aWordPress.orgwebsiteandbloghttp://wordpress.org

o afewpublishedblogposts

o ablogroll&linkstootherblogs

o anRSSreaderaccounthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

ListentoLeeandIvanStorckonDojoRadio:What’sSoGreatAboutWordPress?Link:http://technologydojo.net/whats‐so‐great‐about‐wordpress

Building Good Habits

• TherearemanytoolsandtricksthatyoucanusetoincreasetheSEO(searchengineoptimization)ofyoursite.Buttechnicalmasteryofthetoolsmustbepartneredwithinnermastery,anabilitytoforgeagenuinerelationshipwithyourreaders,andtocreateabroadnetworkofinboundlinks.Byinstillingjustafewgoodhabits,youwillbeabletoattract–andmaintain–qualitytraffictoyoursitewithouthavingtooutsourcetoanexpert.

• Lee’smaster’sworkexploredhowateachingmethodcalled“blendedlearning”improveshowweunderstandconceptsandbuildskillsandhabits.Thisconditioningprogramincorporatesthreecorelearningstyles,whichdramaticallyimproveresultswhenusedtogether:

Visual:Readassignedblogpostsandmaterialcontainedthisworkbook

Auditory:ListentochaptersontheaudioCD,DojoRadioshows

Kinesthetic:Completetheweeklyactivities,andincorporatewhatyoulearninweeklyblogposts

• Whyisbuildingthesehabitssoimportant?Well,becausewritingandoptimizingyourblogforsearchenginesishowyoudrivetraffictoyourwebsite.Andifyoudon’twanttopaysomeonetoSEOyoursite,youcaninsteadspendthetimetopracticethesesevendeceptivelysimplehabitswhenyoublog.

WEEK 1 Your Core Message NobodyhasexplainedtheimportanceofdevelopingacoremessageforyourblogbetterthanLeoBaubutafromWriteToDone.InhisblogpostBranding101:HowtoPromoteYourBlogLiketheBigGuysDo,Leobreaksitdownintosimplesteps:

TheCoreMessage—WhatIt’sAllAbout

Beforeyoudoanything—nameyourblog(orotherproduct/service),writeasinglepost,workonthedesign,anything—youneedtofigureoutyourcoremessage.Thisisthemessageyouwanttosendouttoyourreaders/customersineverythingyoudo.Thismessageneedstobecommunicatedinyourtitle,design,content,promotions,andactions.

Here’showtogetstarted:

1.First,figureoutwhoyourtargetaudienceis.Whoareyoutryingtohelpwithyourblog?Whodoyouwanttoattract?It’sgoodtohaveaclearpictureofexactlywhothesepeopleare—workingparentswhohaveabusyschedule,tightbudget,andnotenoughtimeforromance?Collegestudentsnotgettingenoughsleepandonaneventighterbudget?Evenifyou’regoingforaprettybroadappeal,it’sstillgoodtogetageneralideaofwhoyouraudienceis.

2.Next,figureoutwhatdesiresyou’regoingtobetappinginto.Everyreadergoestoablogforareason—somedesiretheyhavethattheblogwillpotentiallyfulfill.Maybethereaderislookingforpeaceandhappiness,orphysicalfitness,orsuccesswiththeoppositesex,orpersonalgrowth.Figureoutwhatdesiresyou’regoingtohelpfulfill—andremembertostayinlinewithwhatyou’repassionateabout,whatyoureallywanttowriteabout,whatyouknowandhavetooffer.

Linktothefullblogpost:http://writetodone.com/2008/11/06/branding‐101‐how‐to‐promote‐your‐blog‐like‐the‐big‐guys‐do/

First, determine who you are writing to.

• Onewaytozoominonyourtargetaudienceistocreateadetaileddescriptionofyouridealcustomerifheorshewasarealperson.Wecallthisaspecifictargetreader,andsomepeoplerefertothisasa“persona.”

• Identifyingaspecifictargetreaderallowsyoutowriteasifyouwerecomposinganemailorlettertoasinglereal,livingperson.Andthisisaboutmorethanjustdemographics–imagineeverydetail,includingtheirknowledgelevel,talkaboutthingstheyareinterestedin,andusetermstheyunderstand.

• JamesChartrandfromMenWithPenscallsthis“methodblogging.”Muchasamethodactorwilltryto“be”thecharacterheorsheisplaying,amethodbloggerwillputthemselvesintheirreader’sshoes,howcanyoufulfilltheirneeds?

• Likeaimingforthebulls‐eyeonatarget,focusedwritingtoaspecifictargetreaderwillnaturallyattractothersaswell.

