E-book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog

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mdgadvertising.com/content-marketing A Step-by-Step GUIDE to Developing an EFFECTIVE Corporate Blog Share this e-book!

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Copy the link to learn more on our site: http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/a-step-bystep-guide-to-developing-an-effective-corporate-blog/ - Discover how to leverage your corporate blog for higher search rankings, better consumer awareness, greater audience engagement, and stronger brand credibility in MDG Advertising’s must-read e-book, “A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog”. This fact-packed report is a definitive and detailed guide for getting the most from your posts, attracting the most influential audience, maintaining a steady flow of must-know information, getting people talking about your blog, and making your corporate blog easy to find and follow using savvy SEO. MDG’s e-book truly teaches you how to make your blog into a more engaging, effective, and valuable virtual marketing tool. It leads you step-by-step up the corporate blogging ladder. First, it helps you define your blogging objectives, and then shares expert advice on preparing posts that build buzz, audience engagement, brand awareness, thought leadership, and a loyal following. After some timely tips on sticking to a schedule, this informative guide reveals the proven and powerful methods to optimizing your blog posts for search supremacy. Since you need SEO to prevent your blog from being MIA, the e-book features the most authoritative and innovative strategies for optimizing every element of your blog post. From the content and keywords to the layout and linking, you’ll discover the methods, motions, and mindset you need to optimize your posts for your target audience. After sharing the science and secrets of structuring your blog posts for search, the e-book shows you the savviest ways to make sure they’re seen and shared, and reveals what every blogger needs to know—how to keep readers returning for more. Turning your corporate blog into a source of higher search rankings and greater audience engagement requires insight from an industry leader. Now, every step for corporate blogging success is thoughtfully compiled into “A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog”. Learn more about leveraging your corporate blog into a site to be seen, sought, and shared—with this indispensable e-book by MDG. Discover how to get the greatest results from your corporate blog. Contact MDG Advertising today at 561-338-7797 or visit http://www.mdgadvertising.com.

Transcript of E-book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog

Page 1: E-book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog

mdgadvertising.com/content-marketing

A Step-by-Step

GUIDE to Developing an

EFFECTIVE Corporate Blog

Share this e-book!

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Blogging has earned its place as an essential

element in any corporate marketing plan—and

for good reason. By providing a discussion

forum, corporate blogs encourage consumers

to actively engage with a brand, which, in turn,

breeds loyalty. Simply put, people will talk about

your company with or without your permission.

A blog enables you to direct the conversation.

This kind of interaction makes blogs ideal for

showcasing a company’s culture and values. Blogs

can also benefit media relations, bolster public

appeal, drive consumer awareness, and promote

specific products and services. But perhaps most

important of all, a corporate blog is an ideal way

to improve your company’s search rankings.

A corporate blog is indexed by search engines

and will provide long-term benefits. Despite

recent Google updates, a blog is still one of

the best ways to improve your rankings. As

your content archive grows, so will its search

value—steadily building over days, months,

and even years.

The following steps will help you develop

a corporate blog that will keep your search

rankings high and your audience’s engagement

level heavily tilted in your favor.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog

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Define your objectives

Just like any other element in a marketing

plan, corporate blogs should be built on a

detailed strategy with well-defined objectives.

After all, how will you know whether your

blog is achieving its goals if you don’t set

some in the first place?

The overriding goal should be to create an

information resource that educates, informs,

inspires, and builds consumer confidence.

Content can take many forms, from news

and events to engaging infographics.

There are a number of other possible

objectives a blog can help you achieve.

For the sake of measuring your success,

it’s best to prioritize your objectives and

focus on your top two or three.

Promoting and

showcasing socially

valuable industry

commentary and

insightful knowledge.

Increasing the

perceived value of

products and services

through education and

case studies.

Building a following

of media professionals

in the community.

Increasing the size and

relevancy of your Web

domain while building

long tail traffic.

Raising consumer

awareness about

an important

commitment

or social cause.

Showcasing the

success and

achievements of

your customers.

