Presentation from 2010

1. Content Marketing For Activists: “Social
Media, RSS Monetization, and Search
Engine Optimization"
James Dellinger

2. Create Goals
Before you begin:
Determine what success on internet means to
you or your org.
Set them (and start modest.)
Be realistic, the internet is a part of an overall
outreach strategy.

3. Why Content Marketing?
Many content creators, including activists
are not fully equipped for the self-
publishing era, where self-promotion is just
as important... as the quality and timeliness
of the content.

4. • Two Laws of CMS Purchase
(Content Management Systems)
Don't ever build from scratch!
Never pay a licensing fee.
CMS's should consistently and easily be
upgradable, by themselves, or with low
volume consulting services covering serious
internet advances. (Compare them.)

5. Blog Activism- Why do so many people
use WordPress? Is blogging Dying?
There are many quality blogging software and CMS systems
for site creation, some fantastic, other terrible.
CMS does not stand still--- new versions are out all the time.
Remember if you are not moving forward you are falling behind!
A few examples:
• For beginners Blogspot.com is a great place to start, but has
severe limitations for activism!
• For advanced pros who know CMS systems, Drupal is a
wonderfully powerful, free system. (Think! Newsbusters.org
and large government recovery.gov run on Drupal systems)
• WordPress, and a few others are scalable solution for
many, individual bloggers or activist groups.

6. How interconnected is your blog or
website into the greater conversation?
Great tools to measure your inter-connectivity... And this is
how the web decides whether or not you are relevant to the
conversation…
http://www.urlfan.com/
http://www.technorati.com/
Ever get traffic from this domain? Use Top Search...
http://blogsearch.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wb
Join the discussion don't fear linking to other talking about your
issues.

7. Why doesn't WordPress come with a
how to guide?
Blog/Site Activism Cheat Sheet:
• Well it does, but...
• The Codex is huge! • What do your URLs look like
• A life time of reading... when they are created by your
• Most groups or individuals CMS?
have blogs/ or sites set up o For Wordpress: (Default
by over-worked contract option "two" is best, not
developers, who default "one" or others.)
understand code, but • Do you have the latest RPC
rarely set up for traffic address loaded in the settings
impact and maximization. "ping" box?
o (Remote procedure call)

8. Remember:
“The internet is a series of
tubes...”
Former Sen. Ted Stevens June 28th, 2006
describing the Internet in the context of
network neutrality
Not quite, much more like
pipes.... but that is a later slide.

9. GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT!
Breaking out of the Conservative
Internet Ghetto:
Maximize your blog or website RSS Feeds'
range and grow readership
Finding your target readership.
Do they actually read your site or
blog?
If you don't know- then find out!

10. More Google... Do you use...
Google Analytics and Webmaster
Tools? (Others are fine, just not free...)
Why Analytics? Why Webmaster Tools?
1. It's free! (And easy...) 1. Also free... but its a bit
2. It allows you to figure out more advanced.
what content your 2. Allows a webmaster to see
audience really enjoys. how the robots (search
3. Metrics, Metrics metrics, it engines etc) see your site
give you a relatively and properly and promptly
accurate assessment of fix flaws.
who, where, and when 3. Advanced management of
people visit your site. your sitemap.

11. Other Free and Useful
Analytic Tools
http://www.quantcast.com/
http://compete.com/
http://www.sitemeter.com/

12. About those Pipes....
Getting the most from your RSS
(Really Simple Syndication) to grow
your traffic

13. Your RSS Feeds could mint new money for
your cause in the recession.
Does your site have a feed or feeds? If so....
I hope you are using Feedburner.com to promote your feeds and your
content. Why?
The integrated distribution tools aid even a website to promote itself to
new audiences. Remember, the settings matter..... (you must say yes
to search engines and yahoo pipes...
But, having a feed or feeds is not enough... you must integrate them
into the wider internet communities.
• Have you used a service like Godady.com "Traffic Blazer"
• Have you submitted yourself to the internet's small towns?
• They are the hundreds of smaller 500- 5k member sites or
directories and communities that accept new RSS feed content.

