Blogging 101 for small medium business success

Presented by
Doug Hay, President
Blogging 101 for
Small-Medium
Business Success
WEBINAR

DOUG HAY
• President of KIAI Agency Inc
• 30 year marketing veteran
• Early adopter of Internet marketing &
social media
• Sought after speaker - presented at local,
regional and national conferences
• Lectured at two universities for the Sales
& Marketing Executives program
Blogging 101 for Small-Medium Business Success
ABOUT US

BRAND
STRATEGIES
LOGO &
STATIONERY
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
WEB
DEVELOPMENT
CONTENT &
BLOGGING
SEO
SERVICES
PAY-PER-CLICK
MANAGEMENT
EMAIL
MARKETING
SOCIAL
MEDIA
REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT

AGENDA
1. PRESENTATION
2. Q & A
3. ASK FOR SLIDES

DOUG HAY
doug@kiaiagency.com
604-454-0316
Toll Free: 877-226-3823
Free
Marketing
Analysis
More
Sales?
More
Leads?

BLOG LINGO
A blog is a website in the form of a
‘journal’ that is available on the
web
• Blog. Slang for (weB LOG) on the
Web.
• Blogging. The action of updating a
blog.
• Blog post. The content of the blog
entry – an article.
• Blogger. Someone who maintains
a blog.
• Blogosphere. The information
available in blogs on the Internet

THINK LIKE A PUBLISHER
WEBSITE
VIDEO
WHITE PAPERS AUDIO
EMAILED
NEWSLETTERS
BLOGS
PRESS
RELEASES
CASE
STUDIES
ARTICLES

Stop
interrupting
people and
start engaging
with them.
ENGAGEMENT

Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
NEW MARKETING

CONTENT MARKETING
“Content marketing is a marketing
technique of creating and distributing
relevant and valuable content to
attract, acquire, and engage a clearly
defined and understood target audience –
with the objective of driving
profitable customer action.” Source:
Content Marketing Institute

EFFECTIVE MARKETING

NOT ABOUT SELLING
“More than eight out of ten companies surveyed
said they were using some type of content marketing
to better engage with potential and existing clients.
“The future of marketing is not about selling so
much as it is about engaging. This is what
resonates with customers and why marketers have
embraced content marketing in such large numbers."
Source: Survey, conducted by HiveFire

INFLUENCE A PURCHASE
Source: Digital Media
Report

Email
Integrated
Marketing
Strategy
Social
Media
Blog &
Content
Branding
Web
Site
Referrals

BENEFITS OF BLOGGING
• Get connected with prospects
• Helps make your website show up in Google
• Generates leads
• Key part of content marketing
• Use in Social Media
• Helps your reputation management
• Allows you to connect with influencers
• Tool to grow a following
• Low cost marketing

http://www.ana-white.com/2011/04/about-ana-white
NOT QUITE SURE WHAT A BLOG WAS

Source: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-alaskan-mom-brings-millions-to-her-carpentry-blog/ (2012)
Social Media Stats:
• Website: Ana White Homemaker
• Facebook: (Under “Knock-off Wood”): 50,000 (2012) fans
• Twitter: 2,550 followers
• YouTube: 30 videos
Highlights:
• Ana White’s blog draws nearly three million unique page
views every month.
• 90-95% of her Facebook content comes from fans, and
she leaves it all public.
• Pinterest is the #1 referring site to her blog, bringing 6,000
unique visitors a day.
• In year two, the blog began bringing in enough advertising
revenue to support her family.

“Do you have advice for other women who might aspire to a blog-to-book
career like yours?
“I put 90% of my time into creating content and 10% into other stuff like
answering emails, social media, and promoting posts. If I had started with
the opposite, just 10% on content and 90% on promotion, I don’t think I would be
here today.
“Try to create content that’s so valuable it shares itself,
and then you can focus on doing what you love.”
Read more: http://www.thegrindstone.com/2012/10/17/mentors/homemaker-ana-
white-i-would-love-to-be-the-rachael-ray-of-diy-719/#ixzz2YT6TWQVQ

Set up
business
blog
Homework &
goals
Write
posts
Link to
website
Blogger
relations
Promote
your blog
Click thru to
website

• Set goals
• What audiences
should you be
communicating with?
• Set up metrics to track
the results
WHAT GOALS?

