Social Media Marketing - Blog

A blog is basically a 'weblog', a kind of website, a journal that is updated regularly. It is a discussion platform besides being a content achieve. People can discuss a topic on a blog and comment on posts. It is basically run by an individual or a small group.

Blogging                                                  

Every activity and skillset that is required to manage a blog comes under the purview of Blogging, for example, writing posts, publishing them, designing, social marketing, etc. In simple words, blogging is the process of adding new content to a blog and updating it at regular intervals.

● Blogger (Person) − Person involved in blogging is called a 'blogger'.

● Blogger (Service) − It is a service provided by Google that allows us to compose a post, edit, update, and manage it. You can customize your blogs easily with the help of a 'blogger'. It lets you share what is on your mind and earn money. It is a convenient platform for avid as well as novice users. No technical knowledge or coding is required. It runs directly on Google servers and is impossible to hack.

● WordPress − It’s a free software to create and customize a search engine friendly website or a blog. A number of themes and plugins are available to transform your website as required. Approximately 70 million people are a part of WordPress community. WordPress is available in both free and premium plans.

● Blogspot − Blogspot is a free web hosting service gifted to web developers by Google. It helps Google Blogger in delivering its service. We cannot use any other platform to use it.

● Tumbler − It is a microblogging platform that allows us to make a blog and customize it. We may use stories, images, videos, audio, etc. Bloggers can either keep their blogs private or follow other blogs.

Advantages of Blogging

● Better online influence. It assists in making impressions in grabbing a good profile.

● It forms a good source of income. Pat Flynn earns $100,000 per year from his blog 'Green Exam Academy'.

● Maintaining a blog can help improve your writing skills.

● A blogger can easily become a published author.

● You can get instant feedbacks in the form of comments, shares, etc.

● Bloggers can be sound learners, as they tend to read and engage more in such content.

● Get a long fan following list.

● Blogs can help you build a strong network.

● Maintaining a blog can help you improve your technical skills on Wordpress, SEO, etc.

● Sell Online − Blogs can be a great virtual store.

● Express yourself − Blogging is a great way to share your ideas through inspirational means.

● Blogging is an easy, yet a sure way to build trust online.

Setting a Blog using WordPress

You can create blogs on many platforms. They can be either free or paid. Here is how you can create a blog using WordPress −

● Create your account on WordPress.com. Enter your name and Email address and other required details.

● Select a web address; it can be either free or premium.

● Choose a suitable WordPress plan.

● Set up your profile and build your profile page.

● Configure site settings like Site Title and tagline.

Setting a Blog using Blogger

Blogger.com is a popular platform that is being used widely for creating ready-to-post blogs. Follow the steps given below to create a blog using blogger −

● Sign up and create an account on www.blogger.com.

● Enter display name and click 'create your blog now'.

● Choose your blog title and URL. Verify whether it is available.

● Choose a desirable template from the given options.

● You would come across the 'posting' tab. Create post, edit posts, and page here.

● Enter the title of your post on the 'title' tab.

● The rest of your post goes in the 'Compose' text editor. You can customize your post by editing its font, size, text color, etc. 'Edit HTML' option is available to insert your content in HTML format.

● Select 'post option' if you want to enable readers’ comment.

● Save once you are done with it. You can preview the final page before publishing it. Click 'Publish' to publish the post directly.

Blog Promotion

You can take the following measures to promote your blog −

● Connect your blog to Google+ to allow auto-sharing.

● Post quality content and post regularly.

● Write search engine friendly content.

● Have an Email button in order to receive feedback from your readers.

● Use your blog link in mail signatures.

● Enable site feed to let more and more people subscribe to your content.

● Add your blog to Blogger’s listings. Submit your URL to blog directories.

● Actively comment on other’s posts. This way, your profile gets more exposure.

● Participate in online forums.

● Use social media for branding.

● Hold a contest or a carnival.

● Write as a guest blogger. Write multiple pages and link them together.

Blog Commenting

Commenting on a blog is an art. You need to put some effort to post comments that catch users’ attention.

● Add a few attractive phrases with exclamation mark to draw attention.

● Comment as early as possible, as the first few comments are the ones read by most.

● Refrain yourself from over-promoting.

● Don’t be rude or use offensive language.

● Include questions in your comments. They seek more attention.

● Be influencing by updating an article.