LinktotheMethodBlogging:WhoDoYouWantToBeIn2009?Blogposthere:http://www.copyblogger.com/method‐blogging/

Audio CD: ListentoTrack1,aclipfromaDojoRadioshowthatfeaturesCherylLiquoriandBethBaranyfromtheBreakfastBloggingClubtalkingaboutwritingtoatargetaudience.

Optional: Listentothefullradioshowathttp://technologydojo.net/secrets‐breakfast‐blogging‐club/

Habit#1:Writetoaspecifictargetreader.

Get CURIOUS.

Callthreeofyourfavoritecustomers,orifyou’rejustgettingstarted,youcanalsocallthreepeopleyouthinkareexamplesofyouridealcustomers.Thisisaninformationalinterview.Preparealistofquestionsthatwillhelpyoufigureoutwhotheyare,whattheirproblems,passionsanddesiresare.Yourquestionscaninclude:

“Whatwereyoulookingforwhenyoufoundme?”

“Whatareyourthreebiggestpainpoints(regardingthistopic)?

Ifyoufoundthesolutiontoyourproblem,whatwoulditlooklike?

Whenyoubeginthecall,tellthemthatyouarenotcallingtosellthemanything,youaresimplygatheringinformationandcouldusetheirhelp.Rememberthatthisisatimetolisten,nottalk.

Create your SPECIFIC TARGET READER.

UsetheworksheetinAppendixAtocreateacompleteanddetaileddescriptionofyourspecifictargetreader,arealorfictitiouspersonthatyouarewritingyourblogto.Includedetailslike:

‐Whetherthepersonisamanorwoman

‐Theirage,whattheywear,whattheylooklike,whattheydoforaliving

‐Whataretheirbiggestproblems,desires,andbeliefs?

Postareminderofyourspecifictargetreadernexttoyourmonitororwhereveryouwrite.Youcantapeonaphoto,businesscard,magazineclipping,orevenjustapost‐itnotewiththeperson’sname.

ACTIVITY #1

ACTIVITY #2

Here’swhatLeohadtosayaboutbeinghelpfulinhisBranding101blogpost:

3.Thenfigureoutwhatmessageyou’regoingtosendtothemthatwilltapintospecificdesires.Thisiskey:everyblogsendsanunstatedmessagetothereader.Some,withtheirlouddesignsandevenlouderheadlines,scream,“I’mtryingtosellyousomething!”Othersareabitmeeker,andquietlysay,“I’mjustanicepersonwholikescats.”Whatwillyourblogsaytoreaders?Whatdoyouwantittosay?Craftamessagethatfitswithyourpersonality,thatmatcheswhatyouwanttoconveytotheworld,andthatalsotapsintothedesiresyouplantofulfill(fromthepreviousstep).

Audio CD: ListentoTrack2,aclipfromaDojoRadioshowthatfeaturesLeeandEvanDenbaumtalkingaboutwhyitissoimportanttobehelpful.

Optional:ListentothefullradioshowatLinktothefullradioshowathttp://technologydojo.net/search‐engine‐optimization‐on‐wordpress/

How will you BE HELPFUL?

Gobackthroughthenotesyoutookwhenyoucalledthreerealorpotentialcustomers.Createalistofproblemsorquestionsthatcameupduringtheseconversations–thesewillbethetopicsofyourfirstfewblogposts.

Habit#2:Behelpful.

ACTIVITY #3

Write a post that HELPS your SPECIFIC

TARGET READER to solve a problem. Pickonetopicfromyourlist,andwritethisweek’sblogpostasifyouwerewritingapersonalemailorletterintoanswerthisquestiontoyourspecifictargetreader.Thinkabouthowthepostwillsolvehisorherproblem,anduselanguagetheywillunderstand.Bonus:Seeifyoucanworkinaprovocativestatementorquestionthatencouragesyourspecifictargetreadertoanswerorcontinuethediscussioninacomment.

Weekly Post

WEEK 2 What goes into a good blog post? Blogsaredesignedtohelpareaderquicklyfindinformationinwhichtheyareinterested.Thereareseveralfeaturesthatallblogsshareincommon.Understandingthesefeatureswillhelpyoustructureyourpoststo1)helpyourreadergettotheinformationthey’relookingfor,and2)packthepostwithtagsandkeywordsthatgetfoundbysearchengines.Asyoudevelopyourbloggingskills,werecommendfollowingafewwell‐establishedblogsthataredoingitright.Ifyouhaven’talready,werecommendaddingthefollowingthreeblogstoyourRSSReader:

• Copyblogger–http://www.copyblogger.com

• Problogger–http://www.problogger.net

• WriteToDone–http://writetodone.com/Onereasontofollowtheseblogsistoseehowthetechniquesdescribedinthisworkbooklookwhentheprosdoit.Butanotherreasontofollowtheseblogsisthattheyarewrittenforyou,theaspiringblogger.Thesitesarepackedwithhelpfulinformationthatwillhelpyoucontinuetogrowevenafteryou’redonewiththisconditioningprogram.