• Choose a platform e.g.
WordPress
• Build the blog
• Add features – called
plug ins
GETTING STARTED

• Download from
WordPress
• Hosted by WordPress
• Doesn’t give you
search visibility
FREE BLOG

1. Find URL e.g. www.yourname.com
2. Arrange hosting e.g. Media Temple,
GoDaddy, etc
3. Purchase theme (design)
4. Upload theme to your hosting (needs a
programmer)
5. Add content – text, images, video
YOUR BLOGYOUR BLOG

• System for building a
website/blog
• Automatically resizes for
monitors, tablets and
smart phones
Image credit: GraphicStock: monitor-tablets-n-phone-vectors_zyOFz1Fu_L.jpg
RESPONSIVE DESIGN

KEYWORDS
Keywords:
are words or phrases that
content such as webpages, blogs,
pages, photographs, audio files or
files.

SEARCH ENGINES
Search Engines
index content using keywords
it easy for users to quickly find
that they are looking for

• Keyword research1
• Write web pages
with your keywords2
• Add fresh content:
blogs, video, pix3
SEO STEPS

Look for words and phrases that potential
customers are searching for, so you get the
most traffic to your website/blog.
KEYWORD
RESEARCH

Does the keyword show the intent
that could lead the searcher to
searcher to become a customer?
e.g. used cars for sale Miami (good)
e.g. colors of the rainbow (bad)
COMMERCIAL INTENT

Semantics are now at the core of every search
query on Google.
Semantics describes the differences or similarities
in perceived meanings of words, phrases, or sentences,
relative to context.
MEMO

Image credit: http://www.gapingvoid.com

• Know the product
or service your
client is selling
• Write compelling
content about that
sector or industry
WRITE FOR THE USER

What’s in
it for the
reader?

• Your peers respect opinion leaders
• Position yourself as a thought leader by
writing blog posts that are
factual, timely and interesting
• Be realistic and write to be understood
• Be persistent—fame in your niche is not an
overnight activity
OPINION LEADER

1. Get What You Want (In Health, Wealth, Relationships, Time and
Lifestyle) Example: “The Secret To Getting More Money For Your
Property!”
2. Crystal Ball and History Example: “10 Predictions on the Future of
Social Media”
3. Problems and Fears Example “Get Rid of Your Debt Once and For
All”
4. Fact, Fiction, Truth and Lies Example: “Little Known Ways To
Make Money On The Stock Exchange”
5. How To, Tricks Of The Trade Example: “How To Plan The Ultimate
Holiday”
6. Best and Worst Example: “The 10 Worst Mistakes Made by
Bloggers”
- From Authority Blogger
HEADLINES

• Write clearly: would
someone who knows
nothing about this
subject understand the
post?
• One idea per sentence
• No jargon that they
won’t understand
• Define acronyms with
the first use
UNDERSTANDING?

• Provide usable
information
others will want
• E.g. 10 secrets to
grow a small
business
DATA HOOK
https://www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/business-people-and-engineers-on-meeting-28

• “How to”
information is a
top selling
product on the
web
• E.g. Write a
unique tutorial
“HOW TO” INFORMATION
www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/listen-to-me-sign-shows-notice-or-message

Find a news
item or
statistics that
can be used in
the blog post
QUOTE NEWS
SOURCES

Source: http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/news-websites
TOP NEWS SITES

Search engines will
crawl your
website more
often if you have a
blog which is
updated regularly
SEARCH ENGINES

• A blog is not objective—
they have informed and
biased opinions
• People write blogs—not
the corporate
communications
department using
‘Corporate Speak’
A BLOG IS NOT….
Photo credit: graphicstock-sfk8rathiiskiczm6

• Use blogs to help
tell your story
• Brings a face to
your organization
• Search engines
love them
• Cross link to your
site & social media
• Use in newsletters
TELL YOUR
STORY
Image credit: https://www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/elderly-person

• Is it new to your
target audience?
• Skip the “same
old thing”
UNIQUE CONTENTUNIQUE CONTENT

“What counts as a high-
quality site?
Our site quality algorithms are aimed at
people find "high-quality" sites by
rankings of low-quality content.”
FROM GOOGLE
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.ca/2011/05/more-guidance-on-building-high-quality.html

• Use short
sentences and
short paragraphs
• Lots of sub-
headlines
• Bullet points
Image credit: Mike Licht
FORMAT

A blog is best
updated
regularly—daily if
possible but at least
weekly.
UPDATE FREQUENCY

• Typically not less than
500 words
• Eliminate any
unnecessary words—
keep it simple and easy
to understand
• Keep sentences short
• Keep paragraphs short
• Short = easy to read
BLOG LENGTH
www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/portrait-of-brunette-woman-with-tablet-
looking-at-her-colleague

ASK QUESTIONS
End your blog with something like
this:
“Did you find some ideas to improve
marketing, etc? Let us know in the
below.”

