Last Friday at iBlog 7 I gave a talk entitled “10 Power Blogging Tips“. I uploaded the slides for everyone’s reference below. However as most of the people who were there would know, I verbalized almost everything. The slides just served as an outline. I tried my very best to reconstruct everything I said below after the embedded slides. By the way, I’m just editing the Marketing Proposal Template, it should be uploaded in a separate entry by tomorrow. 
10 Advanced Power Blogging Tips
1. Maximize your best “SEO’d” blog entries
Check Google Analytics and check out which of your articles are getting the most exposure due to search engines like Google. This is your gateway article. You need to funnel the readers you get from Google to other contents in your blog. Edit the post and put a banner or links to other related entries or maybe even new blogs that you want to launch. You can also use this to drive traffic to articles that have higher valued keywords for Google Adsense.
2. Social Media is not just putting a “Share Button”.
The social media traffic driver is your content. If your content is shareable then that’s the only time when the share and retweet buttons will actually work. Learn how to write good copy and look for interesting angles when it comes to your entries.
Create Facebook Pages for your blogs because that’s a way for you to build a database/list of your readers. It’s a great way to remind them that you have new entries on your blog. To make sure that they “like” your page, don’t forget to create landing pages (a.k.a. FBML). Maximize every marketing space – create at least 200×400 sized profile photos. Exploit the multimedia capabilities of Facebook by constantly uploading photos and videos. Remember that native Facebook content gets to feeds more than links.
3. Be Relevant
If you’re not relevant, you will not be shared. Make it a point to write about issues surrounding your niche or industry. If it’s a major national issue you might want to chime in as well but try to look for an angle in the topic that you can bring back to your expertise or blog theme.
4. Don’t think small.
Because if you do you will limit yourself and that’s what will happen. Think big, dream big, do big. What makes you think that blogs or websites won’t be gobbled up (bought) by multinationals and companies here in the Philippines? AOL buying Huffington Post is a sign of things to come even here in the Philippines.
5. Learn PowerPoint.
PowerPoint is probably one of the best mediums to create proposals for potential content partnerships and marketing proposals. It’s the format that agencies and companies are used to. Don’t send in just an e-mail with your rates. Send a full deck explaining who you are, what your blog is about, and what creative executions they can do if they decide to partner with you. Bundle your banner ads with sponsored posts, contests, and other creative ideas because you won’t be able to match the rates offered by Facebook or Google AdWords.
6. Build Content Partnerships
Blogging is not cheap, especially if your topic is about food, tech, and fashion. Solution? Create content partnerships. Offer companies that you will review their products. However put it in the proposal that you will be honest in your review because the moment you show bias your reputation and readership will suffer.
7. Go for Direct Advertisers
The “Contact Us” form is your best friend. Check out the websites of companies in your niche, look for the contact form, and send proposals. You can also go back to the calling cards of the marketing professionals that you got from all the blogger events you attended. Also inform agencies (ad/PR) that you are offering more than just attending events.
Here’s a good tip: check out all of your advertisers via Google Adsense. Go to the websites of those advertisers and send them packages. They’re already predisposed to digital marketing, you just have to make your proposal “juicier”.
8. Don’t just rely on Advertising.
Think of what products, services, and events your community would want to buy. Offer it to them. Abe Olandres of Yugatech expanded into group buying with Yugadeals. Anton Diaz of OurAwesomePlanet came up with MC. New Media PH expanded by offering consultancy services, seminars, and workshops.
9. Become Better Writers
Blogging is essentially writing. It’s the core skill to your craft. Hone it. Become better at it. Read books because reading will make you write better. I read at least 3-4 books a month ranging from international politics to fiction novels. If you’re not that good yet at writing pick up the book “Elements of Style” at National Bookstore. Read “Tribes” by Seth Godin to learn the value of community.
10. Care.
This is a tip I got from Gary Vaynerchuk’s book “Crush It”. Comment on blogs of others. Link to bloggers who write beautiful pieces. Attend blogger events and make friends. Reply to those who comment, e-mail, tweet, and Facebook message. The world doesn’t just revolve around you and you never know if the person you just helped out will be major factor in future opportunities.
If you love something enough, you’ll naturally care about it.
-END-
Thanks again to Janette Toral for organizing iBlog 7. I look forward already to iBlog 8 and I will support it in whatever way that I can. To everyone who was there during my talk, thank you for being a great audience. Speakers get their energy and passion from the crowd and you guys were awesome.
Cheers and happy blogging everyone!
Your presentation is simple yet incisive. Thank you very much for sharing it to us.
Thanks Orly!
I missed the morning sessions. But really thanks for posting your presentations. Very helpful tips. Glad to find people who still read. I used to read about the same number of books. Reading helps one acquire more wisdom and thus help a person form better opinions. It’s sad that too many bloggers so wuickly give out opinions on about anything and everything with nary an understanding of an issue. Reading and research would have certainly helped a lot.
Reading is one of my passions in life
Probably got it from my grandfather. Check out this entry if you have time: http://www.carloople.com/2011/02/14/my-passion-reading-writing/
Hi. Very good material you have here. Thanks for sharing. Just a question – what’s an FBML/ landing page?
It’s an application for Facebook which will let you create a landing page for your official pages.
Carlo, I love all your 10 points! If I could just turn back time and attend your talk personally, I believe it would be an awesome experience to listen to your lecture. Kudos!
Hi Glenn! Here’s the link to the article with the video recording of the talk: http://www.newmedia.com.ph/iblog-7-video-10-power-blogging-tips-presentation/
Thanks for the kind words bro!
I like these 10 tips. Hmm… I tried some of them on my site but then I wanna try all. Come to come S’ Carlo. How about 100 or more?
Your presentation was great. I’ll keep those points in mind as i develop my new website http://www.raisingpinoyboys.com. Thanks for your generosity in sharing. I remember being at the table next to you at Bizu & you shared your thoughts w/ me (a stranger) when I asked about your Ipad which at that time was not yet locally available. I remember you also mentioning that you were voting for Villar during our brief chat.
Incidentally, the 3 boys Marty, Enrique & Anton Fausto in the poster of Blue Chip financial workshop for the youth (which is advertised in your site) are my sons, my inspiration for the book I wrote entitled Raising Pinoy Boys.
More power to you Carlo.
This is very helpful for a new blogger like me! I’m really passionate about promoting travel to the Philippines/local tourism that’s why I came up with my blog raintravels.blogspot.com Thank you for sharing this.