Ifyoudon’tknowwhatanRSSReaderaccountis,watchthisinformativeandcreativevideofromCommonCraftonYouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsUHereattheDojowe’rebigfansofGoogleReader:http://www.google.com/reader

Audio CD: ListentoTrack3tohearLeedescribethe“AnatomyofaBlogPost”diagramonthenextpage.

DECONSTRUCT two blog posts.

FindonepostonCopyBlogger(www.copyblogger.com),andidentifythefollowingitems:

MainHeadline

Sub‐Headlines

Image(s)

ImageCaption(s)

ImageAltTag(s)

Bodytext

Quotedtext

PermalinkRepeatforatleastoneblogpostfromoneofthesitesinyourBlogRoll.

ACTIVITY #4

Anatomy of A Magnetic Blog Post

ImageCaption

Description

Keywords/Tags

Categories

ImageAltTag

ImageCaption

QuotedText

BodyText

MainHeadline

Sub‐Headline

Keyword

DoesThisPostGrabYourAttention?

Loremipsumdolorsitamet,consecteturadipiscingelit.Sedvarius,arcuetfringillacommodo,turpislacusporttitorrisus,velsuscipitliberoodiononorci.Nuncanulla.Maurisnibh.

Quote Other Blogs To Quickly GenerateContentandTraffic

Praesent turpis. Pellentesque quis dui ac orciporttitor commodo. Cum sociis natoquepenatibus et magnis dis parturient montes,nascetur ridiculus mus. Integer ac neque. In leoleo, eleifend at, imperdiet eu, sollicitudin non,risus.

Vestibulum viverra, arcu ac faucibusrhoncus, orci nulla luctus odio, sediaculisipsumorcimollistortor.

Vestibulum suscipit, ante nec cursus tincidunt,maurisleodictumnunc,atmalesuadaerosturpisvel lectus. Suspendisse ligula. Duis idmassa. Sedportatelluseterat.

Use strong headlines grab your readers’

attention. Whyisaheadlinesoimportant?Here’swhattheysayonCopyblogger,whichhasafantasticpagewithresourcesforwritinggreatheadlines:

Yourheadlineisthefirst,andperhapsonly,impressionyoumakeonaprospectivereader.Withoutaheadlineorposttitlethatturnsabrowserintoareader,therestofyourwordsmayaswellnotevenexist.

Herearesomeinterestingstatistics.

Onaverage,8outof10peoplewillreadheadlinecopy,butonly2outof10willreadtherest.Thisisthesecrettothepoweroftheheadline,andwhyitsohighlydeterminestheeffectivenessoftheentirepiece.

Thebettertheheadline,thebetteryouroddsofbeatingtheaveragesandgettingwhatyou’vewrittenreadbyalargerpercentageofpeople.

LinktotheMagneticHeadlinespagehere:http://www.copyblogger.com/magnetic‐headlines/

Habit#3:Usestrongheadlines.

READING

TaketimethisweektoreadthesefivepostsontheCopybloggerMagneticHeadlinespage:WhyYouShouldAlwaysWriteYourHeadlineFirst

(http://www.copyblogger.com/the‐cheater%e2%80%99s‐guide‐to‐writing‐great‐headlines/)

TheCheater’sGuidetoWritingGreatHeadlines

(http://www.copyblogger.com/do‐keywords‐in‐post‐titles‐really‐matter/)

WhySomePeopleAlmostAlwaysWriteGreatPostTitles

(http://www.copyblogger.com/why‐some‐people‐almost‐always‐write‐great‐post‐titles/)

10SureFireHeadlineFormulasThatWork

(http://www.copyblogger.com/10‐sure‐fire‐headline‐formulas‐that‐work/)

Warning:UseThese5SurefireHeadlineTemplatesatYourOwnRisk

(http://www.copyblogger.com/headline‐swipe‐file‐3/)

What is the difference between main and sub-

headlines? Usethemainheadline(H1formatting)tograbattentionandcreatedesireinyourreadertoknowmore.Usethemainheadlineto:

• Buildrapport

• Ifheadlineisweak,readermaynevergettoyourfabuloustextandimages.

• Readeraccounts–headlineandtextpreviewonly

• Headlinesarereadmorethanblogpoststhemselves.

Usesubheadlines(H2formatting)tohelpbreakuptextandgiveyourreadersignposts.

Formatting Headlines:

• H1andH2textgetscrawledbysearchengines–andthiswhereyoucan“optimize”bypackingyourheadlineswithkeywordsandkeythemes(moreaboutthesenextweek.)

