A lot of people think that social media is a trend. A fad to fade. Or at least that was the whisper up until this last year… when it became obvious that social media was here to stay.

There’s a lot more to social media than collecting friends and promoting your blog posts or products. Social media is changing the way we do business, and the way we live.

See this quick 4+ minute video by Erik Qualman discussing whether social media is a fad – or the biggest shift since the industrial revolution…

I picked up a copy of Socialnomics by Erik Qualman (aka @equalman on Twitter) last month, and have been reading it off and on for the last few weeks. I’d love to just sit down and read it all the way through in one sitting, but it’s been a busy month so I’ve been absorbing half a chapter here and there every chance I got.

You can get Socialnomics on audible, get it for the Kindle, or you can get a hardcover copy at Amazon for only $16.47. It comes in just about every flavor you could want. It has a 5-star rating on Amazon, with all but one review giving it 5 full stars.

(I still prefer to curl up with a good hardcover book)

Fresh, Engaging… and Thought-Provoking

There’s something super cool about a book so fresh that it references things that just happened earlier this year, and change that is happening right now.

Erik puts it all in context in the first 3 chapters and explains how social media is not a “time suck” or an insane distraction – as some of us initially thought, myself included – but rather a more efficient and deeper way to communicate.

I found myself nodding along the whole way, and really seeing the bigger picture – outside of online business and internet marketing. How social media is changing the way we talk, shop, learn, share… and even vote.

I can say firsthand that social media has changed my relationships with my friends, my children and even my mother. We still talk on the phone or sit down to dinner together, but it’s no longer a conversation of “how was your day?” or “what’s new in your life?” – because we already know.

Even if you barely know me on a personal level you probably know that my house got rolled on Halloween, I just bought a 4WD Jeep (and what color it was), that I have a good sense of humor , I’ve been reading Socialnomics, etc.

So what, right? The big argument has been… who cares what everyone else is doing, and how can I possibly keep up with everyone else’s life and their daily updates?

You don’t necessarily. Care or keep up, that is – or not with everyone at least, and not every minute. But you can filter updates by relationship, check in any time any day and see what your friends and family are up to via their profiles & update streams, or do a 2-second search to find specific conversations.

There’s a sense of transparency about social media that opens a million doors. Not just for marketing purposes, but for communication and relationships.

My stepdaughter knew that I was out dancing with her English teacher (oops!), I know who my teens are dating or talking to, and relatives who live far away get a daily glimpse into our lives without the hour-long phone calls every week.

“It’s not a 9-to-5 world, it’s a 24/7 world.”

In Chapter 3 Erik discusses “the fluid schedule” and finding balance between gadgets, updates and real life. While some may feel this makes you less connected and less productive, it’s actually exactly opposite.

You no longer have to sit in front of the television for an entire hour twice a day to get the news. You can select what type of news you want, and have it delivered to you instantly the minute the story breaks.

You no longer have to research products online for hours – you can get recommendations and links to peer reviews in a matter of minutes.

You no longer have to go it alone. You have the entire world at your fingertips – no matter where you are, no matter what time of day it is.

Social Media Marketing: Embracing The Change

I’ve really enjoyed Socialnomics from a personal perspective, but it also addresses brand marketing and social media success stories. Erik gives very specific examples of social media campaigns – and why they worked (or flopped).

How do you get loyal raving fans, and get them to talk about your brand online? That’s exactly what you’ll learn. “Consumers are taking ownership of brands, and their referral power is priceless.” (page 97)

Traditional marketing methods simply don’t work in the social media space. And in addition to changing the message and the method, there’s a whole new world of possibilities available thanks to this changing landscape. Be sure to check out what Erik has to say about Ebooks in Chapter 5…

The entire book is chock full of thought-provoking idea generators, from how to harness the power of the growing social media graph… to integrating advertising and monetization seamlessly into your content.

Socialnomics is fresh, current, and a must-read for anyone marketing anything online – less than 20 bucks, and definitely a smart investment in your business and your social media marketing plan (especially if you don’t yet have one!).

My opinion? You’re going to LOVE this book.

If you’ve been feeling out of the loop, or frustrated by social media options and opportunities that you don’t really understand, sit down with a copy of Socialnomics and enjoy the ride… You’ll be up to speed in no time.

Best,

p.s. You can read editorial reviews and consumer reviews on Amazon.com, and also flip through several pages of the book using their Look Inside! feature.

Grab a copy for yourself, and make sure you subscribe to the Internet Marketing This Week podcast as we’ll have Erik Qualman on as a special guest next week.

Another video by Erik, on the ROI of Social Media Marketing… Enjoy!

This week on my free Live Webinar we discussed how to write a blog post, and specifically the 7 elements it takes to make a really great post that brings in readers and results in a nice conversion rate.

I have a bit of a system for kicking out blog posts, and I’ll share that with you here in detail. Once you know the elements that should be included, you can simply use that as an outline every time you want to create a really great blog post.

I’ll start by giving you the brief version. Each blog post should have a keyword phrase, good title, image, good content, call-to-action, signature and a PS. Keep reading for the details on each – and a little bonus: the 8th element.

7 Elements of a Great Blog Post

When I sit down to blog I start with an outline, which includes all 7 of these elements. I may not know the content of each element upfront, but I like to put a frame around my work and then basically fill in the blanks.

