Why Blog? How to Blog! And Then?!

Workshop: part of Nasawiya’s

“Take back the Tech initiative”

07/29/10 1www.lebanonaggregator.com

By @funkyozzi http://gosocialmedia.wordpress.com

Workshop Sections:

Part I. What is a blog? Can, and should anyone blog?

Part II. How to set up a blog and do the necessary “stuff”!

Part III. Blogging vs. Microblogging

Part IV. How to maintain and market your blog using social media!

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PART IWhat is a blog? Can, and should anyone blog?

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What is a blog?

‘A weblog is a hierarchy of text, images, media objects and data, arranged chronologically, that can be viewed in an HTML browser” [1]

‘A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links’ [2]

‘From “Web log.” A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.”’ [3]

‘Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”.’ [4]

Some definitions and key-terms off the web here

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Most popular Blogging related keywords

Blogger . Blogging . Blogosphere . RSS . XML . RSS Feed . Aggregator . Tags . Categories . Pages . Post . Entry . Blog post . Comments . Blogroll . Permalink . Podcast . Photoblog . Template . Theme . Layout . Trackback . Linkbank . Pingback . Vlog . Plugins . Widgets

Check here

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Some terms in depths

RSS – Subscribe to:

• a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format

• RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based

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RSS Logo

Google ReaderReads RSS Feeds of news, blogs, etc.. And this can be easily done if you have a gmail

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Example of a blog (1)

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Example of a blog (2)

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Example of a blog (3)

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We visit? Yalla!

www.lebanonaggregator.com

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Why should anyone blog?

There could be a number of reasons, and the reasons are SO diverse, here are some:

• Citizen journalism / Reporting views and opinions (i.e. Political, humanitarian...)

• Exposure of one’s writings• Documentation• Kill / pass time, overcome boredom• Share info and experience• Raising awareness• Await for critiques & reactions (=Learn)• Help others (i.e. Programming,... )• Journal / Diary• Market / Publicize a brand, a book, a product..• ‘Coz everyone else is doing it• Just for the sake of Blogging

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On a lighter note...

07/29/10 www.lebanonaggregator.com 13By http://s72.photobucket.com/home/sriks6711

On another lighter note...

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Taken from http://adamstouch.com/

Can anyone blog?

Yes!

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PART IIHow to set up a blog and do the necessary “stuff”!

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Blogging platforms

www.blogger.com

www.wordpress.com

www.livejournal.com

www.blog.com

www.over-blog.org

www.diaryland.com

www.opendiary.com

www.tumblr.com

Some links here

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How to build a blog*

• Conception (Interest, Idea and high-level content)• Research

– Choosing a platform– Creating an account– Choosing a name– Choosing a theme or layout (font, color, css...)– Adding/Creating a logo

• Preparation (Text, Images, Categorizing posts, About page, Contact Us page, Links to other blogs, other widgets/plugins and fun stuff on the side bar...)

• Implementation (Take into consideration the SEO, uploading or submitting, feedback from commentors, adding statistics counter...)

• Post-Implementation (deciding how to continue with blog according to feedback and comments, which genre of posts get more hits...)

* Slide inspired by Lausocial.com class by @AymanItani

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PART IIIBlogging vs. Microblogging

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Blogging vs. Microblogging

• a form of blogging• blogging in small pieces• a web service that allows the

subscriber to broadcast short messages to other subscribers of the service. [5]

• a microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size. A microblog entry could consist of nothing but a short sentence fragment, or an image or embedded video.

We established what blogging is but what is Micro-blogging

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Micro-Blogging platforms

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General Usage of Social Media

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• Sharing links to new products/news• Sharing link to video• Sharing link to photo• Crowd sourcing• PR and Marketing• Live tweeting an event• Asking for help concerning a subject• Chit chatting, teasing, flirting, venting..• Organizing events based on online

presence• ...

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The difference; Is it a XOR situation?

Blogging

• Takes time

• Requires more research

• Elaborate content

• Can establish a personal brand

• Archive is there, interaction is permissible “Owning a house”

MicroBlogging

• Less-time consuming (?)

• Fast-paced

• Short & straight to the point

• Can only link to this personal brand

• Hard to go through archive, no interaction “Renting”

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“Efficient, quick updates to my social network = microblogging. Well thought out thoughts on a particular topic I'm passionate about = blogging.” [6]

The difference by Connie Bensen

Blogging

• an exercise for me to synthesize my thoughts

• a repository of information for future visitors

• reflects my journey over the course of time

• reading other’s blogs provides a high level of learning

MicroBlogging

• update on breaking news in the industry

• an opportunity to get to know people on a personal level

• exchange of info & ideas - email doesn’t span the group effect

• keep track of where my friends are at...I can check & see whether they’re traveling, on vacation or what they’re doing.

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*The content of this slide is take from Connie Bensen’s page in socialmediatoday.com [7]

PART IVHow to maintain and market your blog using social media!

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How to maintain it

• Observe what kind of posts get the most hits or comments. And stay on that curve

• Don’t let your blog die for a month or even 2 weeks, it will immediately lose its followers

Some pointers here:

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How to market it Tweet itTweet itTweet itFacebook it (different audience)Email it (and ask your buddies for their

feedback)Comment on other people’s blogsRetweet othersGive feedback to othersInteract and be activePRTell your colleagues & family about your

blog (if you find it would be of interest to them)

Some pointers here:

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Best Practices

• If you quote something, mention who said it and link to them if possible

• State the source of photo or article

• In general, publish a new post on your blog every 2-3 times a week

• Push to the right audience, you don’t want to tick some people off

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References

1. http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/whatMakesAWeblogAWeblog2. http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/blog/ 3. http://www.computersprintersrepairshouston.com/glossary_of_terms.html

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog 5. http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/microblogging

6. http://www.adgabber.com/forum/topics/546804:Top

ic:1182107. http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/39216

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