Search for GREAT HEADLINES in your

RSS Reader. GointoyourReaderaccount,andskimovertheheadlines,lookingforonesthatgrabyourattentionorarouseyourcuriosity.Whatdotheyhaveincommon?Whatkindoflanguagearetheyusing?Aretheystrongenoughtomakeyouclickthroughformore?Linkovertooneortwopoststhatinterestyou.Seeiftheauthorisusingsubheadlinestobreakupthetext.Dotheymakeiteasierforyoutoreadandunderstandthepost?

Practice using strong HEADLINES.

Review:Writeahelpfulposttoyourspecifictargetreader.New:Createfivedifferentmainheadlinesforyourpostthisweek. Writeatleastoneintheformofaquestion.

Includevisualimageryinatleastone.

Breakupthebodytextwithatleasttwosubheadlines.

UseH2formatting.

Placetheheadlinestobreakupthetext,andhelpthereaderskimtorelevantinformation.

ACTIVITY #4

Weekly Post

WEEK 3

What are keywords, and why are they important? Whyiskeywordresearchimportant?HereiswhatCopybloggerhastosay:

Keywordresearch,atitsessence,ismarketresearch.Ittellsyouwhatpeopleareinterestedin,andinwhatrelativenumbers.Betteryet,itrevealstheactuallanguagepeopleareusingwhentheythinkaboutthosetopics,whichprovidesyouwithinsightonhowtoconversewiththemviayourblog.

Thatinformationisworthitsweightingold,ifyouknowwhattodowithit.

READING

ReadthroughCopyblogger’sfive‐partkeywordresearchtutorialhere:http://www.copyblogger.com/keyword‐research/KeywordResearch:It’sNotWhatYouThink

HowtoChooseaPopularNicheforYourBlog

HowtoFindPostTopicsThatScoreBig

KeywordResearchCanHelpYouMakeMoneyFromYourBlog

APrimeronKeywordResearchTools

Habit#4:Packpostswithkeywords.

Audio CD: ListentoTrack4,aclipfromaDojoRadioshowthatfeaturesLee,PatrickSchwerdtfeger,EvanDenbaum,andIvanStorcktalkingaboutkeywordresearch.

Optional:Linktothefullradioshowathttp://technologydojo.net/search‐engine‐optimization‐on‐wordpress/

TheWordtrackerkeywordresearchservicescosts$59/month($329/year)–butyoucangeta7‐dayfreetrialathttps://www.wordtracker.com/trial/.

YoucanuseGoogleAdwordsKeywordToolforfreeat:https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Play SPOT THE KEYWORD!

GotothatsameCopybloggerblogpost:http://www.copyblogger.com/keyword‐research/Counthowmanytimestheword“keyword”appearedthroughoutthepost.Wasitinboththeheadlinesandbodytext?NowgotoyourRSSReaderaccount,andlinkthroughtoagoodblogpost.Trytofigureoutwhichkeywordorkeyphrasetheauthorwasusing.Wasitusedinboththeheadlinesandthebodytext?Counthowmanytimesthekeywordappearsthroughoutthepost.

ACTIVITY #7

How do I “stuff” keywords into my posts? BodyText

• Includeyourkeywordorphraseinyourbodytextasmuchasyoucanwithoutbeingridiculous.Asyousawinthelastexercise,usingakeywordcanappearalmosttwentytimesinapostandstillsoundnatural.

Headlines

• AsyousawinWeek2,searchenginescrawlH1andH2tags,sousingkeywordsinyourmainandsub‐headlinesiscritical.

Images

• Title

• Imagecaptions• Alternativetext(sometimesthesameascaptions)

MetaInformation

• Categories• Tags

Audio CD: ListentoTrack5,aclipfromaDojoRadioshowthatfeaturesLee,IvanStorckandEvanDenbaumtalkingabouthowtopackyourpostwithkeywords.

Optional:Linktothefullradioshowathttp://technologydojo.net/search‐engine‐optimization‐on‐wordpress/

Develop your KEYWORD list.

1.HarvestGobackthroughthenotesyoukeptwhenyouinterviewedyourthreecustomers.Lookforquestionsandproblemsthatcameupduringthediscussion,andmakealistofthem.Markwhichonesshowupmultipletimes.UsingtheKeywordWorksheetinAppendixB:Createalistofthetopfivepotentialkeywordsorphrasesyourtargetreaderwouldtypeintoasearchenginetolookforyou.2.ResearchandExpand–Nowresearchtoseehowmanypeopleareactuallysearchingfortheseterms.ResearchyourfivekeywordsorphrasesbyenteringthemintoWordtrackerandGoogleAdwords.Recordthesearchvolumeforeachkeyword.Explorerelatedkeywordsandphrasessuggestedbythesetwotools,andaddthemostpromisingkeywordstoyourlist,notingsearchvolume.3.Prioritizeyourkeywords–gobackthroughyourlist,andrankthekeywordsandphrasesinorderofimportance.Identifyyourtop5keywordsandphrases:#1:_______________________________________________________________#2:_______________________________________________________________#3:_______________________________________________________________#4:_______________________________________________________________#5:_______________________________________________________________Thesearethewordsandphrasesthatyouwanttoworkintopagesandpostsasoftenaspossible.

