Inbound Marketing University - Blogging 101

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission. She is known as the "Words Girl" around Graphix For Change. Her current quest is to get a grip on how online marketing analytics can help grow a non-profit's program and reach.

Last week I wrote about Inbound Marketing University, an online learning adventure that I'll be sharing with you in this blog.

I just completed lesson one, "How to Blog Effectively for Business (GetFound 101)" with Ann Handley and Mack Collier of MarketingProfs.com. The take-away from lesson one is simplicity; breaking the blogging platform down into its most common components.

Why blog?
In 2008, 45% of the US online population read blogs on a monthly basis. In 2013, that number is projected to be 58%, 0r 128 million. In 2008, 13% of the US online population created or maintained a blog; by 2013 38 million US netizens will be blogging.

There will be an online conversation about your agency, company or area of expertise. If you aren't engaged in it, you have no say over how that conversation is framed. With an active blog, you become a thought leader in the discussion.

So, what is a blog?
A blog has two basic characteristics:
1)A tool that allows you to quickly and easily create and publish new content; and

2)allows readers to leave feedback on that content, as well as react to feedback from other readers.

Google loves blogs. Why?
The content is constantly changing and fresh. Search engines want to provide their users with the freshest, most relevant information available. By blogging, your site becomes fresh, exciting, and more attractive to the search engines. You get more traffic.

Basic components of blog
Most blogs have the same basic components: the post, the comments, a sidebar, and a header.

The Post
This is the dominant part of the blog; it sets the tone for what you talk about, how you want to position yourself to your readers. This is where you add your fresh content. This is not about advertising or talking about your agency. It's about giving folks information that will be helpful to them. This allows you to establish your expertise while providing useful information.

The Comments
This is where your readers get a say in the content being created. When your readers interact, it makes your content more powerful, more interesting. When someone does comment, be sure you comment back, in a conversational and personal way. Use first names; be welcoming and friendly. Make that personal connection and you'll open the door for even more comments.

The Sidebar
The sidebar is your opportunity to connect with other people in other ways. For example, you can add your Twitter feed, or offer an RSS feed of your blog. You can run a quick poll, or add a sign-up form for your newsletter. The great thing about the sidebar is this can be fully automated, so it is constantly changing, but completely hands-free for you.

Header
This is a great place to put your branding elements (logo, tagline, etc) as well as links to more information about the agency or company. It sets the overall look and feel of the blog, and ties it in to your existing website.

Layout and Design
There are myriad choices for layout, either through easy-to-use templates or customization. A word here...start simple, start clean. Make it easy to understand at a glance, so the reader's focus isn't distracted trying to "figure it out." You can even use dropdowns for the information in the sidebar, for a really clean look.

That's the basics of "what is a blog?" In the next post we'll talk about some things to consider before you commit to a blog. In the meantime, please add your thoughts about blogs, and if you know of a blog that you really love, post it here so we can talk about it.