By Chris Kieff

@ckieff

*Social Networks and Blogging 4 BusinessDay -1

*Course Agenda

*Blogging Best Practices, Platforms and Technology

*Blogging Techniques

*Blogging Add-Ons

*Class Agenda

*Overview

*Best Practices

*Platforms

*Technology

*Get Evernote

*www.Evernote.com

*Put it on your phone and your PC (or Mac)

*Blog Ideas

*Good Blogs

*Topics

*To Dos

*Get my shared notebook BCC Work

*Overview* Web log = blog

* 156MM Blogs (Feb 2011)

* 2009 - President Obama allowed 1st Question at 1St press conference to come from a blogger. Previously they were not recognized.

* 2010- Associated Press recognizes blogs as a “recognized source”

* Types:

* Business

* Genre – Subject, topic or specialty

* Personal

* Media type- Vlog, Podcast, linkblog, photoblog, sketchblog, tumbleblog, moblog

* Blog Search Engines - Technorati, Bloglines, BlogScope

* Communities – MyBlogLog, Blogster, BlogCatalog

* 60% of all blogs have not been updated in the last 3 months

*Blogging SWOT

*Strengths-

*Great for SEO

*Allows you to become a thought leader

*Greater communications

* Interactive

*Multiple authors

*Weaknesses-

*Abandoned Blogs

* Trolls and complaints

* Provides competitors info

* Exposes your advocates

*Creates Celebrity

*Opportunities-

* Promotes company, products/services & people

* Longer more frequent in depth communications

*Detailed examination of topic

* SEO, Social Media

*Threats-

* Spam

* Content theft

* Software changes

*Business Blogging Planning

*1. Familiarize yourself with blogging and UGC.

*2. Determine whether a blog is right for your company.

*Are you transparent, public, and free with info?

*3. Develop a content strategy.

*4. Identify the best people to write your blog.

*Consider an aggregation curated blog.

*5. Choose an appropriate publishing platform.

*6. Optimize your blog content for search engines.

*7. Create an open & honest conversation with your audience.

*8. Monitor the blogosphere for relevant news and ideas.

*9. Write often, stay focused, and include relevant links to increase readership.

*10. Set a blogging policy and blogging guidelines.

*Content Strategy

*Know the purpose of your blog

*Make sure the blog fulfills its purpose

*Know the needs of your audience

*Meet audience needs while fulfilling your blog’s purpose

*Review, Measure and Adjust

*Liz Strauss- Author:Successful and Outstanding Bloggers (SOBs)http://www.successful-blog.com

*Business Blogging Models

*1. Build thought leadership

*http://edelmandigital.com/

*2. Corporate Culture

*http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/inside-zappos

*3. Connecting with leaders

*http://www.blogs.marriott.com/

*4. Branding

*http://www.openforum.com/

*Blogs on Blogging

*ProBlogger Blog Tips

*Copyblogger

*Bloggers Blog: Blogging the Blogsphere

*ConverStations

*HubSpot's Inbound Internet Marketing Blog

*Chris Brogan

*http://blogging.alltop.com/

*Blogging Tactics

*3-5 Posts per week (1 per week to start)

*Track the ninjas (in your field)

*Integrated with your website

*Simple Design (reduce distractions)

*EDITORIAL CALENDAR!!!!

*Multiple authors

*Multimedia (video, pictures, sound)

*Post to Twitter, Facebook LinkedIn

*Blog Enhancements

*Offer Email subscription option

*Write ahead and schedule

*Guest bloggers

*Link to other blogs (influencers)

*Get controversial

* 50% of time on Headline

*Comment on other blogs

*Get links from everywhere

*List on services, Technorati, MyBlogLog, etc.

*Platforms

*www.Wordpress.com

* Best integrated blog platform (on your site)

* Most Plug-ins, apps and themes

* Most support

*www.Wordpress.org

* Hosted for non integrated (not on your site)

*www.Tumblr.com

* Excellent for multimedia & short form

* Pictures, video, music

*www.Posterous.com

* Easy to use with email

*www.Blogger.com Google’s platform (hobbyist)

*Tools

*Plug-ins for WordPress

*All in one SEO Pack

*fbLikeButton

*Google Analytics for Wordpress

*Share This (Links to services)

*Wordpress Popular Posts

*Wptouch- mobile version of blog

*Yet Another Related Posts Plugin

*Best Blogging Practices

*Think like a publisher

*Focus on keywords (not your brand)

*Ask your readers what they want

*Engage from the start

*Be casual- go off topic

*Say what you think

*Link to other blogs often, no more often

*Read other blogs and comment

*Be current

*It doesn’t have to be perfect

*Use guest bloggers/authors & be one

*Blogging Lab

*Create a Blog

*www.Wordpress.org

*www.1goodtest.wordpress.com

*Set up

*Post a picture from Flickr (CC)

*Link to YouTube Video

*Embed the blog on Facebook

*Work on your Editorial Calendar!!!

*Email your Blog Address to CKIEFF@GMAIL.COM