ACTIVITY #8

What is the All-In-One SEO Pack? TheAll‐In‐OneSEOPackplug‐inforWordPressprovidesaquickandeasywaytopackkeywordsintoallofthetags,titlesanddescriptionsofyourpagesandposts.Here’swhattheAll‐In‐OneSEOPackfieldsatthebottomofyourpageorposteditscreenlookslike:

TodownloadthefreeAllInOneSEOPackplug‐in,gotohttp://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all‐in‐one‐seo‐pack/

Habit#5:Fillinalltagsandfields.

Audio CD: ListentoTrack6tohearLeeRodriguestalkabouthowtheAll‐In‐OneSEOPackplug‐inforWordPressworks.

How do I make sure I’m completing all the right

fields? First:Usingoneormorekeywordsorphrases,fillinallofthefieldsintheAll‐In‐OneSEOPack:

• Title‐thistextiswhatwillappearinRSSReaders,andisonemoreopportunitytoinsertkeywordsforsearchengines.Youcanduplicatethetitlethatappearsintheblogheadlineand/orURL.

• Description–Ifyouleavethisfieldblank,asearchengineresultspagewilldisplaythefirstwordsthatappearonthesite.Thisisyouropportunitytonotonlymakesurekeywordsorphrasesareincluded,butalsotomakeashortandtothepointintroductionthatattractsreaderstoyoursite.Limityourselfto160characters.

• Keywords–ALWAYSbrainstormalistofkeywords(commaseparated)thatwillhelppeoplefindwhattheyarelookingforinthispageorpost.

Next:InWordPress’editpostscreen,therearetwoveryimportantfieldsintherightcolumn:

• Tags–Thisisyetonemorewaytopackinkeywordsforsearchengines.YoucansimplycopythelistofkeywordsyoutypedintotheAll‐In‐OneSEOpack.

• Categories–Guesswhereelseyoucanpackkeywords?That’sright–includingkeywordsinyourblogcategorynames,andtaggingeachblogpostwithoneormorecategories,helpswithSEOtoo.

Avoidthedreaded“Uncategorized”tag!Everyblogpostshouldcorrespondtoatleastoneofyourcategories–besuretochecktherightbox(es.)

PEPPER YOUR POST with one keyword

or key phrase. Review:Writeahelpfulposttoyourspecifictargetreader.Usestrongheadlinesandsubheads.New:Pickonemainkeywordorkeyphrase,andrepeatitasmanytimesasyoucan,includingallofthefollowing.Countandtotalupthenumberoftimesyourkeywordorphraseappearsineachlocation:

____Headline Bonus: ____Categoryname

____Subheads ____URL____Bodytext

____Imagetitles____Imagecaptions

____Imagealttags

____Keywords____Tags

____TOTAL

Weekly Post

WEEK 4 Nowthatyouhavediscoveredhowtowritehelpfulpoststoaspecifictargetreaderthatarepackedwithpowerfulheadlines,keywordsandtags,let’stakealookathowtoattractmoretraffictothemwithabroadnetworkofinboundlinks.Why is giving and receiving comments so

important? Ablogisverydifferentthana“static”(unchanging)website,becauseagoodblogislikeaconversation.Someonemakesastatementandotherscommentonthatstatement,sometimescreatingaspiriteddialog.Havingablogthatdoesn’tinspireinteractivityisliketalkingthroughamegaphone–it’saone‐wayconversation.Receivingacommentonyourpostisa“vote,”whetheritispositiveornot‐so‐positive.Atleastyouknowthatsomebodyisreadingyourblog,andthatyoumotivatedthemtotakeactionbyresponding.

Audio CD: ListentoTrack7,aclipfromaDojoRadioshowthatfeaturesLeetalkingaboutgivingandgettingcommentsonblogposts.

Optional:Linktothefullradioshowathttp://technologydojo.net/secrets‐breakfast‐blogging‐club/

Habit#6:Givelove,getlove.

How does commenting on blogs lead to real

traffic? Here’swhatBrianClarkonCopybloggerhastosay:

…whenyoumeaningfullyparticipateinthecommunityaspectofablog,you’recreatingmeaningfulrelationshipswithpeoplewhocansendyousignificanttraffic—bloggersandotheractivesocialmediausers.

Gettinglinks,re‐tweets,socialmediavotesandbookmarks…thisisthewaythatcontentspreads.Thisisthewayyougetrealtrafficthatactuallymatters.