Illustrating the

remarkable culture

and history of

your brand.

Protecting your

company’s digital

reputation and

providing official

media statements.

Blogs can provide an ideal

forum for:

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Establish a publishing schedule

To establish a publishing schedule, you’ll

need to develop a media calendar. This

means assigning dates to each of the

following steps. Make sure you allow enough

time for completion of each stage. Otherwise,

you’ll spend much of your time revising

your calendar.

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2 1 Defining blog categories

2 Determining the content to be included

in each category

3 Incorporating timely or evergreen content

that’s socially valuable

4 Setting a publishing schedule two months

in advance

5Coordinating writers, designers, researchers,

and editors—whether one person, a team,

or via a marketing partner

6 Establishing an editorial process

7 Scheduling a launch date

The blog publishing process moves through

seven succinct steps:

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Develop your first posts

Although your blog may not require daily

updates, it’s still best to publish content

on a regular basis. You’ll want to keep the

audience coming back for more. Ideally, you

should develop enough posts to sustain the

blog for up to two weeks prior to launching it.

Your initial posts should be an introduction

to your audience. You’ll want to define the

material that will be presented and quickly

establish credibility. This is the ideal

opportunity to showcase what makes your

company engaging—whether it’s your

products and services, a corporate figurehead,

or some other characteristic that makes your

company unique in the marketplace.

Next, look at your blog from the audience’s

perspective. What would they like to know

more about? What types of content will they

find engaging or valuable? Should your blog

be informative? Entertaining? Or, a bit of

both? There are no right or wrong answers—

just the answers that work best for the

audience you hope to attract.

Once your blog has been established, posts

can be as simple as an embedded video with

brief commentary, or as complicated as an

in-depth industry exposé. Staying on top

of industry news and trends enables you

to publish content that’s relevant to your

audience, the industry, and major influencers.

The more valuable the content to your

industry, the more likely it is to be picked

up and spread virally.

Above all, don’t just repost press releases,

articles, and industry news. Instead, post

interviews with key industry players, video

discussions with executives, explanations

on how to do something, creative media,

humorous musings about the industry, or

whatever makes your company impressive.

As much as possible, give your audience

unique content they won’t find anywhere else.

Make your voice heard

A blog is no place for expressionless

communication. Like a figurehead for a

company, a blog should have personality,

spirit, resonance, and authority. There should

be a level of transparency between the

reader and the writer. Lose the corporate

speak in favor of a more informal tone.

Showcase the human side of your executives.

Most of all, don’t try to sell the audience.

This will only make them skeptical and less

open to your message. It’s more important

to engage them. If they like you, they’re more

likely to buy what you’re selling. Keep in mind

that your audience may not be buying your

products or services yet. By striking the

proper tone, however, you can convert

these people into readers, subscribers, and,

eventually, buyers (or whatever other goal

you’ve set for your blog).

Speak to them as one human being to

another. Be open and honest. If you appeal

to them emotionally and make it feel natural,

they’ll forget they’re hearing from a corporation

and think of you as a good friend.

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Appeal to the Eye

Don’t let your blog get mistaken

for traditional media. Spice it

up with a liberal dose of visual

elements. These can be video,

photographs, icons, or just about

anything that will enhance the

text. These visual clues guide

the reader’s eye and make your

content easier to digest.

Elements such as charts and

graphs not only break up text,

they add credibility. Images, on

the other hand, provide emotional

appeal. Ordered lists and bullet

points are another effective

means for breaking up large

blocks of text, making it easy

for readers to skim a page rather

than reading word for word.

Stay on Topic

Since blogs aren’t formal writing,

and there’s no space limit in most

cases, it can be easy to wander

away from the main idea. Avoid

this pitfall. Respect your readers’

time by getting straight to the

point. They’ll appreciate your

brevity. Short, concise paragraphs

make information easier to digest.

If you’re unsure if your writing is as

succinct as it should be, resist the

urge to hit “publish.” Take a break

for a while so you can come back

and edit with a clear perspective.

