Blogging for business

www.melkettle.com.au! @melkettle !

Blogging for business!Mel Kettle!






Why blog?!•  share knowledge!•  promote your organisation !

•  position yourself as an expert!

•  it helps SEO!

•  helps create two-way conversation!

•  sharpens your organisational focus!

•  can give insight to audience via analytics!


Great business blog examples!


www.brasseriebread.com.au


www.blackmores.com.au


www.naturespath.com


What these blogs have in common!

•  clear and easy to understand posts!

•  tagging to create categories of post!

•  regular posts!

•  multiple bloggers!

•  good use of images !

•  responding to comments/questions!


•  online - immediate access to readers!

•  very interactive via comments and engagement!

•  no deadlines (unless self-imposed)!

•  length can vary!

•  casual in tone!

•  share stories!

•  continuous conversation!

How does a blog differ from other forms of writing?!


Corporate blogging!•  be interesting - grab the readers’

attention!

•  needs to remain consistent with organisations key messages!

•  rules to follow - language, tone etc!

•  more likely to have a defined audience!•  Listen, participate, engage!!


But…!what do I blog about????!


blog

Monthly themes

A series of posts on one topic

Top 10 lists

How to…

Current events

Guest bloggers

Updates of past ��posts

Giveaways and ��competitions

Solve readers ��problems

Case studies

New stuff in your industry

New stuff in your organisation


Tips for writing great content!1.  know your audience!2.  be interesting and relevant!3.  use your voice !4.  no acronyms or jargon!5.  bullet points, lists!6.  keywords to help with SEO!7.  ask questions!8.  use images!9.  spelling, punctuation, grammar!


Don’t blog alone!

•  connect with other bloggers - on and off-line!

•  talk to your colleagues!

•  read lots of blogs!

•  go to blogging conferences and events!

•  talk to your readers!


Increasing your readership!•  write great content!

•  use images where appropriate!

•  spend time on SEO!

•  pin posts to Pinterest where appropriate!

•  quality is better than quantity!

•  share via facebook and twitter!


Increasing your readership!

•  interlink your posts!•  use a related post plugin!

•  showcase your best posts in your sidebar!

•  make sure your website is attractive!

•  set up an email list and consider a newsletter!


Promote your blog!


Promote your blog!

•  install a social media sharing plugin!

•  share on social media!

•  newsletters!

•  website!

•  business cards!

•  corporate publications!


Promote your blog!

•  participate in forums!

•  comment on similar blogs to yours!

•  photo sharing sites!

•  share it with key influencers!

•  optimise for SEO when writing!


Creating community!•  Your message needs to be community-

worthy !•  Identify the call to action!•  Appoint champions !•  Encourage conversation!•  Provide the tools for engagement!•  Regular community engagement!•  Promote, promote, promote !


6 steps of measurement!1.  Know your goals!

2.  Define your audience!

3.  Define benchmarks!

4.  Define metrics – what is success to you?!

5.  Select data collection tools and media!

6.  Measure – be data informed not data driven!


Do you need a social media policy?!



If…!

•  Your organisation has any social media accounts!

•  You have staff!

•  They use social media!




What should it include?!

•  Who can comment on behalf of the company!

•  What can and can’t be said on corporate AND private accounts!

•  Consequences of a breach!

•  Link to a Code of Conduct!



Then what?!

•  Train your staff!

•  Include it as part of staff induction!

•  Remind people of the policy regularly !

www.melkettle.com.au! @melkettle ! www.melkettle.com.au! @melkettle !

@melkettle!

www.melkettle.com.au!www.cooks-notebook.com.au !

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Blogging for business