Thisdoesn’tentailkissinguptotheblogowner(mostofushatestrategic‐soundingpraise).Whatitmeansiscreatinganetworkthatprovidesthepayoffforalltheeffortyou’veputintoyourcontent.

How to Leave Comments on Other Blogs Becomingapartofawiderbloggingconversationbeginswithleavingcomments.Whenyoucommentonanotherblogyouintroduceyourselftothatbloggerandhisorherreaders,whichmaydrivetraffictoyoursite.Itmayalsoresultincommentsonyourblog.GinaTrapanimakesagreatpointontheLifeHackerblog:

Leavingacommentonsomeone'sweblogislikewalkingintotheirlivingroomandjoininginonaconversation.Asinreallife,onlinetherearesomepeoplewhoareapleasuretoconversewith,andsomewhoarenot.Goodblogcommentersaddtothediscussionandareknownasknowledgeable,informative,friendlyandengaged.Buildyourownonlinesocialcapitalandbecomeagreatblogcommenterbykeepingthesesimpleguidelinesinmindbeforeyoupost.

GIVE LOVE ∼

GET LOVE

Sheprovidesthesebasicguidelinestofollowwhenleavingcomments(ourpersonalfavoriteis#10):

1. Stayontopic.

2. Contributenewinformationtothediscussion.

3. Don’tcommentforthesakeofcommenting.

4. Knowwhentocommentandwhentoemail.

5. Rememberthatnobodylikesaknow‐it‐all.

6. Makethetoneofyourmessageclear.

7. Ownyourcomment.

8. Besuccinct.

9. Don’tpostwhenyou’reangry,upset,drunkoremotional.

10. Donotfeedorteasethetrolls.

READING Readbothofthesefullblogpostsaboutleavingcomments:http://www.copyblogger.com/blog‐comment‐traffic/http://lifehacker.com/software/top/special‐lifehackers‐guide‐to‐weblog‐comments‐126654.php

Don’t forget to include your link! Whenyoucommentonotherblogs,alwaysfillinthefieldthatasksforalinktoyoursiteorarelatedpostonyoursite–doingthiscreatesonemoreinboundlinkthat’spointedtoyoursite,whichinturnsimprovesyourrankinsearches.Intermsofsearchability,ifyoudon’tincludeyourlink,whybotherleavingacommentatall?

COMMENT on at least three blog posts.

GointoyourReaderaccount,andlinkthroughtothreeblogpoststhatlookinteresting.Leaveacommentonallthreeposts.Besuretoleavealinktoyourownwebsite,asawaytobuildinboundlinks.

How to get comments on your blog. Probloggerprovidessomecontextforwhoisgoingtocommentonyourblog:

Thevastmajorityofreadersleaveablogwithoutleavingacommentorcontributingtoitinanyway(andsomebloggerslikeitlikethisandswitchcommentsoff‐readmoreonwhethertohavecommentsonoroffhereandtheupanddownsidesofcommentsonblogshere).Tosomeextentthisisjustthewayitisandweprobablyneedtojustgetusedtoit‐howeverwhenitcomestocommentstherearesomewaystoencouragemoreinteractivityonyourblog.

ACTIVITY #9

Hegoesontodescribetenwaystoencourageinteractivityonyourblog:

1. Invitecomments2. Askquestions3. Beopen‐ended4. Interactwithcommentsleft5. Setboundaries6. Behumble7. Begracious8. Becontroversial(sometimes)9. ‘Reward’comments10. Makeiteasytocomment

READING

Readthefull10TechniquesToGetMoreCommentsOnYourBlogposthere:http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/10/12/10‐techniques‐to‐get‐more‐comments‐on‐your‐blog/

Will opening my blog to comments invite SPAM? Yes–butyoucanprotectyourself.Unlessyouinstallandactivateablocker,yourcommentboxwillsoonbebombedwithcountlessspamcommentsthatarenotonlyannoying,butcouldalsotakedownyoursite.Thesespammersarelikeparasites,usingyourserverspacefortheiradvertising.

TheAkismetpluginwasincludedinyourWordPressinstallation,butyouneedanAPIkeytoactivateanduseAkismet.YoucangetafreeAPIkeybyregisteringforaWordPress.comaccount.

RegisterforaWordPress.comaccounthere:

http://en.wordpress.com/signup/Registerforausernameonly.(YoudonotneedtoregisterforaWordPress.comaccount.)Afteryouregister,yourAPIkeywillbesenttoyoubymail.

Turn on your Akismet SPAM BLOCKER.

Ifyouhavenotalreadydonethis,donotwaitanotherminutetoturnonAkismet!Untilyoudo,yourblogisasittingduck.Whyspendthetimetosetupandbuildyourblogifyou’regoingtoleaveitopentospammers?

