Get The Newsletter

The latest in business, marketing and technology, delivered to your inbox!

Your Name:

Email Address:

Business Type:

WorkZ Email Marketing

BizTOOLS

WorkZ Sites
Build a web site yourself for Under $30 or have a designer build one for you.

iPrint.com
The leading source of high quality online business card printing, letterhead printing, custom envelope printing, and more.

New Blog Checklist

By John Hingley

Blog Overview & Setup Guide

Business blogs are becoming one of the most important channels for brands to 'connect' with their consumers, and for consumers to interact with and share their opinions of brands. Every company and brand should develop a blog strategy in order to be on the leading edge of online conversations and develop a dialogue with their consumers. The costs are minimal and the benefits include increased brand loyalty, website traffic, leads and sales.

The following list outlines the decisions that need to be made, and activities that must be done, in order to create and a successful blog.

Define Objectives

    • Build community & loyal following
    • Give company/brand a voice
    • Become a thought leader
    • Increased media coverage
    • Search engine visibility
    • Increased brand awareness & value
    • Increased web traffic
    • Increased leads and sales

Determine content

    • Define author(s)
    • Content type(s) and topics
    • Personality
    • Frequency of posts and posting calendar
    • Reviewer(s)

Create a name for the blog

    • Perform keyword research
    • Unique & descriptive

Select and register URL

Determine blog platform (the software that drives the blog)

  • Based on:
      o Level of technical expertise (html, FTP, perl)
      o Level of customization necessary
      o Number of users & number of individual blogs
      o Ease of use
      o Web hosting needs
      o Hosted
      o Host on your servers
      o Integration with any current websites
  • ASP/Hosted platform
      o Completely hosted publishing application and server hosting
      o Easy to use and administer
      o Templates or some html customization
      o Subscription-based service, $10-20/month
      o Fast set-up
  • Software/Non-hosted platform
      o Actual software to download and install
      o Higher level of expertise needed with HTML, FTP, Perl, databases>br> o More control over design
      o Better reporting possible if Client integrates own web analytic application
      o Web hosting not included
      o Hosting may be purchased separately, $20/month
      o Best for high number of users and blogs
      o License-fee based, $200-1,000+ based on number of users & servers
      o Allows integration with current website hosting, domains and look and feel.

    Design it

      • Fit with Author/blog personality and brand
      • Concentrate on content over design

      o People who subscribe to RSS feeds may never see your blog just your content on their site!

    Promote it!

      • Inbound links
      • Reciprocal linking
      • Pinging
      • Search Engine submission
      • Promotion to current brand customers
      • Word-of-mouth

    Determine blog administration & management

  • Responsibility for all aspects of:
      o Posting
      o Comment approval and response
      o Reporting
      o Ongoing promotion

      · Internal (Client)
      · External (Crush)

    Timeline

      • Blogs can typically be launched within 2-3 weeks
      • Search engines pick them up in a matter of weeks


    About the Author:
    John's 15-plus years of marketing and sales experience range from software and technology to digital distribution and online billing services to wine and gourmet items...

    Click here for more info from this author...



    		•