SO much information to take in in two days! Luckily, my brain was a cooperative sponge, and I happily soaked up all this fabulousness {or, at the very least jotted it down!}. With a party every night, socializing and lounging {alt lounge that is} between sessions, ALT was way more fun than school! Not to mention the teachers {read panelists} DRESSED WAY BETTER!
Let’s kick-start our next creative project, build successful collaborations, and grow readerships by putting all of this solid info into play. So inspired to make 2012 the best it can be! Here are my notes from Day Two sessions – now let’s get out there and make these babies hum!
Growing a Readership
Panelists: Jordan Ferney, Kelly Beall, Nicole Balch, Maggie Mason
photo credit: classroom items, blog
- You will get more traffic by posting ORIGINAL CONTENT. Content can be original layout, your experience, sharing expertise or from your own research.
- Put your own spin on curated content
- Keep a consistency and frequency in posts
- Good design is a prerequisite – your blog must have a professional look. You can get redesign help at Etsy (for example) relatively inexpensively.
- If you have an idea, do what you have to do to get it off the ground (bare minimum) and you can make improvements over time
- Look bigger than you are. Content should look like a magazine article
- Become part of a community. Engage the twitter community. If possible, take part in a face to face community of bloggers
- There is not a weird vibe of competition in the blogging community. Community is welcoming and eager to feed off one another.
- You will only feel jealous and insecure if you are not creating your best content. You get as much as you give
- Commenting on others posts and linking back may work if your comment builds curiosity
- Don’t dilute your content with posts you are less passionate about or that sway from your overall direction of blog {oops! what am I doing here?? Oh well, it is for the greater good}
- People like roundups – it increases traffic. Link roundup to stumbleupon, tumblr, reddit, etc.
- Tell a story – use a personal narrative. Share who you are
- SEO – be aware of current and trending topics and direct traffic to your site with related content
- Facebook can be used to drive traffic to your blog – #1 traffic driver. Also use links on twitter. Know how people engage with each type of social media
- Know where your traffic comes from by studying analytics and post at the appropriate time of day
- Say thank you if you are mentioned in a blog. Also link back to blogs that you are sharing their content and advise and thank them
How to Make Yourself Press Worthy
Panelists: Dottie Van Every, Erin Hiemstra, Jess Chamberlain, Laura Mayes
photo credit: Meg Keene - pinterest keynote graphic
- Always stand up to promote yourself – literally! (So true. Even if you are talking to someone on the phone in your pj’s, stand yourself on up)
- Need to make your story news worthy – what is new and relevant that has not yet been covered?
- Make sure you give exclusivity. Start by contacting the best place to promote your brand and offer the first right of refusal
- Refine your elevator pitch. Find out how the publication or journalist want to be contacted – via Twitter, email or {gasp!} telephone
- Be an expert in the field you blog about. Stand out with unique and differentiating factors. Be a resource
- Be quotable. Be enthusiastic. Make your last statement count – leave them with a ZINGER!
Cheat list of sites to check out:
The Pioneer Woman (great blog sectioning… and a Food Network show if you can get one!)
Apartment Therapy (great blog sectioning)
Brian Solis – (PR guru)
Prezi – cool presentation tool used for this session!
I found this resource on Guest Blogging at aliceosborn while browsing around.
Enjoy!