What is better than Las Vegas itself? Las Vegas teeming with top bloggers! Today was the first day of the BlogWorld Expo and I am absolutely thrilled to be here. The B5 Media team did a kick-butt job at putting together some fantastic sessions for the day. Here is the breakdown of sessions and the take aways of the day-
How to use Social Media Channels to Explode your Blog by Aaron Brazell
Digg-
- Digg is a great tool to increase initial traffic to your site.
- There are “diggers” out there who keep looking for good posts, and if they like what you have to say, you will get a barrage of traffic-but it’s not sticky traffic.
- Most traffic sent by Digg is short term. You will notice a quick spike in traffic for a day or two and then it’s off to the next big story.
- Bonus Tip- Don’t digg your own story. The regular diggers frown down on that. Best way-write great content with compelling headlines and let it get picked up. If someone misses a really good post, ask a friend or fellow blogger to digg it for you.
Stumble-Upon-
- Use stumble upon for ALL your stories. No frowning here.
- It provides good long term traffic.
- Grows over time.
Reddit-
- Not really strong enough to bother with right now.
Delicious-
- Good for link sharing with family and friends, but doesn’t do much in terms of traffic.
Twitter-
- My big new discovery today!
- Can drive a lot of traffic over time.
- Main idea- build relationships, add friends, and then constantly update them on what’s cooking. Twitter only allows you 140 characters to share your message. Great way to practice writing good copy!
How to Succeed as a B-List Blogger by Allen Stern and Jeremy Wright-
- Find fresh news. When everyone is saying the same thing in the blog world, it gets boring. Best way is to look for relevant press releases and break the story first.
- KNOW your audience. Be a top blogger for them. For example, After The Launch is not looking to be the number one blog in the world. The goal here is to be the number one resource for independent professionals and professional service firms who are looking to attract more clients and grow their business.
- Make the most of trends. For example, 2008 is just around the corner. Create your own HOT LISTS for next year.
Create a Powerful Blogging Toolset by Marshall Kirkpatrick and Tris Hussey–
- A good web browser. Their favorite (and mine)-Firefox.
- Get an RSS reader. This is a must if you want to keep up with the current trends in your field.
- Get a desktop RSS reader- FeedDemon (Windows) and NetNewsWire (MAC).
- Search Google and Ask.com for blogs related to your topic.
- Get an offline blog editor-examples: Windows Live Writer, Ecto, Mars edit, Scribe Free, Flock.
How to Amp up your WordPress Blog by Brian Layman and Mark Jaquith–
- MUST HAVE plugins–
- SEO Title Plugin (let’s you customize titles according to keywords).
- Google Sitemap (Creates a sitemap for your site).
- Subscribe to Comments (Allows visitors to subscribe to future comments on a certain post).
- WP-Cache (Makes the blog load faster).
- Akismet (Catches Spam comments-works like a dream).
- Content
- Sprinkle keywords where relevant
- Use descriptive titles
- Think “If my readers wanted to search my post, what would they search for?”
Survival Tips for Network Bloggers by Leora Zellman and Mary Jo Manzanares
- Set a time for working on your blog. Don’t let it take over your life.
- Don’t work in bed. Try to have a specific work space- (I know I am guilty of this!)
- Get out and meet others. Try working in coffee shops rather than always working at home.
Creating Conversations with your Readers by Jake McKee and Alex Hillman
- Get involved in your own comments! Reply to what people are saying. It builds a sense of community.
- Allow readers to subscribe to future comments.
- Look at what readers are asking for-Answer their questions and use their concerns to build relevant posts.
- Ask readers what they want!
- Be genuine in your efforts. You WANT to create a strong community.
Whew-that’s all for today folks! It has been a long day and I am looking forward to a nice steak and the Bellagio fountains. Viva Las Vegas!
