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Getting Started With Blogs

Getting Started With Blogs. DC Podcaster Alliance http://podcasting.meetup.com/90/ MaryFletcherJones@yahoo.com. Blog Factoids. 22.6 million people created blogs in 2007 21 million women post a comment to or read a blog weekly

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Getting Started With Blogs

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  1. Getting Started With Blogs DC Podcaster Alliance http://podcasting.meetup.com/90/ MaryFletcherJones@yahoo.com

  2. Blog Factoids • 22.6 million people created blogs in 2007 • 21 million women post a comment to or read a blog weekly • 60% of journalists use blogs to get feedback on their news stories

  3. What IS a blog, anyway? • Short for “web log” • RSS Feed • Allows people to subscribe to your blog, get email updates • Free • Platform for online content • Text • Images • Video • Audio • Interactive • Comments feature

  4. Why Blog? • Enhance your SEO • Promote your podcast... Blogger (Google) or My Space use w/external host’s RSS feed (just type in the link) Wordpress (PodPress plug-in) Libsyn (provides you with a blog when you use it) • Make your show notes searchable • Feature expanded content, links, images or special offers (contests, giveaways, sell products) • Get audience feedback and interaction

  5. My Space Blog Entry for Podcast

  6. A Blog with a Podcast in it

  7. Blog Basics: Begin with Passion • Write about what you know • what you care about • in your own voice • Examples • Fletcher Prince Blog on PR and Marketing • Living Well With Autism

  8. Blog Basics: Pick a Focus • WHY: Define your blog’s mission or agenda • inform/share/educate • entertain • persuade • WHO: Envision your audience • Style, language and characteristics • Needs and wants • Expectations • WHAT: Focus on core topics • Keep relevant • Stay positive; don’t rant

  9. DC Podcast Alliance Blog

  10. Recipe for a Good Blog Post • Catchy Title • Related to topic: will show in search engine results • 5-8 words; avoid punctuation • Single Focus • One big idea • Concise • Useful and Timely • “So What” factor? What’s in it for me? • Why now? Current, new, trendy • Meets a need faster, better quality, less expensive, easier, more fun

  11. People Scan TextMake it easy to read • Descriptive title • Headings and sub-headers • Bullets • 1 good image/video thumbnail • Bold face important words • Don’t use underline or all-CAPS • Verdana, Trebuchet fonts • Dark text on light background

  12. Sample Blog Post

  13. Organize Your Blog • Use categories to sort your posts • Use tags (they are searchable): keywords that describe what your post is about • Use alt-tags for all images

  14. Sample Blog Categories

  15. Length of Post • 200 words (min) • 450 words (max) • More than that – split it up

  16. Frequency • Better: short, regular, punchy, one-topic • Worse: lengthy, sporadic, rambling • 1 x month • 1 x week • 3 x week • Search engines like schedules • Post in advance (easy to do with Word Press) and schedule the posts

  17. Keywords • Bold your keywords (don’t underline or CAP) • Format as headings (h1, h2, h3 tags) • Use in your URL, blog title, posts titles, tags, and categories • Keyword Density: 3% to 7% • repeat critical keywords 10 times per 200 words • More than that could get you marked as SPAM

  18. Viral Content • Original and off-beat topics (or hot button issues, useful) • Top ten lists, how to articles • Video and images (alt-tags!) • Don’t repost content (link, re-word, excerpt)

  19. Fun Things to Try • Post/comment on the DC Podcaster Alliance Blog! • http://dcpodcaster.blogspot.com/ • Create a blog “widget:” for a customized“Blidget” you can post anywhere • http://www.widgetbox.com • Use “Feedburner” to post your blog on your webpage, Facebook, etc. • Try microblogging: 1 sentence updates on Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook. • Comment on Yahoo Answers • Blog Platforms: MySpace, Yahoo 360 and Shine, Blogger, WordPress

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