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5 Gain an audience

Now that you’ve figured out what to say

and how to say it, you’ll want to get your

blog noticed by the right people. That

means social media influencers, readers,

and sharing enthusiasts.

Here are 11 techniques to help you gain the greatest

impact from your efforts:

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Gain an audience (continued)

Grab Them with a Headline

Nothing can make or break your

reader’s interest faster than the

headline. It doesn’t matter how

interesting your content is if

the headline doesn’t grab

their attention.

The most effective headlines

tend to ask a question, explain

how to do something, provide a

list, or give the reader something

to think about.

The point is to stop the reader on

the page before they move on to

the next item on their to-do list.

Mix it up to Make it Easy to Follow

Use bold and italicized type to

emphasize important points in

your article. This makes it easier

for writers to skim your content.

Breaking your posts into

sections—such as an introduction,

body, and defined conclusion—

also aids the reader in getting

the most from your post with

the least expenditure of time.

ReadWrite.com does an excellent

job of breaking posts into sections

that can be easily absorbed.

Link Generously and Appropriately

Don’t become an insular blogger.

Focus on networking and linking

out to other blogs. This is a great

way to share valuable resources

with your readers and build your

blogging network. In many cases,

the original blogger will be

alerted, helping you foster lasting

professional relationships.

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Tell Them a Story

Storytelling can be an extremely

powerful way to grow your

readership. The more your stories

appeal to the emotions, the more

they’ll make your blog seem

human and approachable.

A good example of this approach

comes from the Nuts About

Southwest blog. The airline

features personal stories from

employees to put a human face

on the company. In one post, a

Vietnamese-American employee

talks about her youth in honor of

Asian/Pacific American Heritage

Month. On Valentine’s Day, the

airline shared a story of love

and connected it to how they

run their business. These kinds of

heartwarming stories connect with

consumers, making the Southwest

blog an incredible success. So don’t

be afraid to open up about your

own company.

How to Capture the Power of How To

Capitalize on the informative

nature of blogs by appealing

to people’s natural inclination

to learn. As Brian Clark, the

founder and CEO of Copyblogger,

suggests, “If you think you’re

giving away too much information,

you’re on the right track.” When

you provide information that’s of

value to your readers, they’ll want

to come back to read more.

And Speaking of Lists

As we’ve already established,

lists can be an effective way to

grab a skimmer’s attention, lure

them in, and get them to read

the entire article. Lists also make

content easier to digest than the

standard paragraph format. To

make lists work for you, introduce

them with a sentence or two, then

elaborate on the list items in the

sentences that follow.

Gain an audience (continued)S

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Regular Features & Scheduled Postings

Once you find a topic that draws

readers, make it a regular

occurrence. For example, you may

have a section titled, “Ask Mr. X,”

that takes readers’ questions and

provides answers. Other regular

features can include weekly news

roundups, industry book reviews,

and editorials. These regular

features drive user expectation

for specific types of content,

encouraging them to come

back frequently.

Like regular features, scheduled

postings follow a predetermined

schedule. The Moz blog, for

example, offers Whiteboard

Friday posts that are extremely

successful. Readers like knowing

what to expect and when. If you

convey the expectation of certain

content on a certain day, you’ll

likely get a boost in readers

during that time.

Product Reviews

Talk about products that make

your audience’s lives easier.

These products can be your own

or another company’s. In fact, if

readers buy another company’s

products after learning about

them on your blog, you may be

eligible for a commission through

an affiliate program for blogs.

Interview the Experts

There are a number of ways to

make interviews work for you.

One is to run a series of interviews

with experts on a particular topic.

Or, you can engage your readers

by asking them questions and

encouraging them to participate,

regardless of their level of

expertise. Since most individuals

are quick to share information, this

can be a highly effective tactic.

Gain an audience (continued)S

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Stick with a plan

As your blog grows in popularity, your

readers will expect more from you in terms

of regular columns and insights. They’ll seek

a steady flow of information through RSS,

email subscriptions, or direct visits to your

website. You’ll need a plan to fulfill these

expectations.

