Blogposts Done Right Part 1
This month's lessons is not about the contents of the blogposts only. It's also about the FORMAT of the blogposts. It's also not about the title or headline of the blogposts - because that's the subject of MMI Month 1.
Everything in this Marketing Mastery Lesson is required. None are "nice to have" unless it's stated.
This will make your blogging professional looking to any reader.
Professional image is everything to marketing, specially online.
Let's begin.
That lego will be releasing a new toy line for LOTR. What do you write? Will you wait for the release dates to start blogging about this?
No you won't. The earlier you blog about something that's coming up (a movie, a building, a new mall) --the better. Your blog's usefulness and popularity will increase if it's percieved as something people can go to see "exclusive" stuff about the new thing. Granted, you're not a reporter, you have NO ACCESS to exclusive stuff right now.
So here's what you do: Google image search for: (lego lord of the rings)
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=lego+lord+of+the+rings&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=zgD8TszUJqGZiAe-qOy6AQ&biw=1252&bih=739&sei=1QD8TrDaO4iaiQeqweha
Whatever appears, put those in your blog as a blogpost. Multiple blogposts, everyday. Always links back to where you got the image though, to keep things "legal".
Try to guess what the new toys will look like.
You made this blog about LOTR so you should be enjoying yourself thinking about it and discussing it.
Compare the upcoming new toys to the already popular existing toy collections (like star wars) or other medieval themed toys made by Lego.
People want to read about your thoughts about this upcoming toys.
Yes they do.
If you feature images of what it might look like, they won't go to google images, they'll go to your blog.
7. Not only do you know nothing about the new product/topic. You're not even interested. What to do now?
This should never have happened. All successful blogs are filled with passion. But anyway, let's try a hypothetical example:
Granted you're such a ____ marketer you just created a blog wherein you have no interest in the topic - only the money it can create for you.
If you did this, it's not an excuse to create a messy uninteresting blog.
It's time to hit the forums and comments and find out what people are saying - and use those text in your blog.
A google search for lego forums will bring you to http://messageboards.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx - and that's just the first forum. Searching for Lotr today -- nobody's talking about it.
So you go to the next forum or blog in the google search.
If you do find something: Read and make sure you always mention WHO SAID what in your blog so nobody gets angry that you copied what they typed in. Link to your source.
At this point, let me show you what a popular blog did with this topic that contains no clue so far what's coming up - they actually thought this might be a new COMPUTER GAME instead of a new set of LEGO toys. Because of this blunder, they now have 2 blogposts about the LEGO LOTR. But Jomar, that's only 2 blogposts. Yes but everybody else has one ONE. They will be more popular than the rest once more news comes out about this. And when I say "popular" - i mean will appear on top of Google when people search.
From Joystiq.com:
You can make a blog post like that.
8. Get ideas from the Comments for your blogposts.
In the blog above, from Joystiq.com if you scroll down, you'll see intelligent comments like:
It's a link to a LEGO Artist who did LOTR sculptures. Which will lead you to:
Which tells you more can be found on Flickr:
Now you have more photos to use. Just remember to link back to your source (this flickr account) and FLATTER, impress the maker of these LOTR lego models.
That's like 20 photos, good for 10 to 20 blogposts (one image each). When asked "Is this stealing?". Just say "It's "RESEARCH". Just remember to put in a lot of words when you use these photos. Make the creator FEEL GOOD that you're FEATURING him, instead of stealing his photos.
If you get an email or comment asking to "take down" the images (called a "take down notice") - DO NOT PANIC. Ok, go ahead and panic.
After 3 days....
Done ka na?
Great, just erase the photos from your blog and leave a message "So and so (name) requested that you see the photos in his blog/flickr account etc." Go there by clicking on this link (link to original images).
DO NOT REMOVE your blogpost. Keep it there.
By the way, did panicking really help you? It didn't? Thought so.