We’ll walk through these elements in order, but first I’ll show you an example of what that looks like on my screen:

Obviously this is just a basic outline. A placeholder for each of the elements. I find this to be a great starting point as it gives me a structure to work with. And besides, a blank screen can be daunting when you’re under pressure to write! From here, I simply flesh out each of those elements as I go.

1. Keyword Phrase

The biggest part of learning how to write a blog, is learning to write exactly what your readers want. You find that out through keyword research, and you deliver it through keyword optimization.

So choose a topic and then pick a keyword phrase that best suits your topic. Or choose a keyword phrase, and create content around it.

You won’t always find a great keyword phrase to match the topic you want to blog about. That’s okay. Your readers will appreciate a few off-the-wall posts that are written more for “visitor optimization” than search engine optimization.

I chose a longtail keyword phrase for this blog post: “how to write a blog”

2. Title

The title of your blog post is incredibly important. Arguably one of the most important elements of the entire post. The post title also becomes the page title (meaning it is used in the Title Tag and shows up in the Title Bar of the browser window). It also becomes the Anchor Text for the hyperlink in the search results – meaning this is what people will see and read when they are deciding which result to click on. And whammy #3 – your post title becomes the Anchor Text for all of the inbound links pointing to this post that are created automatically through your blog.

Your title needs to be interesting and engaging. It has a big job – it compels people to click through and start reading. Two things go into a really great title: a keyword phrase, and a little copywriting skill.

If you happen to create a really long title for your blog post, consider editing the permalink. You might use a shorter version of the title, that still includes your keyword phrase. Here is an example from the blog post you are reading now:

Permalink: http://www.clicknewz.com/1993/how-to-write-a-blog-post/

Speaking of permalinks, if you want your post links to look as nice as mine see: Smart Permalink Structure. And here’s a bonus tip for you – that permalink structure allows me to use shortened versions of the URL on sites like Twitter.

You may have seen me tweet a link to this post as:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1993/ Try it – it works! Cool, right?

3. Image

Images engage your reader, break up long boring text, illustrate points – and they can also be used to draw the eye in specific directions.

Since my topic is “how to write a blog post” I simply used screenshots, which can be very effective. Other options for images within your posts include:

• Your own images/photos
• Flickr
• Inexpensive stock photos

4. Content

I actually write the content last, after I have outlined the other 6 elements, and simply type in a placeholder to start. But once I have my blog post outlined I sit down to flesh out the content. I often do this in outline format as well, and then go back to flesh out each point into a paragraph or so.

5. Call-to-Action

This element ranks right up there with the Post Title as one of the most important things you can include in your blog post. The call-to-action lets your reader know exactly what they should do next, and why.

Ask yourself: why am I writing this post? Why are they reading this post? What ONE action do I most want them to take after they read my post? (Never assume it’s obvious.)

Don’t leave your reader hanging. You owe it to them to lead them to the next best click. See: Using a Call To Action

6. Signature

A signature serves two purposes. First, it tells your readers who you are and that you care enough to identify yourself and sign off appropriately.

You can do this via plain text, or you can create a signature image like the one that I use. There are free signature makers around the web, or you can sign a piece of paper and scan it into your computer.

Oh, and the second purpose – it is a nice thing to have above a P.S.

See: Dear Mystery Blogger (It might be YOU!)

7. PS

You see it at the end of long sales letters. You see it in email marketing. Start using it in your blog posts, too! This is one last chance to make an important point, or share an important link. It is best used for supporting your call-to-action.

Readers who scan your blog posts will catch the title, the images, the sub-headlines, the bullet points and the PS. Use it wisely!

Bonus: The 8th Element

Once I have my blog post written, but before I publish it, there’s one more thing that I add to top it off.

Links.

I like to link back to posts in my archive wherever relevant, both for internal links (SEO) and for the readers reference. This helps to keep your archived blog posts fresh, and connects similar discussions.

I also link out to other blog posts on the same topic, written by other bloggers. This creates a pingback or a trackback on their blog, usually in the comments area of the post I link to, and is also good for both of the same reasons.

For the best results, link to blog posts that rank well for your keyword phrase – or better yet, a similar more competitive keyword phrase. That way you can benefit from having a link on this high-traffic blog post that is related to the topic of your own blog post.

You can check that post to see if other trackbacks appear before you decide to link to it. Some bloggers don’t allow them, or don’t have a theme that shows them.

Of course, is the blog post is really great – you might want to share it with your readers anyway…

A Quick Recap:

• Do your research, and choose a keyword phrase
• Craft a great title that includes your keyword phrase
• Choose or create images to compliment your topic
• Flesh out your content with an intro, a main point, and conclusion
• Include a strong call-to-action
• Add your signature
• Wrap it up with a well-written P.S.
• Link to related posts, on your blog and others

I hope this has helped clarify some of the points I made on my webinar, and on twitter, about how to write a blog post. As usual, I took this opportunity to create an example of each point in this very post. Scan back over it and you should be able to easily point out each of the elements!

Best,

p.s. While you are reading this PS, I am reading 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by Darren Rowse (aka @Problogger). I’ll post a full review in my next post. Be sure to subscribe in the blue box at the top right so you don’t miss it!