To blog or not to blog? That IS the question.Newburyport Chamber of Commerce Educational Seminar, Sponsored by iMarc

Agenda

•Who is iMarc?

•To Blog or Not to Blog?

•What Makes a Blog Successful?

•How Do I Get Started?

•Q & A

Who is iMarc?

About iMarc

•Develop custom web and mobile solutions on our custom content management system;

•Specialize in user experience, creative design, and business systems integration;

•Founded in 1997, 200 customers;

•Consultative approach.

Services

•Web Strategy

•Consulting

•Branding, Design, and Photography

•Web Development

•Mobile Applications

•Maintenance and Hosting

Expertise

•Technology

•Financial Services

•Pharmaceutical

•Bio-technology

•Business to Consumer

•Non-profits

To Blog or Not to Blog?

What is a Blog?

Blog /blôg/Noun: A website on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis.

Verb: Add new material or regularly update a blog.

Anatomy of a Blog

• Share • RSS Feeds• Recent Blog

Posts• Comments• Author’s Bios• Related

Blogs• Archive

Users are Researching Online

“78% of Internet users conduct product research online.”

Kagan, Marta. “12 Mind-Blowing Statistics Every Marketer Should Know.” Hubspot Blog. 1 Apr. 2011.

Why is it Important to Blog?

•Provide relevant and engaging content to your audience

•Highlight your expertise and industry knowledge

Why is it Important to Blog?

•Leverage your blog to drive engagement, include strong calls to action

Why is it Important to Blog?

Of 236 businesses surveyed, “87.4% successfully increased measurable SEO objectives as a direct result of blogging.”

Odden, Lee. “Survey Results: Impact of Blogging on Search Engine Optimization.” TopRank. 2010.

Why is it Important to Blog?

•Dynamic blog content will drive Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Why is it Important to Blog?

Your COMPETITORS are blogging and it’s on the rise!

“65% of companies publish a company blog in 2011 vs. 48% in 2009.” Miller, Melissa. “Businesses Blogging Up 17 Percentage Points in 2 Years.” Hubspot Blog. 7 Mar.2011.

Key Takeaways

•Blogging is another facet of customer acquisition and a key marketing function for your organization

•Blogging is about content and you must be committed to it’s sustainability

What Makes a Blog Successful?

What Makes a Blog Successful?

“If each time the consumer goes to your site, there is a blog entry dated within the last day or so, they will be more likely to trust the content of the entire site as being updated and valid.” Angus, George. “Top Ten Reasons to Blog Your Business Site.” George Angus. 21 May.2010.

What Makes a Blog Successful?

Content is KEY

How to Regularly Update Your Blog

•Determine how often you want to Blog and align blog posts with:

•Seasonality

• Information about the organization

•Promotions and Events

•Newsworthy Items

How to Regularly Update Your Blog

•Develop an Editorial Calendar to Align with this Information

•Nominate Staff to Write Content for the Blog

• If you plan to blog weekly and assign 4 staff members a blog then it’s only one blog per month, per person

How to Regularly Update Your Blog

•Develop and Share the Blog Calendar with the Team

•Plan for your blog topics in advance

•Example: Essex County Greenbelt Association

What Makes a Blog Successful?

Make every word count….

“Focused, targeted content will drive your blog’s success…Blogs with restraint, selectivity, cogency and brevity…will use attention more efficiently and ought to win.” Godin, Seth. “The Noisy Tragedy of the Blog Commons.” Seth Godin’s Blog. 13 Mar. 2006.

How to Regularly Update Your Blog

•Blog topics should represent an intersection of the organization’s needs and your customer’s needs;

•Provide user-centric content that can provide them with the answers they are looking for.

What Makes a Blog Successful?

Provide relevant, targeted content, specific to your audience.

“[B]logging endlessly blinded to your goals gets you nowhere. Stay on the path and steer clear of burnout by knowing your goals and your audience.” Evans, Meryl K. “Just How Often Should you Blog?.” gigaom. 26 Feb. 2010.

How Do I Get Started?

Create a Blog

There are a lot of ways you can approach developing your own blog:

•Incorporate it into your Website CMS

•Create a Google Blog (Blogger/Blogspot)

•Create a WordPress Blog

Create a Blog

Incorporate a Blog into your Website CMS:

•Partner with your developer to create a blog;

•Feature Author information, Share, and Social Media integration;

•Enhance SEO by driving content to your main site.

Create a Blog

Create a Google Blog with various features including:

•Custom URL

•Web standard compliance

•Drag and drop template editing interface

•Locations to post through geo-targeting

•Preview dialog

•www.blogger.com

Create a Blog

Develop a WordPress Blog :

•Most popular CMS in use online

•Install specific themes, standardized formating

•SEO friendly

•Clean link structures

•www.wordpress.com

Drive Traffic to Your Blog

Communicate with users where they are already engaging with content.

“75% of people are somewhat or highly likely to share content they like online with friends, co-workers or family…49% do this at least weekly.” Garvey, Kristen. “Consumer

Engaged Via Social Media Are More Likely To Buy, Recommend.” Chadwick Martin Bailey Consumer Pulse . 8 Feb. 2010.

Drive Traffic to Your Blog

Promote your blog and encourage users to easily engage with your blog:

•Integrate your blog with Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Check out: www.socialquickstarter.com/

•Incorporate Share Features such as “AddThis”

•Use outbound email to drive traffic to your blog – Constant Contact

•Encourage users to sign up for RSS Feeds

Create a Blog

Measure Your Success with Google Analytics:

•Free Web Analytics Tool

•Track your SEO before and after you create your blog

•Optimize your site based upon traffic patterns

•Track what blog topics get the most hits

•http://www.google.com/analytics/

Q & A

Thank you.