9. Act like a reporter: If you're smart, (and you are) you'll ask LEGO for favors to show you early photos by telling them at http://service.lego.com/en-us/contactus/email.aspx
Tell them "I'm an active toy blogger and would like to feature your new toy sneak peaks in my blog.
Just do it, because today in both the US and the Philippines, serious bloggers are treated like MEDIA PEOPLE/Reporters. Specially if they see the number of subscribes you have in your Facebook Page or Email List or number of comments.
10. Where to get Other Generic Photos? Here's your tutorial:
http://www.jomarhilario.com/2011/03/club-lesson-how-to-find-photos-for-your.html
Warning, the tutorial above is not a recommendation. It a must -do. Also, do not use the following images:
Stick Figures
People in Americana/Business attire showing something or handshaking.
Those images mean you're lazy and ordinary. They will turn off your audience.
When looking for images, and your topic is something exciting like "Lakes", so you type in Lakes in flickrcc (see tutorial link above), and you find nothing in the images that you like, then try a different word that's related like Alligators, Cranes, Rivers or Nile or Amazon. You get ?
That's it for today.
Right Click here and select Save File As to get a PDF copy of this document.
This is a Marketing Master Insider Document. If you are reading this and are not already a part of the MMI, become one of us and get your complete collection: http://jhilario.com/marketinginsider
-Jomar Hilario
This month's lessons is not about the contents of the blogposts only. It's also about the FORMAT of the blogposts. It's also not about the title or headline of the blogposts - because that's the subject of MMI Month 1.
Everything in this Marketing Mastery Lesson is required. None are "nice to have" unless it's stated.
This will make your blogging professional looking to any reader.
Professional image is everything to marketing, specially online.
Let's begin.
1. Always start your blog post with a colorful photo or image.
Jomar, can I just skip the photo? No.
What kind of photo? Colorful. Rectangular. Fills or almost fills the entire width reserved for the blog text.
Ivanka Trumps blog, though simple, follows this rule: http://blog.ivankatrumpcollection.com/
Look how ugly and uninteresting it is if you don't follow this rule, for example from Britney Spear's blog:
2. Use HUGE images for beauty and to get attention. Some blogs use text to get attention, some blogs use nice, well selected images to get your attention. You'll need to be online to see what I mean in detail but go to http://www.boston.com/bigpicture and http://uncrate.com to see what I mean.
Big secret that's out there: Lots of blogs make lots of money online by rehashing, re-using photos from everywhere.
The legal way to do it is always link back to the source of the photo.
Secret is: the more photos you have that are interesting, the better.
For some people political news is interesting, if you're this person, check this out:
Or this:
3. If you're featuring a video in the blog post, do not start with the video only. Always explain or give a text intro before showing the video so people seeing the short version of the blog post will know if they want to see the video or not.
4. When you're using Blogger.com (blogspot.com) - the bottom that says "OLDER POSTS" is too small. It must be big enough to see. Locate the blogger ADD CSS hack online that makes it bigger. See sample below.
5. Always include a "See other posts" or "Related Posts" by using the LinkWithin Plugin (free for both Wordpress or blogger). You know there's a tutorial for this right?
Here's your tutorial:
6. Blogging about something you don't know about. This is not about the components of the blog but the blog post text itself.
Say you like Lord of the Rings, and you actually have a Tolkien blog or a LOTR blog. Tolkien being the author and Lotr the shortcut for Lord of the Rings.
Say you know only this:
No you won't. The earlier you blog about something that's coming up (a movie, a building, a new mall) --the better. Your blog's usefulness and popularity will increase if it's percieved as something people can go to see "exclusive" stuff about the new thing. Granted, you're not a reporter, you have NO ACCESS to exclusive stuff right now.
So here's what you do: Google image search for: (lego lord of the rings)
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=lego+lord+of+the+rings&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=zgD8TszUJqGZiAe-qOy6AQ&biw=1252&bih=739&sei=1QD8TrDaO4iaiQeqweha
Whatever appears, put those in your blog as a blogpost. Multiple blogposts, everyday. Always links back to where you got the image though, to keep things "legal".