If your blog will be unattended for a

prolonged period of time—while someone

is on vacation, for example—plan ahead.

Invite readers to guest blog or ask experts

to share their thoughts. Most will be eager

to do so, usually without compensation.

Another option is to prepare posts in

advance and have them scheduled on those

dates. Even then, it’s best to inform readers

that no one will be available to respond to

their comments for awhile. Let them know

when someone will get back to them.

Darren Rowse, of problogger, ran a series

on bloggers’ tipping points a few years ago,

asking many prominent bloggers how they

made it to the “A-List.” For most, regularity

was essential to their blogging success.

Regularity applies to your topic, too. Give

your blog a particular focus and don’t deviate.

Don’t discuss travel one day, clothing the next,

and radio after that—unless you tie them all

back to your main focus. The best blogs tend

to be those that zero in on a specific niche,

so readers know what to expect.

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ASK THEM

UTILIZE

CONTACT FORMS

Keep the communication two-way

Your audience is your biggest asset, so

take advantage of what readers share

with you. Here are proven ways to invite

reader participation once you’ve gained

a steady following:

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It seems simple enough, but many blog

developers don’t think of going to this

obvious source for content. Run columns

where you ask readers questions and invite

their responses in your comments section.

You may want to expand some of the

comments into a full blog post, or even a

series if you get enough. You can also invite

readers to ask questions. Just don’t be

afraid to open up in your answers.

Make sure your readers have a way to

contact you. Use one of the many plugins

available to set up a form that asks

questions and solicits pitches. Visual Form

Builder Pro for WordPress is an excellent

option, as it’s a thoroughly customizable

asset. Once your blog becomes established,

traditional media can use the contact form

to ask you for quotes or to request your

comments on related news matters.

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KEEP THE

COMMENTS OPEN

Use your blog as an opportunity to invite

participation from the community. Participants

will welcome an invitation to this many-to-many

forum, as opposed to the one-to-many forum

of traditional media. This makes it easy for you

to share information and get instant feedback.

Engage in the discussion as much as possible,

and don’t make it difficult for your readers to

post comments. Most readers view registration

as a stumbling block. If you’re concerned about

spam, install a Captcha application. Avoid link

drops by adding a “no follow” (the default on

most blogs) to commented posts. Or, moderate

all comments before posting. Just don’t make

it too difficult for the community to participate

in the conversation.

POLLS/SURVEYS

Go beyond traditional commenting or Q&A

formats to engage your readers in polls

related to your topic. Tools like PollDaddy

and SurveyMonkey make this easy. Spend

one post asking readers for their input and

then another reporting the findings.

CONTESTS

Hold contests to build an audience quickly—

preferably while you’re still growing, but already

big enough to attract interest. Award prizes

such as a free product or service offering from

your company. If your blog is informational,

you can solicit prizes from sponsors, possibly

in return for promotional consideration.

Keep the communication two-way (continued)S

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In summary, most blog readers want an

open conversation. Participants on comment-

enabled blogs tend to feel welcomed and

appreciated. They gain a sense of contributing

to the overall business strategy, because they

assume executives and business owners are

monitoring their comments. Take advantage

of this inclination to participate, and use it to

build a loyal following for your blog.

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Make your blog easy to find

Before optimizing your blog posts for SEO

applications, first define the social value of

each article. Consider what the piece offers to

your target audience. Does it inform? Educate?

Theorize? Summarize? Or simply entertain?

Avoid content based on opinion. You’ll have a

more difficult time circulating it, unless you’re

famous or a known authority on your topic.

If you’re writing for the Web, write material

built to be found by a specific audience

with a specific intent. By providing a common

resource people need, you add social value

to your article and increase its power

to attract visitors.

It’s also important to consider what action

you’d like the audience to take. Do you want

them to register for something? Subscribe

to your blog? Email you for more

information? Sign up to receive something?

Like any marketing device, your blog needs

a strong call-to-action. Providing resources,

a service, an actionable strategy, tools and

illustrations (infographics) can all contribute

to a rapid increase in visibility.