Donotskipthisstep!Wedon’twanttosaywetoldyousowhenyoursiteistakenoverbyRussianpornads.

ACTIVITY #10

INVITE COMMENTS to your blog post.

Review:Writeahelpfulposttoyourspecifictargetreader.Usestrongheadlinesandsubheads.Pickonekeywordorkeyphraseandpackitintothetext,headlines,titlesandtags.New:Inthisweek’spost,includeanopen‐endedconclusionthat:makesaprovocativepoint,asksaquestion,orexplicitlyinvitesreaderstosharetheiropinionorexperience.Ifyoudon’tgetacomment,sendthelinktoafewfriendsandaskthemtohelpyououtbyreadingandcommentingonyourpost.

Weekly Post

WEEK 5 Nowyouhavediscoveredeverythingyouneedtoknowtobuildarelationshipwithyourreadersandgrowabroadnetworkofinboundlinks.Youknowhowtowritehelpfulpoststoaspecifictargetreaderthatarepackedwithpowerfulheadlines,keywordsandtags,andhowto“giveloveandgetlove”throughcommenting.Sowhat’snext?Armedwiththeknowledge,younowneedtopracticethesehabitsenoughtimestoburnthesehabitsintoyourbrain,sothattheybecomeeffortless.Whyisconsistencyimportant?Toanswerthisquestion,it’stimetoreturntoLeoBabauta’spostonBranding101:HowtoPromoteYourBlogLiketheBigGuysDo:

4.Youneedtobeconsistentaboutyourmessageineverythingyoudo.Onceyou’vecarefullycraftedyourcoremessage,youneedtoaligneverythingyoudowiththismessage.Ifyoudothingsthatconflictwiththemessage,youwillbesendingconfusingsignals.Instead,beconsistentineverything:keepthesamemessageinallyourposts,headlines,comments,blogdesign,guestpostsonotherblogs,commentsonotherblogs,andsoforth.Themoreconsistentyouare,thebetter.

Habit#7:Beconsistent.

5.Finally,youneedtorepeatyourmessageasmuchaspossibletoyourtargetaudience.Agreatbrandwithagreatmessageisworthnothingifthetargetaudienceneverhearsaboutit.Considerthegreatbrandsinconsumerproducts,suchasPepsiorCokeorAppleorGoogle…theseguysdoconstantadvertising,onTV,inbillboardsandthesidesofbuses,allovertheplace.Themorethebetter.Andevenifpeoplehavealreadyseenthebrand(andheardthemessage)onceortwice,itmightnothavestuckwiththemthefirstcoupleoftimes…butafterthefifthorseventhtime,maybeithithome.

Linktothefullblogposthere:http://writetodone.com/2008/11/06/branding‐101‐how‐to‐promote‐your‐blog‐like‐the‐big‐guys‐do/

Audio CD: ListentoTrack8,whereLeedescribestheimportanceofconsistencyinblogging.

Use the checklist. Whenyou’restartingtodevelopyourgoodblogginghabits,itcanbedifficulttoremembertocheckalloftheboxes,fillinthefields,andusebestpractices.IntheAppendixCisaMagneticBlogPostChecklistthatyoucanusetomakesureyou’reusingallofthetechniquesyou’velearnedinthisprogram.Thisbecomeseasierwithrepetition,andeventuallyyouwillnolongerneedtousethechecklist.Read, write and comment on blog posts

regularly. MakeitagoaltocheckyourRSSReader,publishanewblogpostandleaveafewcommentseachweek.

Onereasontodothisisthatpracticemakesperfect,andwitheveryweekyourwritingwillbecomemoretargetedtoyourreaders’questions,yourheadlineswillgetstronger,andlinksto,andcommentson,yourblogpostswillgrow.Whenthishappens,youwillalsoseedirecttraffictoyoursitegoup,andyouwillrankhigherwhensomeonesearchesforyou.Support your new habits. Asanyonewhohasmadearesolutiontostartgoingtothegymagainafteralongbreakknows,breakingoldhabitsandbuildinganewroutinetakessomeeffort.Herearesomewaystomakeregularworkonyourblogeasier:

• Blockouttime‐Scheduletimeforbloggingandcommentingonyourcalendar,anddon’tletitgetbumped.

• Usethebuddysystem‐Findafriendwhoisstartingablog,andmakeaweeklydatetomeetinacoffeeshopwithyourlaptopstoworkonyourblogs.

IfyouliveintheSanFranciscoBayArea,youcanalsodropintoourfriendsBethandCheryl’smonthlyBreakfastBloggingClubworkshopsinOaklandandPleasantHill(andsoontobeSanFranciscoandSanMateo.)LinktotheBreakfastBloggingClub:http://www.breakfastblogging.com/

Commit TIME TO BLOG.