Try to guess what the new toys will look like.
You made this blog about LOTR so you should be enjoying yourself thinking about it and discussing it.
Compare the upcoming new toys to the already popular existing toy collections (like star wars) or other medieval themed toys made by Lego.
People want to read about your thoughts about this upcoming toys.
Yes they do.
If you feature images of what it might look like, they won't go to google images, they'll go to your blog.
7. Not only do you know nothing about the new product/topic. You're not even interested. What to do now?
This should never have happened. All successful blogs are filled with passion. But anyway, let's try a hypothetical example:
Granted you're such a ____ marketer you just created a blog wherein you have no interest in the topic - only the money it can create for you.
If you did this, it's not an excuse to create a messy uninteresting blog.
It's time to hit the forums and comments and find out what people are saying - and use those text in your blog.
A google search for lego forums will bring you to http://messageboards.lego.com/en-US/default.aspx - and that's just the first forum. Searching for Lotr today -- nobody's talking about it.
So you go to the next forum or blog in the google search.
If you do find something: Read and make sure you always mention WHO SAID what in your blog so nobody gets angry that you copied what they typed in. Link to your source.
At this point, let me show you what a popular blog did with this topic that contains no clue so far what's coming up - they actually thought this might be a new COMPUTER GAME instead of a new set of LEGO toys. Because of this blunder, they now have 2 blogposts about the LEGO LOTR. But Jomar, that's only 2 blogposts. Yes but everybody else has one ONE. They will be more popular than the rest once more news comes out about this. And when I say "popular" - i mean will appear on top of Google when people search.
From Joystiq.com:
You can make a blog post like that.
8. Get ideas from the Comments for your blogposts.
In the blog above, from Joystiq.com if you scroll down, you'll see intelligent comments like:
Now you have more photos to use. Just remember to link back to your source (this flickr account) and FLATTER, impress the maker of these LOTR lego models.
That's like 20 photos, good for 10 to 20 blogposts (one image each). When asked "Is this stealing?". Just say "It's "RESEARCH". Just remember to put in a lot of words when you use these photos. Make the creator FEEL GOOD that you're FEATURING him, instead of stealing his photos.
If you get an email or comment asking to "take down" the images (called a "take down notice") - DO NOT PANIC. Ok, go ahead and panic.
After 3 days....
Done ka na?
Great, just erase the photos from your blog and leave a message "So and so (name) requested that you see the photos in his blog/flickr account etc." Go there by clicking on this link (link to original images).
DO NOT REMOVE your blogpost. Keep it there.
By the way, did panicking really help you? It didn't? Thought so.
9. Act like a reporter: If you're smart, (and you are) you'll ask LEGO for favors to show you early photos by telling them at http://service.lego.com/en-us/contactus/email.aspx
Tell them "I'm an active toy blogger and would like to feature your new toy sneak peaks in my blog.
Just do it, because today in both the US and the Philippines, serious bloggers are treated like MEDIA PEOPLE/Reporters. Specially if they see the number of subscribes you have in your Facebook Page or Email List or number of comments.
10. Where to get Other Generic Photos? Here's your tutorial:
http://www.jomarhilario.com/2011/03/club-lesson-how-to-find-photos-for-your.html
Warning, the tutorial above is not a recommendation. It a must -do. Also, do not use the following images:
Stick Figures
People in Americana/Business attire showing something or handshaking.
Those images mean you're lazy and ordinary. They will turn off your audience.
When looking for images, and your topic is something exciting like "Lakes", so you type in Lakes in flickrcc (see tutorial link above), and you find nothing in the images that you like, then try a different word that's related like Alligators, Cranes, Rivers or Nile or Amazon. You get ?
That's it for today.
Right Click here and select Save File As to get a PDF copy of this document.
This is a Marketing Master Insider Document. If you are reading this and are not already a part of the MMI, become one of us and get your complete collection: http://jhilario.com/marketinginsider
-Jomar Hilario
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