Blogs: The journey starts here.

Bill Sheridan, CAEBusiness Learning Institute

Vail ResortsMarch 30, 2011

Blogs• A Web site of news and commentary that

allows readers to give feedback about what they are reading.

Why blog?

Establish your company as a thought leader

Reinvent your marketing strategy

Build communities and improve customer relations

Control

Expand your brand

Companies that blog have …• 55 percent more

visitors to their official Web sites.

• 97 percent more links to their Web sites.

• 434 percent more indexed pages.

Source: HubSpot

Caterpillar: http://caterpillar.lithium.com/caterpillar

Starbucks: mystarbucksidea.force.com/apex/ideaHome

Marriott: www.blogs.marriott.com

Wegmans: www.wegmans.com/blog

Manpower: www.manpowerblogs.com

General Electric: www.gereports.com

Fiskars: www.fiskateers.com/blog

Southwest Airlines: www.blogsouthwest.com

Patagonia: www.thecleanestline.com

Whole Foods: blog.wholefoodsmarket.com

Keys to blogging success

Content …

… and commitment

Even if you don’t write a blog …

… read them!

How-tos

• “The Corporate Blogging Book,” by Debbie Weil: www.debbieweil.com/book• “Social Media Strategies for Professionals,” by Michelle Golden: amzn.to/e1N6VJ • ProBlogger: www.ProBlogger.net• Findable Blogs: www.FindableBlogs.com• How to Start a Blog: www.WikiHow.com/Start-a-Blog

Blogging platforms

• Blogger: www.Blogger.com• Typepad: www.TypePad.com• WordPress: WordPress.org

Blogging tools

• Google Reader: www.Google.com/Reader • Bloglines: www.BlogLines.com • FeedReader: www.FeedReader.com• NewsGator: www.NewsGator.com

Resources