Your blog as the center of your social media solar system

In Content Marketing Institute's recent B2B Content Marketing report [.pdf], blogging was the 6th most popular content choice, behind social media, articles, in-person events, enewsletters and case studies. But of even greater interest is the report’s discovery of a “confidence gap”: only 40% of their respondents rated blogs as effective, while a considerable 60% said it was “less effective/ineffective. ”

What it is

Shorthand for “Weblog, the blog offers an easy way to present brief chunks of frequently refreshed Web content. Backed with easy-to-use technologies for syndication (e.g. RSS), comments and trackbacks, blogs are often the blazing centers of social media solar systems that can incorporate sophisticated SEO strategies and community-building campaigns.

3 key play points:

1. Encourage conversations: even “bad” comments can be an opportunity for developing good customer relations.
2. Be a good netizen: participate on other blogs as well as your own. Develop a Top 15 hit list where you need to be “hanging out. ”
3. Loosen up. Authenticity trumps perfection when connecting with readers.

 

More where this came from:

Further reading:

• 10 Blogging Tips for Beginners and Experts @ junta42.com
• Content Marketing Playbook 2011 @ contentmarketinginstitute.com (.pdf)