Keyword Research for Web Publishers

There are few things more fundamentally

important in the world of content optimization

than integrating search phrases your target

audience commonly uses. However, most of

the traffic you’ll pull from organic search

comes in the form of long tail traffic.

Although you should read as much as

you can about keyword research, you

can perform significantly accurate keyword

research on the fly. By remaining conscious

of the perfect keyword targeting model, you

can select your “midtail” terms and integrate

compelling socially valuable material with the

terms people use to locate similar content.

To find terms relative to the context of your

article, use the Google Keyword Planner.

Think rationally and simply about how other

people would look for the subject of your

content. Start with basic language, and then

test extremely specific language. You should

also utilize Google Trends, which recently

absorbed Google Insights for Search. This

tool can provide valuable insight if you’re

in the process of crafting geographically

or seasonally relevant content.

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A FEW IMPORTANT SIDE NOTES:

Always leverage Google Analytics

to get a sense of how your content

is perceived on the Web. Also, ask

for reader feedback. Encourage

people to Like, +1, bookmark,

Stumble, or link to you. Although

it seems simple, many bloggers

overlook this critical step.

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Make your blog easy to find (continued)

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Title Tag

URL Structure

Metadata

First 100 Words

Inverted

Pyramid Style

The metadata

and title tag

contain info

used by

search engines

but are not

generally seen

by the user.

Contextual Linking

Internal and

External

Shareability and Promotion

Search Optimization

Optimizing your blog posts for search, like

optimization of any content on the Web, is

a fairly straightforward process. Building on

the authority of the infamous Copyblogger,

here are the essential elements and formulas

for maximizing the value of your posts

throughout the Google universe.

In particular, there are seven principal pieces of the page you should optimize:

Metadata

Title tag

URL structure

Shareability and promotion

Header

First 100 words (inverted pyramid style)

Contextual linking (internal and external)

Header

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Make your blog easy to find (continued)

ST

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NOTE:

Google pays close attention to

the first 100 words in the body-copy

segment of the page, so make a point

of establishing relevancy and social

value right from the start. This is why

lists and resource guides work so

well as “link bait” on the Web.

Optimizing Title Tags

Choose the relevant keyword or phrase that

appears with volume in the Google Keyword

Planner. There’s no need to go overboard.

Just remember, people will read your title

tag in search results. Make sure it has a

compelling call-to-action that will convince

someone to click on it. Beyond that, leverage

the meta description to enhance the click-

through rate (CTR) from the SERPs.

URL STRUCTUREMake sure your URL integrates keywords people use to find

content relative to yours, and you’re good to go.

HEADER

Think subject line plus incentive. You’ll want to keep a top-

level call-to-action as your header. Use it to emphasize what

the reader will gain from reading your article. You can drop

keywords in the header as well, but it’s not as powerful as it

once was in the game of SEO.

It’s extremely important to invest yourself in journalism’s

inverted pyramid structure, where the most relevant facts

appear at the top of your article. Your content must have

social value in order to thrive on the Web. Without that, no

amount of on-page optimization will help you pull traffic.

Consider linking contextually from the first 100 words of your

article to other articles you’ve written, either within your blog

or on other websites. This enforces keyword relevancy and, if

your content gets spread around the Web, greatly enhances

the anchor text value earned from the external link. Remember

that Google pays attention to links that use keywords as

signals about the destination link—if someone references

your blog post, they may include a link that uses a keyword

instead of a generic link, like “visit site” or “read more here.”

Link out to other valuable resources. If you create lists, link

out with high-quality anchor text. This will motivate others

to link back to you. Also, regularly highlight resources and

examples from SERPs to increase long tail traffic to your

page. The bottom line? Share as much knowledge and as

many online resources as possible for the best results.

FIRST 100 WORDS

CONTEXTUAL

LINKING

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Blogging with Penguins

If you’re reading about blogging, linking,

or anything related to Web marketing

and Google, you’ve probably encountered

references to the Google Penguin update.

The Penguin update, now in its second

release, is an algorithmic update designed

to eliminate sophisticated sources of SPAM

from search engine results pages.