14. Do you... "Ping"?
Many blogs and CMS systems have automated pinging, many
olders systems do not. Find out where you stand. Ping it out....
For more very technical information and explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML-RPC
Do's:
Make sure your ping box has all the latest rpc links installed.
If your system is older use http:www.pingomatic.com as you
update content.
Don'ts:
Assume your blog or site is just fine already without checking it
out- if misaligned you are likely missing 12%-20% of your
sites traffic potential.

15. Why Google News, Yahoo News, and
news and blog aggregator websites
matter, allot.
• Google News and Yahoo News are the primary "news
source," for many internet readers today.
• Not having your content here puts you at a huge traffic
disadvantage and it allows the lefties to dominate them.
• Other content aggregation sites are valuable in growing your
web presence. Many are populated via feed content, (to be
discussed later) others are run by humans and email is still
a useful tool to reach them.
• Oh yea… It's Free...

16. Getting Your Content listed in Google
News, Yahoo News, and other
important third-party websites
• Do you Qualify as a "Publisher?"
• Likely, you may and don't know it.
• Even if you are an advocacy group your press release may be
accepted. Yes, in fact they are… three a month.
• Carefully read Publisher requirements found by searching..
• In google search- "Google news publisher submit"
• In Yahoo! search- "Yahoo news publisher submit"
• Follow the directions closely, and respond to the emails
sent by the humans in Mountain View and Sunnyvale.

17. AdSense- Google's network for your site or
blog to be advertised on... easily.
Do's Don'ts
If, your primary or secondary Think big money is around the
feeds are through corner...it is really not.
feedburner.com...
Assume this is a question to be
You can easily put Google's ignored!
AdWords in your feeds and earn
new money for your organization. These things start really small....
but can grow and help offset other
Market your feeds to your web costs!
readership once ads are placed
in them, because they are Assume AdWords a closed
portable, ie good for mobile and system. As you can advertise
people interested in specific your cause in enemy territory
topics. (keywords and feeds), so too can
they!

18. Do you use AdWords?
If yes, is it in a cost effective and targeted, achieving your goals?
A few questions to ask yourself before you go any further...
Take one point from commercial marketing... attend seminars....
For Activists Groups: For Bloggers:
• What is your goal? • Will it get you noticed?
• What is your budget? • Can you afford it?
• Is this a passive presence • Who is advertising on the
or a time sensitive keywords you want to
campaign? reach?
• You are the David get • Is this for specific content
creative when hunting or just to get your name
giants... out and direct possible
• Trust me... I have hunted readers.
GoldmanSachs

19. Get Creative!
Rigidity and orthodoxy is not a a positive for this medium.
Political conservatism ≠ organization conservatism!
Think and act Reagan.....
(This does not mean you must compromise principle, but remain
flexible in approaching dynamic communities.)
Two Examples:
Why not build your own Facebook? With ning.com you can!
http://social.bureaucrash.com
http://www.teamsarah.org
These sites have effectively captured the spirit of purpose and had
successful principled appeal.

20. Mastering Social Media
Facebook, Email and Beyond
Do's Don'ts
• Create Facebook • Don't create more work
"group" and "fan" page than you can handle
for the public • Assume... "We have a
• Feed your content into blog, we do enough..."
your own Facebook • Don't just hand it over
page to an intern
• Become a full • Don't expect huge
participant in any traffic returns, in the
community you wish to short run
submit content to. • Don’t be too rigid, this
• Assume ‘twitter’ is so is a social space.
special or different.

