How to Start a Blog in 4 Easy Steps

In this short video, I tell you my four simple steps to starting a blog. It may sounds basic, but creating quality content and getting it into the hands of your readers is the foundation for building a successful platform. If you don’t have this, nothing else matters.

Whether you are starting your first blog, or have been at it for a while, here are four essential steps you can’t afford to miss:

Select a Theme for Your ContentSelect a Blog PlatformWrite Your First PostEstablish a Blogging Frequency

In the video, I explain each step in more detail and give you simple, easy-to-follow action items to get started (or refine your approach) today. So what are you waiting for?

At the end of this video, Megan Hyatt Miller gives you a preview of the practical and inspiring content we have coming up at Platform University in August.

In our Master Class, I interview my personal WordPress developer and partner in the Get Noticed theme, Andrew Buckman, about the Ten Mistakes You Are Making with Your Website and How to Fix Them. You won’t believe how easy it is to take your home base to the next level with Andrew’s simple suggestions.In our Backstage Pass, I take you on the road with me and reveal my time-tested packing secrets that keep me organized and prepared to speak when I travel, including all of my favorite products, tools and tips.In our Member Makeover, Megan Hyatt Miller, Dean of Platform University and I review the platform of one of our members. We share with him our top ten recommendations for improving his platform and extending his reach.Finally, I will host our members-only Live Q&A Conference Call at the end of the month. This month’s theme is “How to Build a Home Base that Gets You Noticed.” Here, our members are invited to ask me their most important home base questions and hear my personal, one-on-one answers.

If you’re not a member of Platform University yet, and would like access to content like this, check us out.

If you are frustrated that your platform isn’t growing fast enough or are overwhelmed by the options with social media, monetization, etc., I created Platform University just for you. I will personally show you how to cut through the clutter and implement the strategies that really work so you can go further, faster.

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5 Steps to Determine the Perfect Social Media Strategy

For small and medium-sized businesses, the prospect of developing a comprehensive social media strategy is overwhelming. Which networks should you use? How do you keep up with conversations and engage your audience across half a dozen platforms? How often should you post updates? By following a few simple steps and creating a strategic plan, a perfect social media strategy is well within your reach.

Today, comprehensive social media strategies are implemented and some have even been around long enough for thorough evaluation. Each business model garners an appropriate social media strategy. For instance a retail business will have a commerce focus, while a non-profit organization may hone in on public support and donations. However your business decides to tackle its social media marketing efforts, there are five steps that set the foundation for a successful social marketing strategy regardless of your company’s makeup.

Before diving into the social media world, define your purpose. Is your goal to build brand awareness, provide customer service, or generate leads? Your goals will you guidance and keep you on track to completing those goals. Create concrete and measurable objectives for monitoring your progress and re-evaluating your strategy over time.

Image via Flickr by Jason A. Howie

Who is your ideal customer? Create a profile of your target audience, including demographic information and other factors, such as location, profession, or interests.

Selecting the best social media platforms for your business is the step that overwhelms many business owners. With so many networks to choose from, the idea of using them all regularly is a bit intimidating. The primary social networking platforms include:

FacebookTwitterLinkedInPinterestGoogle+YouTube

The list of social networks is practically endless—in fact, some businesses use a social strategy that encompasses dozens of social sites, bookmarking sites, slide-sharing sites, and more. There’s a lot of information out there on the user demographics of the popular social networks—choose a few that closely match your target audience. Once your strategy is rolling out smoothly, expand to include second-tier and different types of networks.

Your unique selling proposition is the defining feature or set of features that sets your company apart from the competition. Your USP should be relevant to your target audience and in-line with your social media goals. Using your USP, build a list of key phrases and topics and build your social media strategy around them. This keeps you focused and sets the stage for branding.

Image via Flickr by m.gifford

Editorial calendars aren’t just for content creation. Social marketing requires great content, too, and an editorial calendar helps you define themes, identify marketing channels for the content you’re producing and reach your target audience with relevance and precision. Of course, all the marketing you’re doing requires a fast connection, so get set-up with a high-speed satellite internet plan for fewer connection hiccups.

Your editorial calendar includes information such as monthly themes, conversation-starters, and material from your content marketing strategy. Your editorial calendar acts as a guide to define what you’re discussing each week or month, where to share specific pieces of content and how much time you devote to each social platform. Use a variety of content formats, including blog posts, case studies, e-books, images, and videos.

Following these five steps results in a clearly defined and focused social media strategy. Once your plan is in place, it’s time to engage your audience, start building brand awareness and generating conversation. Social media plays a critical role in both content marketing and SEO, so continue measuring your results and refining your approach.

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