Blog

Insights into the purpose, creation and maintenance of a blog. Also covered: philosophy and guest blogging.

Resources

 * Why blog? (Article on Personal Branding Blog, Dec 19, 2014)
 * Also: Susan Gilbert on Personal Branding Blog, Feb 6, 2015.
 * Visibility, trust, reliability
 * Contains valuable tips how to go about it!
 * Convert leads into sales

General Advice

 * Needs its own name
 * Headline, tagline with purpose
 * Do your target market research (source: Personal Branding Blog, Feb 6 2015, link above)
 * Then meet the needs of that audience
 * Create a login box and attach at end of articles
 * A mission I love
 * Target audience
 * Ask them what they want
 * Blog posts: use image with text and my logo on it! (example)
 * Have a regular schedule
 * Use it to showcase your services, products...
 * Be sure to have high quality content first!
 * Guest Posting: use only your best content

Design & Setup
Article on Social Media Examiner, May 19, 2015
 * 1) Layout: e.g. no sidebars, 1 or 2 sidebars
 * 2) Mobile: beautiful Altitude theme (Studiopress)
 * 3) Many opt-ins! Getresponse's Form Builder / SumoMe / OptinMonster
 * 4) SEO: fill fields, using e.g. Yoast's plugin. Important!
 * 5) Social sharing! Shareaholic | Filament | See also below
 * 6) Analytics: Google! Info in article re. Webmaster Tools etc.
 * 7) User Accounts: for every blogger

Social Media Integration

 * Include a pin button (Pinterest) with your blog images
 * Integrate Click to Tweet so users can share your tweetable phrases!

Content Ideas (Post Types)
What to post? Carol Tice has a ton!
 * The How-To Video: interesting personality, effective technique, prod values
 * Similarly: how-to post
 * Step by step!
 * Announcement
 * Q&A Series: webinars, teleseminars, interviews: customers, experts, employees
 * Answer a common question (FAQ-type post)
 * Feature: employee, partner, entrepreneur, client
 * Money-making opportunity
 * Mention companies, celebrities
 * Interview: interesting people
 * Round up expert advice
 * Multimedia: slideshows, video, audio
 * Co-opt current news
 * Trend mashup
 * Observe and report on topics that drive high traffic
 * Follow-up posts/updates on similar topics
 * Offer alternate take to current big stances
 * Link roundups re. popular topics
 * Forecast trends, future
 * Review or compare products
 * Educate customers: e.g. which choice to make?
 * Top-X-List
 * One-point list
 * Fresh data (new research)
 * Professional Networking: be nice, relevant, interesting
 * Giveaway
 * Write about small, quick wins: techniques that are fast to implement and generate benefit! Best: from my own experience. Include either of these:
 * Step-by-step breakdown
 * Video
 * And then opportunity to subscribe
 * Combine the above!

Strategy
For a successful business blog:
 * Establish Goals
 * Why a blog?
 * Purpose for me?
 * Purpose for audience?
 * Blog's Purpose
 * Why should ppl visit?
 * What makes my info special?
 * Audience research
 * Same profile as customer
 * Who are they?
 * What to do they need?
 * Decide posting frequency
 * Reasonable schedule
 * Post regularly (doesn't have to be often)
 * Identify writers
 * Find ppl to join you
 * Editorial calendar
 * Virtual agenda / to-do list
 * Develop blog brand
 * Perception to readers
 * Design, colours, style
 * Write
 * Compelling, engaging
 * Market
 * Everything to do after publishing
 * 35 ways
 * Measure your success
 * See article for ideas

Monetizing

 * Use the "Funnel Strategy": visitors take a planned pathway through my blog ending in a sale
 * What is my best niche?
 * Overlap between benefitting audience, my passion and expertise
 * What are the markets in my niche?
 * Think about people's urgency
 * Which product would be a good fit?
 * How can my blog setup support the funnel?
 * What content will draw readers into the funnel?

Guest Blogging

 * Copyblogger on safe guest blogging
 * About Matt Cutts' "Guest Blogging is dead" article and developments since
 * Use "rel=nofollow" to be safe with links (re. shady sites)
 * Checklist:
 * Content quality: does it fit the audience? Inform? Entertain? Clear? Fitting my host?
 * Check backlinks: use "nofollow" for odd ones
 * Focus on social networking: G+ authorship, then Twitter/Facebook share
 * Niche
 * Get mentions from media!
 * Terminology: "contributor" instead of "guest blogger"? Invent my own!
 * Infographics
 * Include links in body (to strong sites!)
 * Write in the voice of the audience
 * Tom Ewer recommends: combination of "Hire Me" page and bylines (on clients' pages!)

Getting Comments

 * Get rid of spambots, ensure respectful dialogue
 * Make in-person connections
 * Market the blog to them
 * On business card
 * Make a mastermind group
 * Headlines with obvious benefit => share on social media
 * Don't pack all the information into my article
 * Request comments: question at the end ("What's your take?" / "How do you...?")
 * Controversy: tackle the great issues in my niche
 * Go negative! Negative headlines generate more traffic
 * "How to aggravate top bloggers so they'll never help you"
 * Hold a contest: "bribe" them
 * Write to one person, and one person alone
 * Speak their language!
 * Check for comments regularly and respond - personally, specific!
 * "I read your message first thing this morning. Wow! Already shared the feedback with my team!"
 * "I met with the team this morning and we decided..."