21. Email is still King
Especially if your audience is and
target market skews older
Do's Don'ts
• Compare and shop • Send too many emails
around for email • Assume... "We have a
vendors. The offers blog, we do enough..."
change all the time. • Don't just hand it over
• ConstantContact.com to an intern
is not the only vendor • Just say no to spam…
(and not my favorite) • Unless they are on
• Think about your Capitol Hill or a state
needs and how it is House or Senate
priced
• Use it…

22. Other things to Consider when jumping into
the social media pool....
Add Value, don't waste time. Exploiting natural tendencies.
Twitter is not the only answer Don't forget that like minded
creating a rounded social media people are out there.... the big
presence, but is important. three
Twitterfeeding is a useful tool to
integrate 2.0 RSS blog or website Reddit.com-
content into your twitter account, Paulite Libertarians have a
without addition effort. sizable presence on...
(twitterfeed.com or
feedburner.com social) FreeRepublic.com- conservative
users are very well integrated in
Is a totalfark.com right for you? the internet to share content.
If you produce a large volume of
content and you want access to Technorati.com- get listed...
its "heavy users" then yes it is. get ranked....

23. Some Examples:
http://twitter.com/dcexaminer
http://technorati.com/people/technorati/DCExaminer
http://www.reddit.com/user/dcexaminer
http://www.facebook.com/washingtonexaminer
http://washingtonexaminer.tumblr.com/

24. When fishing for traffic.... Bring some bait....
Don't be afraid to bait your ideological foes...
Ying needs a yang, bait is as useful to create, presence as red meat.
Don't be afraid to troll, but be careful.... don't get caught doing
something stupid. (Bad: Hill staffers on wikipedia editing their members
page. Good: Conservative control of Dan Rather's page during
Rathergate.)
You could control your foes third party site, depending on the effort you
put forward and team you build.
Anonymous editing is frowned upon in 99% of wiki sites but they can be
both useful to co-opt or create for your cause.
If you must be anonymous.... a few pointers.
• An excellent site.... http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html
• Setup troll and shell email accounts and usernames locking your IP
address to a public WiFI source, like Starbucks, or AbP.

25. Search Engine Optimization

26. Do search engines know you exist?
Maybe yes... but likely not as well as your think.
• Google is not just a search engine, but...
o Must think of all ways people could find out more about your
campaign or activity.
 But remember, Google and Yahoo are the two most visited
domains on the entire internet, be there.
• PageRank and Keyword Association Management
o What does Google think of your site? Are other groups framing you
or your issues, on your keywords?
 Think SourceWatch, and Media Transparency
• Understand how SEO effects how the public see you
and your content.

27. A quick SEO Shortcut Guide
Do's Don'ts
1. Most important things 1. Assuming your site is a
about the content item in known quantity....
the url. 2. Can control search
2. Remember most people returns...
will find your content via 3. Forget to submit yourself
topic search, not looking to smaller search engines,
for you! many free mass submit
3. Dates are very helpful, sites exist.
especially if you want to be 4. Think it can be changed
included as a "publisher." over-night.
(it is required)
4. Domain redirects... How
many do you have?

28. URLs- Rights and Wrongs...
A few Examples:
The right way: (My former employer)
http://www.capitalresearch.org/blog/2009/03/02/citigroups-
capitulation/
Notice the dates.... and important words in the URL...
The wrong way: Ted Leonsis giving my current employer a
link.
http://www.tedstake.com/?p=3558
Notice NO dates.... and NO word for content association....

29. PageRank and Keyword Association
Management
Good advise, "Its very hard to push negative items down, its much
easier to push positive items up." You must manage this if you want to
protect you or your organization's online reputation. Your content
primarily appears based on "topic searches."
How?
Creating "username" accounts on high ranking third-party websites with
similar search words to yours.
Example: dcexaminer.com - Web address for Washington Examiner
I created a twitter account named dcexaminer and it always shows up
on the first search returns page.
I created a reddit.com account user named dcexaminer and it always
shows up on the second search returns page.

30. Some Additional homework:
The Advanced Reading:
"Google Hacking" Johnny Long
"Unleashing Web 2.0" Gottfried Vossen and Stephan Hagemann
"Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything"
Don Tapscott
"Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your
World" Don Tapscott
The Wordpress Codex (is great inspirational material)
Yahoo! Pipes
http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ (Can have fun with this....)

31. Don't Forget to have fun...
Rome was not built in a day, and
many other like you are out in there
building their presence...

32. James Dellinger
dellinger.james@gmail.com
don't be a stranger...