TrevR's Takes

6 blogging basics every PR pro should master

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:46:41 -0800

While recent reports indicate that blogging may be in decline among the Inc. 500, the total number of blogs continues to grow exponentially. Brands are increasingly coming to the realization that they can and should be telling their own stories using blogs and other social media channels.

For communications professionals this means it's critical to master the basics of publishing and distributing content online. Here are six blogging basics that every communications professional should have in their arsenal.

Understand the full value of compelling headlines

There's an explosion of content online now that everyone is a publisher, so crafting a compelling headline is paramount. Not only is it the first thing most people will see, but it's also likely your one and only chance to pull in new readers. Headlines are typically what will be re-tweeted and shared on social networks by people who consume your content. Choose your words wisely, be direct and descriptive and don't forget there are SEO implications for your headlines as well, so make them keyword rich.

Link strategically

It's not enough to include hyperlinks in your blog posts--that much should be a given. Think strategically about the words you're hyperlinking to help with SEO. Rather than link generic words like "here" or "this video," instead link the same content to industry keywords, product or brand names, etc. Bottom line: think before you link!

Utilize images

Let's face it, visual storytelling is here in a big way and it's not going anywhere. Most audiences expect to have a compelling visual aspect to the content they're consuming, including everything from a single image to slide shows and image galleries. That's why communications professionals need to know how to properly format and size images to fit different mediums and platforms, as well as how to effectively name, describe and tag visual content to help with discovery and SEO.

Embed content

Videos, SlideShare content and even Tweets. All add interactivity and there's no reason to send people away from your blog with a link when you can embed the same content and keep them on your site. The major platforms have made it super simple to locate, generate and customize embed code for easy sharing, the next step is understanding how to properly insert that code into your blogging platform of choice. In Wordpress, for example, it's as simple as making sure to click on the "HTML" tab within the post edit screen before pasting the code.

Moderate comments

Encouraging and stoking a healthy online discussion should be one of the goals of any blog post. Knowing how to review and moderate comments while adhering to your overarching comment policy is key. While it may 'feel' right to not approve negative commentary, you'll be much more credible and win fans in the long term by not only publishing critical commentary, but by then responding in an open and honest way.

Encourage sharing

Nearly every blog now includes buttons for Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. that allow readers to quickly share and distribute content with their own networks. The next step is ensuring that posts are consistently using specific calls to action to encourage readers to engage and interact. Tell people explicitly what you want them to do and when they do it, follow up and recognize them for doing so.

Tweet me @TrevR or leave a comment here to let me know what other blogging basics you would you deem critical.

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