Mainly, the update focuses on the

concentration of anchor text in a domain’s

backlink profile. In plain English, Google took

a close look at how different websites link to a

single destination. The links were scrutinized

based on their anchor text—the words which

compose the link itself.

Essentially, Google recalibrated the system,

making it more difficult for spammers to

manipulate its ranking factors. If you’re a

blogger who is genuine about your work, the

Google Penguin update isn’t likely to impact

you. But a word of caution to those tempted

by link-building schemes. If you build links to

your own blog to enhance its rankings for

specific keywords, you’re violating the

Google Webmaster Guidelines.

Instead, you’ll want to naturally build

authority, relying on the quantity and quality

of the content you publish. Over time, that

authority will translate to trust, as valuable

sources of content around the Web link

to you as a reference.

While it’s important to build links to earn

organic traffic, link acquisition should be

considered a byproduct of producing content

that’s inspirational and valuable to an audience.

The more noteworthy your content, the more

links you’ll earn. As other websites link to your

content, it’s important to take note of how

they link to you. More specifically, keep track of

which phrases they use when they reference

your content. If other publishers are linking to

your content with a brand or domain reference,

then you’ve done your job. If people are not

linking to you at all, you need to reassess

the value of the content you’re producing.

In time, Google will assign rankings for

keywords based on the quality of a website

and how engaged the audience is with its

content. While relevancy is certainly a

significant component in the overall ranking

algorithm, the resources used to evaluate

“trust” and “authority” will continue to

change. Establishing yourself as a trustworthy

publisher of content now will help you avoid

the implications of future updates like Penguin.

At the core of this principle is the lesson of

authenticity. Build content and resources that

naturally build an audience, and your blog will

thrive. If you seek to promote credibility by

cheating, or participating in networks that pass

link authority, you’re violating principles that

Google values. Strive to be a thought leader

in your niche, publish content that is inherently

instructional or enlightening, and provide

meaningful media that inspires discussion.

22%

26%

This data was provided from an analysis by Moz.com’s data science team. The information reflects a cumulative study of their portfolio of experimental sites. The data is accurate and poignant in the context of demonstrating which factors can lead to penalization.

23%

30%

11%

15%

58%

14%

Make your blog easy to find (continued)S

TE

P

8

http://moz.com/ugc/google-penguin-antispam-algorithm-testing-and-analyzing

Links with site URL (http://domain.com/)

Links with brand name as a company name or domain name

Links with promoted keywords

Nofollow links from total amount

Ben

efite

d

fro

m P

eng

uin

Pen

aliz

ed

by

Pen

gu

in

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Make your blog easy to find (continued)S

TE

P

8When you post an article,

do the following:

Tweet the post with bitly using

your compelling article headline.

Submit the article to Google+

using your account. G+ may

be cumbersome to use, but it’s

nonetheless essential. You should

probably spend some time there

sharing content and finding

friends. It’s a laborious process,

but each +1 basically counts as a

vote for your content, which helps

your piece remain in circulation.

Stumble the article using your

company or personal account

(or both).

Post the article on Facebook,

and then ask others to like it.

Add the article to your LinkedIn

page. This is especially important

if you compete in a tight vertical.

The Implication of Authorship Markup

Google Authorship Markup has been one of

the most significant advancements in the world

of blogging. Essentially, using a “rel=author”

tag associates content you publish with your

Google+ profile. This association verifies you

as the original author of the content and

provides a visual annotation in search results.

At its core, Authorship Markup allows Google

to identify influencers within a given content

category. It also provides an opportunity for

users to associate a particular author with

the content being referenced. The value

of Authorship Markup has many levels.

To keep things simple, however, it’s enough

to implement the tag and make sure your

content shows up in search results with

the visual annotation.

Essentially, Google has developed a new

system of ranking by using Google+ to

establish a network of authors. The premise

is that, if Google can identify a network of

trusted influential authors—whose content

is favored by large audiences interested in

a particular subject—Google’s search engine

can return results that are valuable and reliable.

