Post on 16-Feb-2017
The Business Blog - Live
Neil Infield – Manager Business & IP Centreneil.infield@bl.uk - @ninfield (twitter) - ninfield.wordpress.com
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What is the British Library for?
We exist for anyone who wants to do research – for academic, personal or commercial purposes
i.e. You!
Neil Infield - British Library Business & IP Centre - School for Creative Startups - Jan 2012
To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be a pathological optimist and believe you can change things.
But you've got to know what you need to do, and how to do it. The Centre can help you find out, and that can have such a powerful
effect.
Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
Inspiration
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The first place to come for entrepreneurs, innovators and business researchers
Get inspiration
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The first place to come for entrepreneurs, innovators and business researchers
Get inspiration Protect your ideas
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The first place to come for entrepreneurs, innovators and business researchers
Get inspiration Protect your ideas Develop your business
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What we have done
Welcomed over 200,000 people through the doors…
…of whom over 25,000 have received direct advice, guidance and training
Delivered over 3,000 workshops and 1:1 advice sessions and established high profile ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurs’
Exceeded our LDA targets for delivering business advice and employment support
Since opening in March 2006, we have…
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What we have done
Increased our outreach programme to encompass prisons, Jobcentre Plus offices, outplacement agencies
Developed a successful partner programme
Attracted over £8.2 million of in-kind benefits
Successfully reached out to diverse audiences 37% BAME - 50% women - 4% disabled
Since opening in March 2006, we have…
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Using Social Media in the Business & IP Centre
British Library Entrepreneur and SME Network has over 1,800 members see our Facebook page
Our BIPCTV YouTube channel showcases our Inspiring Entrepreneurs events and our success stories. 700 members and 280,000 views. Watch us at BIPCTV
3,800 followers, including a number of influential business experts and successful entrepreneurs. Follow us on Twitter
Over 5,000 members and growing all the time. Join us on LinkedIn
BLBlogs
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Why do I blog?
By accident…
Because it works 25% of traffic to the Business & IP Centre website – e.g
Flat White – BIC pen 200,000 hits in 4 years Comments and feedback
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Why do I blog?
Because I enjoy it
It is easy… and free
It is my memory of events and ideas
I believe it helps the reputation of the Centre… and hopefully mine too
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My daily view – time to post an update…
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Early days
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Success Stories
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Why you should blog
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Why you should blog
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To build trust – ‘real’ people vs anonymous business
To build an audience – you can start before you business goes live
Increase SEO without the risk – Google loves blogs-hates cheaters
Why you should blog
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Drive traffic to your website – see above
Be seen as an expert in your field – requires insightful, quality content
Reach a wider market – word of mouth referrals
Why you should blog
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Kurhan
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Innovations – Springwise.com
Spotting and filling niches – The Icreamists, Wild Kopi Luwak Coffee via Civets stomach.
The power of the brand – Apple Inc vs Apple Corp
My favourite blog topics
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With passion… and patience
For your audience
Mainly about things related to your business
Headings must be ‘Ronsealed’
How you should blog
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Regularly – minimum 1x a week
Content must be engaging / surprising / controversial / intriguing
Length must be ‘just right’ – somewhere between Stephen Fry’s blessays and Euan Semple’s The Obvious.
How you should blog
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/dspruitt
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Leveraging your other social media channels – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, +Google
Using your web domain if possible
Promote using contacts and ‘Blogroll’
Measure using built in tools or Google Analytics
How you should blog
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Handling comments and spam to moderate or tolerate comment trolls
How you should blog
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How you should blog
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How you should blog – content farms
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Where to go for help
Neil Infield - British Library Business & IP Centre - School for Creative Startups - Jan 2012