Blogging 101 By Krystle L. Wright, Public Relations Specialist Owner, Krystle L. Wright Public Relations & Marketing For Small Businesses

Blogging 101 What is a blog? Why blog? How to create a blog What to blog about Characteristics of a successful blog

What is a blog? Word origins: Blog = Web log Ways to Think About Blogs As a new genre of writing/communication As an ongoing communication/conversation

Why should small businesses blog? Credibility Build relationships How not to use a blog: Sales pitches

The purpose of a blog is connection, not sales.

How to create a blog Choose a blogging tool So many options: Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr… Things to consider: Cost (free vs. paid) Features (widgets, social media compatibility) Technical knowledge needed For the purposes of this presentation, we’ll be talking about Wordpress.com blogs.

Sign up for your blog Choose a blog address Supply account/contact information Choose if you want an upgraded account Click “Create Blog” Activate your blog via Start blogging!

Start blogging To manage your blog, you use the page known as Dashboard. To create/edit a post, click Posts. Change/create the title and body content of your blog post. Upload or link to media Categorize your posts to organize your blog Add tags to identify what your post is about Publish your post

Blog setup You can change your blog’s appearance by: Selecting a new theme Changing the background color Uploading a header image, like a logo Adding widgets that allow readers to navigate and socially share your blog,

What a Blog Looks Like

What to blog about We’ve already said businesses should blog to create their reputation as experts in their fields. The best way to do that is by sharing information that is: More useful than commercial Likely to be relevant or interesting to people beyond your company or industry Accessible to the average reader (doesn’t use too much technical jargon, etc.)

Characteristics of a successful blog Consistency Be consistent with your message/ideas and frequency of updates. Ease of readability When choosing a theme and font style and size for your blog, keep in mind that it should be legible. Avoid ‘walls’ of text by using blank space, subheadings and lists to break your content into chunks Make sure your blog content is professional – proofread it for spelling and grammar mistakes and keep the tone of the writing appropriate to the subject. Promotion Promote your blog through online and social media channels and by building relationships with other bloggers Interaction Encourage readers to comment on your blog