As Google sees it, verified authors sit at the

opposite end of the spectrum from SPAM.

It hopes to leverage their validity to provide

infallibly high-quality search results.

As a blogger, once you’ve established a

Google+ profile, you’ll have access to a myriad

of plugins to help automate the Authorship

Markup process. One of the best resources

on how Authorship works (as well as how to

set it up) can be found on Search Engine Land.

After you’ve successfully created the circuit

necessary to trigger the Authorship result,

test it to make sure it’s set up properly using

the Google Structured Data Testing Tool.

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Make your blog easy to find (continued)

ST

EP

8

Shareability and Promotion

People won’t find your content just because

you post it on the Web. It’s up to you to drop

the content into the current and make sure it

gets swept downstream.

There are several ways to achieve this:

START A TWITTER

ACCOUNT

There are a variety of ways to search by keyword to find

people to follow. Before you start following people, start

circulating content on the Web that’s not yours. Tweet once

an hour, during the workday, using the most popular resources

you can find. If the content has already been pushed around

the Web, rehash the title to get some traction. Once you’ve

built a few hundred followers who push content around, you’ll

need to tweet something useful just once or twice a day.

START DISCUSSIONS

ON LINKEDIN

Start discussions on LinkedIn that refer back to resources in

your previous blog posts. In particular, saying something

controversial stimulates people to interact.

Link up with other bloggers via email. Say something like,

“I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, and think it’s

awesome.” Ask if they’d be interested in guest blogging, or

whether they’d like to cooperatively develop an article.

Also, consider blogging for others. It’s a long process, but if

you guest blog regularly on other blogs, you can drop links

back to your own blog and draw sustainable traffic. It also

extends your personal “author brand” across the Web,

building your reputation.

GUEST BLOG

MAKE SOMETHING

USEFUL

IMPORTANT:

Don’t just promote yourself and your

content—promote the type of content

you feel is valuable on the Web.

Examples

include:

Infographics. These iconic representations

of useful information thrive on the Web.

Click here for more info on MDG infographics.

Lists and resource guides that help people

do things. Make them entertaining—laughter

can be a surefire performance booster.

Educate. Give examples of how to do things.

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ST

EP

9 Encourage people to seek you out

Chances are, your blog won’t be unique.

There will be hundreds, maybe even

thousands, of authors competing for the

same audience. If you want to lure readers

to your particular blog, you’ll need to give

them a compelling reason to seek you out.

Develop a personality or carve a niche that

differentiates you from competitive blogs.

One of the best ways to compete for

attention is to provide something useful.

If you follow these six simple principles,

you should easily succeed:

REASON TO

RETURNProvide content that keeps them coming back

for more.

ENGAGINGGive your content entertainment, social, practical,

or communal value.

People expect a certain amount of glitz from their

media. Liven up your blog with appropriate and

professional images.

Give your readers something of value.

AESTHETICS

DIRECT

USER BENEFIT

Make them want to link to you.MEMORABLE

EXPERIENCE

Don’t miss the opportunity to get your readers

to take action.

EFFECTIVE

CALL-TO-ACTION

R

E

A

D

M

E

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Essential Reading for a Successful BlogThese articles constitute a crash course in effective blogging and press release optimization. Read them for best results. If you practice what you learn, you’ll become a blogging rock star.

(Article titles are clickable and will navigate to the Internet)

Why You Should Always Write Your Headline First

The Cheater’s Guide to Writing Great Headlines

Do Keywords in Post Titles Really Matter?

How to Write a Killer “How To” Post that Gets Attention

7 Reasons Why List Posts Will Always Work

Why Some People Almost Always Write Great Post Titles

10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work

9 Proven Headline Formulas That Sell Like Crazy

7 More Sure-Fire Headline Templates That Work

Use These 5 Headline Templates at Your Own Risk

The Art of Writing Great Twitter Headlines

Five Steps to Going Viral on Twitter

Intent Driven Email Subject Lines

Page 21: E-book: A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an Effective Corporate Blog

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