• Include pix(s) with
your blog posts
• Video can be
embedded or
included by linking
to it
PIX & VIDEO

SEO STEPSYOUR READERS
• Respect your readers
• Check for typos
• Informal writing style is fine but use good
grammar to make it a professional and
understandable communication
• Find your style and stick to it

7th Position –
Google
National
Search

Create great
content for your
target audience
and the search
engines will
reward you!
QUALITY COUNTS

Don’t use any
keyword
excessively, as
search engines
may perceive
this as
spamming.
NO SPAM

“Keyword Density [is] not really a
factor. Yes keyword should be
present but density is not
important.
Include the keyword but make
writing sound natural.”
- Senior engineer at Google
KEYWORD DENSITY

• Title tag
• Description tag
• Headline (H1 Tag)
• Sub-headlines (H2 Tags)
• Body of the text page – write with
keywords
BLOG OPTIMIZATION

Information (code) in a
web page/blog not
intended for users to
see but provides
information to search
engine crawlers.
WHAT ARE TAGS?

• Tag used to define the text in the top
line of a Web browser
• Utilized by search engines as the title
of search listings
• Make them short - maximum 55
characters with spaces
• Include at least one targeted keyword
(phrase)
• Never duplicate a title tag
TITLE TAG

TITLE TAGS SHOW UP IN SEARCH RESULTS
GOOGLE SEARCH: Custom Home Builders Chicago

• An tag to provide a description for
search engine listings.
• Descriptions should include very
specific, keyword-rich writing.
• 130 to 150 characters
DESCRIPTION TAG

DESCRIPTION TAGS SHOW UP IN SEARCH RESULTS
GOOGLE SEARCH: Custom Home Builders Chicago

• Use the keywords as
close to the
beginning of the
headline as
possible.
• The headline
should not be
longer than 65
characters
65
HEADLINES COUNT

• Use main keyword in the first
paragraph.
• Put a link to your website at the
end of the first paragraph, using a
keyword as anchor text for the link.
FIRST PARAGRAPH

• Use your main
keyword a few more
times in the blog and
once in the last
paragraph.
• Use lots of synonyms
BODY TEXT

Don’t use “click here”. Rather than click
here for more information, use descriptive
key words:
• E.g. Top stock picks for savvy investors
(key word: stock picks)
• E.g. Compare widget prices with 5 other
suppliers (key word: widget prices)
ADD LINKS FOR
READERS

YOUR CONNECTIONS
Photo credit: https://www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/

BACK LINKS ARE VITAL
1. Find publications in your
industry that have a good readership
readership
2. Pitch them to publish your article
3. Repeat

• You
commenting on
other blog
posts
• Others
commenting on
your blog posts
COMMENTS COUNT
Photo credit: https://www.graphicstock.com/stock-image/feedback-sign-shows-
opinion-evaluation-and-surveys

• Promote on your
social sites:
Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, google+
• Use blogs in email
newsletters.
Image credit: IvanWalsh.com
BLOG PROMOTION

1. Do a Google search for
blog directories in your
business sector
2. E.g. “blog directory for
mortgage brokers”
3. Register
BLOG DIRECTORIES

• Search ranking for
blog
• # of bloggers allied
• # of positive blog
posts written about
your business
• Inbound links to your
site and blog
TRACK RESULTS

Source: Data from over 1,500 small businesses - http://bit.ly/XDkQV
GOOGLE NOTICES

Social Media Marketing…
Givers Get

Takeaways
Write for your end user
Do your homework & have a plan
Write great content
Optimize for search
Write on a regular basis
Promote on social sites, email, etc

Doug Hay
doug@kiaiagency.com
Direct: 604-454-0316 Toll Free: 877-226-3823
Free
Internet
Marketing
Analysis
More
Sales?
More
Leads?

All materials contained in these presentations are
protected by Canadian and United States copyright
law and may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast
without the prior written permission of KIAI Agency
Inc.
The names of actual companies, products or images
mentioned herein may be the copyright or
trademarks of their respective owners.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Blogging 101 for small medium business success

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