DeterminehowmuchtimeyouchoosetocommittoreadingblogsinyourRSSReader,commentingonblogsandpublishingyourownblogpostseachweek.Eitherblockouttimeforthisonyourcalendar,orcommittoregularbuddymeetings(orcheck‐intelephonecalls)withafriend.

Use what you have learned.

Review:Writeahelpfulposttoyourspecifictargetreader.Usestrongheadlinesandsubheads.Pickonekeywordorkeyphraseandpackitintothetext,headlines,titlesandtags.Invitereaderstocomment.Commentonatleastthreeblogpoststoeitherrespondtoapostonsomeoneelse’ssite,orrespondtoacommentleftononeofyourownposts.)New:Usethechecklisttoensurethatyou’vehiteverypoint.

ACTIVITY #11

Weekly Post

Lather, rinse, REPEAT. Thesehabitsbecomeeasierwithrepetition.Again:thesehabitsbecomeeasierwithrepetition.

Repeat twelve more times.

Maketwelvemorecopiesofthebloggingchecklist,anduseittocreateanewblogpostonceaweekforthenexttwelveweeks.

Beconsistent,andburninthosehabits!

ACTIVITIES #12-23

About the Authors

Lee Rodrigues, M.Ed. LeeRodrigueshasbeenworkingwithcomputerssinceDOSwascool.HeranhisownITconsultingbusinessforthreeyears,andjoinedtheWeb2.0revolutionwhenhebegan“co‐working”atCitizenSpaceinSanFrancisco.Leecombinedhistechnicalskills,loveofmartialarts,andpassionforcommunicationstofoundtheTechnologyDojo,whereasaTechnologyCoachhehelpssuccessfulentrepreneursusecomputersandtheInternettoincreaseproductivityandprofits.LeehasaBAinCommunicationsandaMAinEducationfromSanFranciscoState,andisagraduateoftheSanFranciscoComedyCollege.

Christine Poremski, M.B.A.

Christinehasover18yearsofexperienceincommunicationsandmarketing.ShefirstgothookedononlineadvertisingatSaatchi&SaatchiSanFranciscowhenshecreatedoneofthefirst‐everadsfortheProdigynetwork.SoonafterwardsshemovedtotheAnderson&LembkeagencytomanageseveralonlineadvertisingaccountsforMicrosoft.AfterearningherMBAfromtheAndersonSchoolatUCLA,Christinehasheldavarietyofmarketingmanagementpositions,includingNetscapeCommunications,adot‐comstart‐upcompany,andafamilywineryinCalifornia’sRussianRiverValley.

AppendixA: SpecificTargetReaderWorksheetAppendixB: KeywordResearchWorksheetAppendixC: MagneticBlogPostChecklistAppendixD: TheSevenHabitsofMagneticBloggers

AppendicesAppendices

TechnologyDojo SPECIFIC TARGET READER Worksheet

SPECIFIC TARGET READER

Name: _______________________________ Gender: female male Age: ______ Education: ___________________________ (photo here) Hobbies/Activities: _______________________________________ Personal Details: _________________________________________ Business/Industry: _______________________________________ Biggest Problems: ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Beliefs: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Desires & Needs: _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

BE HELPFUL: TOPIC IDEAS 1. ________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________

TechnologyDojo KEYWORD RESEARCH Worksheet

KeywordsandKeyPhrasesWordtrackerSearchVolume

GoogleAdwordsKeywordToolSearchVolume

PriorityRank

Initialkeywords: 1.

Newkeywords: 6.

TechnologyDojo MAGNETIC BLOG POST Checklist

Specific Target Reader Postiswrittentoonespecificreader,realorfictitiousBe Helpful Specificneedordesireaddressed:___________________________________________________Headlines Postcontainsastrongmainheadlinetoattractreaders

Subheadshelpthereadertoskimcontent SubheadsareinH2formatAll-In-One SEO Pack Title

DescriptionKeywords Primarykeywordorkeyphrase:___________________________________________________________ Mainheadline

Subheads Bodytext

Imagetitles Imagealt.text

All‐In‐OneSEOKeywordsfield

Tagsfield

Categories(optional)

Imagecaptions(optional)

URL(optional)

Total#oftimesprimarykeywordappears:_______________________Ending Provocative,open‐endedconclusionthatinvitescomments

TechnologyDojo SEVEN HABITS OF MAGNETIC BLOGGERS

1. Writetoaspecifictargetreader.

2. Behelpful.

3. Usestrongheadlines.

4. Packpostswithkeywords.

5. Fillinalltagsandfields.

6. Givelove,getlove.

7. Beconsistent.

seven habits of magnetic bloggers final - lee rodrigues, m.a

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