Training Workshop for Bloggers on Effective Blogging

Tools and Techniques for Effective Blogging

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)

Session 1: Why blog, Key challenges, and thematic areas.

Session 2: Technical bits, what platforms to use, design and formats, simple optimization tools, AdWords

Session 3: How to go viral using social media

• Why Blog?• Challenges before you start.• How to find your niche.• Which platform to chose from (blogger vs

wordpress)• Watch trends.• How to write quality content?• Challenges as a blogger.• Reaching out to readership.• Key success factors.

Online is the Media for Today and Tomorrow.

• People are watching more television, reading more news, playing more video games, spending more time updating their social networking profiles and using more video on demand services than they were six months ago, according to a new survey published today, but their actual spending has plunged as increasingly consumers expect free access.

• Spending on 'traditional' media such as newspapers and magazines has dropped almost 20% in the last six months, while spending on digital media has almost halved.

• Online, social networking and blogging remains the most popular pastime with half of all respondents doing it compared with 47% six months ago. The big jump in usage most recently has been among 45 to 54 year olds, increasing from 37% to 45%.

Source: KPMG Report

Why Blog?

Why Blog?

Improves creativity

Writing skills

Opportunity to express views

Opportunity to interact with large

community

Recognition

Breakout

You have 15 minutes to bring a story.

Go out in the lobby, restaurant, toilet, bookshop, shopping arcade, parking, reception etc and bring a story

You need to write this story in word document (in 15 minutes). Put your name and email address and email it to emad.sohail@gmail.com

Challenges Before U Start!

What are the trends?

How to get quick and

crisp information?

Choosing a platform

Finding your niche

Finding Your Niche

Personal Blogging

Corporate Blogging

Informational Blogging

Controversial Blogging

Which Platform?

•Blogger vs Wordpress

•Serious blogging – host at your domain

Design Counts

http://jongordon.com/blog

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

www.jeffbullas.com

http://t.co/IuoG4RYh

http://www.humorcarbons.com/

http://wisdomfrombooks.com/

http://farihamunirshahtimes.blogspot.com/

1. Title - Too big and not SEO Friendly (Keep it short and focus on key words such as Women Chamber, Multan etc - Its tricky stuff but check youtube videos on this topic)

2. Background design - Too clumsy (remove all those colorful stuff)

3. Font - too small (you need to build 1.5 line spacing)

4. Picture quality - Poor, you need relatively higher quality pics. AND Must be captioned - You have used captions in some previous posts

5. Missing Tags, keywords, labels (in blogger these are called Labels) - Labels help in improving search on google.

http://fahdhusain.blogspot.com

http://naumanadil.blogspot.com

Another thing that counts

Content is the King!

Read, liked and goes viral

Simple yet correct

language 400 words

Personal touch

Professional approach

References and hyperlinks

Pictures and videos

Quick and crisp information?

Print media (news and Op/Eds)

Articles

TV

Social Media / other blogs

Interviews

Exhibitions/conferences/seminars

Google alerts

Challenges for Bloggers

Keep writing Scheduling Respecting reader’s comments Maintaining the interest from readership

Thematic Blogging

1. Corruption

2. Entrepreneurship (youth, women)

3. CSR

4. Women Issues

• craft@ashrafchaudhry.com

• #pakbloggers

Be Creative

ThinkPad!

• Choose the topic that you wish to cover• Name your blog• Select a platform• Select a theme• Add widgets• Create your first post

Making Money Through Blogging

AdSence Amazon Affiliates

Corporate Blogging

Ghost Blogging Backlinks

Success Factors YOU and Your Commitment

Content: • Short, specific, thought provoking, informational

Appearance: • font, color scheme, spellings, grammar, title, pictures

Professionalism:• Facts, references, tags, google alerts, Social media

postings, research

Basic SEO

- Keywords - Title- SEO tools- Bold Fonts- Youtube Videos- Slideshare - Effective Backlinking- Commenting on other blogs

• Google Analytics• Feedjit• XML sitemap

Reaching out to readership– Facebook (join groups, increase friend’s

circle) 800 million– Twitter (use #tags) 100 million active users–Google+ over 100 million– Linkedin Groups 140 million users• Most traffic comes from facebook – Tag with keywords– Backlinks– Tweet (and retweet)– Request

Happy Blogging!

hammadlinks@gmail.comhttp://hammadsiddiquiblog.com

Twiter: @hammads

Feedback Form http://goo.gl/kPUxQ