Starting a Blog? What to do BEFORE you begin.
Today I had the pleasure of listening to David Meerman Scott, one of my favorite marketing "gurus" being interviewed by Larina Kase as part of the launch of her new book The Confident Leader.
David Meerman Scott is author of the bestselling book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR. It's just been released in paperback and it's #1 in Web Marketing on Amazon.com.
Larina Kase asked David about blogging and of course my ears perked up even more...she asked what his advice was for businesses starting a blog...
We're in total sync with David. Here are his 3 steps you must do BEFORE you start a blog...
David Meerman Scott was adamant that you should not start a blog until you do these three things:
- Monitor the blogs in your industry or product category. Before you dive into the blogosphere study what other bloggers are saying in your niche. What's important to them and to the customer who are reading those blogs. Use Technorati to research what's being written about NOW in your industry.
- Start commenting on blogs in your industry. Do it now, before you start your own blog. Scott advises commenting on 2-3 blogs every day for a couple of months. Don't post hype about your product or service. Add to the conversation.
- Start working with bloggers in your space. How can you engage with bloggers in your industry to get them in your fold? Who are they? How can you get feedback from them about your products and services?
- Only after you have spent time on the 3 tactics above, then you may be ready to start your blog! You'll certainly have a clear sense of what's happening in your industry and who the players are. By commenting on other blogs, you'll have begun developing relationships and good rapport with the influencers.
#1 and #2 are how we advise our clients as well. Plus, we ask our clients to articulate the purpose and goals of their blog, as well as identify their audience BEFORE they ever get started.
David Meerman Scott recommends Wordpress and TypePad blogging platforms. We would add to that the Blog i360 platform for a turbo-charged new media marketing system.
Ready to get on the business blogging fast track? Check out our VIP offer.
Related Post:
You Are What You Publish: Interview with David Meerman Scott
