Blogger Training Session (Updated) | Hammad Siddiqui

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

Session 3: How to go viral using social media

•#pakbloggers• [email protected]• http://hammadsiddiquiblog.com

• [email protected]• http://ashrafchaudhryblog.com

Thematic Areas

1. Corruption

2. Entrepreneurship (youth, women)

3. CSR

4. Women Issues

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

wordpress)• How to write quality content?• Reaching out to readership.• Key success factors.

Why Blog?

Why Blog?

Improves creativity

Writing skills

Opportunity to express views

Opportunity to interact with large

community

Recognition

Challenges for Bloggers

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

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

FIRE

Finding Your Niche

Personal Blogging

Corporate Blogging

Informational Blogging

Quick and crisp information?

Print media (news and Op/Eds)

Articles

TV

Social Media / other blogs

Interviews

Exhibitions/conferences/seminars

Google alerts

Component of a Blogpost

• Title• Body• Keywords• Pictures• Videos• Hyperlinks

A Simple Tool for Creating A Story

Writing Killer Titles• #1: Use a Number• Your post could use any of the following:– Tips, Ways, Methods, Steps, Templates, Rules, Secrets

• Adjectives: great, expert, clever, fantastic, brilliant, top, best

• Some Nice Examples:– Ten Easy Ways to Write Faster– Five Simple Steps to Set Up Your Blog in Less Than

Two Hours– Five Crazy Videos That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

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 [email protected]

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

Which Platform?

•Blogger vs Wordpress

•Serious blogging – host at your domain

Be Creative

• [email protected]

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!

[email protected]://hammadsiddiquiblog.com

Twiter: @hammads

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