Social Media Specialist Joanne Burgess

Here a Blog, There a Blog, Everywhere a Blog Blog….

Whether you agree with it or not, the internet world is buzzing with blogs.  WordPress.com alone reports over 7 million blogs registered on its .com site and over 2 million new blogs between January and May 2009.  Why? Because blogs are an ideal way for business owners to regularly share fresh content on the web and build a relationship with their prospects and customers.  Many are now using a blog site as their website. There are several blog platforms to choose from but  I suggest WordPress.  However, as a Social Media Specialist Virtual Assistant, I counsel clients not to use WordPress.com. I suggest going to WordPress.org and having a self-hosted site. This gives you total ownership of your files and their content.  You will also have a wealth of plugins that you can use to optimize your site which would not be available to you on the .com site.  If you don’t have the skills to get going on your own, some Social Media VAs like myself can help you.

Here are my top 10 ways to successfully customize your WordPress.org site to maximize its effectiveness.

1.     Customize the Header

Search for a template that allows you to customize the header.   Not every template will allow you to do this.  WordPress.org has a library of templates that you can choose from. Use the advanced search capability to find one that allows you to customize features including the header.  You can also do a search on Google to find the right template for you. You may have to pay for the one you want and many are very reasonably priced, but there are plenty of free templates available too.

Helpful tip:  When changing the header, make sure whatever you put in there is consistent with your brand. Also make sure your name appears somewhere on the page, if not in your header and don’t forget your tag line!

2.     About Me Page

Make sure you fill in the ‘About Me‘ page. Many readers will check you out before/after reading your post.  Make it personal and interesting. You can add as many pages as you like to your Blog site. This is another reason many business owners are choosing a blog site as their website.  Also, a blog site can be updated easily and regularly without having to know a programming language.

Helpful tip:  Always write in the first person and write as it you are talking to the person you would like to do business with.

3.     Subscriptions

Make sure your readers can subscribe to your blog… Most blogs include an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed, but most users still prefer email subscriptions.  Feedburner.com (a free Google tool) is one way for you to allow your readers to get notification of your new blog posts.  You can install this on your blog site using the ‘text widget’ feature on WordPress.

Helpful tip:  If you are using Feedburner, make sure you customize the notifications on your Google account to include text that is engaging to your readers.

4.     Links

You will want to make sure that you post links from your blog to your other sites.  My blog site provides links to my website, my LinkedIn profile, My Facebook page and My Twitter page.  In this way, all my sites are connected and followers of my blog can easily access the information they are interested in.  But it’s on my blog, that readers will find my newest content and where I get to develop my ideas.  I am not hampered by 140 characters!

Helpful tip:  It’s not enough just to have your blog link to your other Social Media sites. Those sites should also provide a link back to your blog.  In cases like  LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo and FriendFeed for example, you can have your blog feed right into those applications.

5.     Plug-Ins

There is an incredible list of plug-ins available for WordPress.org sites.  Research the ones that would best benefit your business.  I suggest as a minimum, applications like Google Analytics (another free tool) so you can measure your results and a plug-in (like Add to Any) that allows you to push your blog content out to places like the Social Bookmarking sites like Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon.  This plug-in also allows your readers to share your content as well.

Helpful tip: Consider a Plug-in like ‘Comment-luv‘. It allows readers to provide a link back to their own site after they comment on yours. Great for Google juice!

6.     Tags/Categories

It’s important to choose relevant tags and categories for your blog posts.  These are very important for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and help you get found out there in the blogosphere.

Helpful Tip:  There is no need to go crazy with 30 tags and 20 categories.  There is some discussion as to how many are too many, but use your discretion. I would generally suggest not more than 2-3 categories per post.

7.     Cataloging

It’s important for your blog to be cataloged out there on the web. Registering your blog on sites like ‘Blog Catalog‘ and ‘Technorati‘ will help your blog get some visibility.

Helpful tip:  You can set it up to have these sites ‘ping’ your blog. This helps ensure that these sites stay current with your most recent entries. You will find these options on the Technorati and Blog Catalog sites.

8.     Frequency of Posts

It’s important to get into a pattern when you are blogging.  Blog readers like fresh content and they are looking for it on a regular basis.  How often to post?  The recommendation is 2-3 times a week.  If you can’t blog that often, then make it at least once a week and try to post on the same day each week.  Consider using a guest blogger for those weeks where you might be too busy or are struggling for the words. But don’t overdo that. Your readers want to get to know who you are as a person and as a business entity.

Helpful tip:  Posting blogs on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays are the most popular days to post and tend to get the most readers.

9.     Title

The title that you choose for each blog post should be chosen with care.  The title and the first paragraph of your blog post are the primary things that Google crawls for SEO.  You shouldn’t exceed 10 words in your title and make sure it’s relevant to the content of the post. Modifying the permalink is another way to enhance SEO.

Helpful tip: Using a number in your title (Like I have here with Top Ten Tips) can increase readership from 2-8x!

10.   Objectives and Content

Finally and most importantly, understanding your objectives and focusing on your content are key.   Once you understand what you are trying to achieve and who your target audience is, the easier it is to tailor your content to that market. If you aren’t a great writer but have a great message, consider getting help.  As a Social Media Specialist, I review my clients’ content before I publish it and tailor it to the audience.  The best way to know how to deliver content is to read some great blogs and there are some great ones out there. Remember, the purpose of blogging is to build a great relationship with your prospects and your clients.  Add value, be conversational, welcome feedback and have fun!

Helpful tip: I also recommend reading and commenting on 5-10 other blog sites in your industry to become known in the blogosphere and encourage others to visit your own site.

Those are my top ten. I am sure you have other great tips too and I’d love to hear them. Click on the comment button below and share your ideas with me! I love getting feedback!

As a bonus, I offer comment luv here on my blog…By leaving a comment, you will be able to link back to your own site…great for SEO Look forward to hearing from you!

While physically located in Newmarket, Ontario where Joanne lives with her family, as a VA, she is virtually yours anywhere….

Tags: Blog, Blogging, Business, Marketing, Relationship Building, Social Media, Social Networking, VA, Virtual Assistant