Search engines are getting smarter every day.   Keywords and meta tags are no longer enough to drive traffic to the website for your small business.  Search engines are looking for real, relevant and timely content.  The best way to do that? Blogging. That’s why we include blogs into every site we design.

You know  you should be blogging regularly but have no idea what to talk about every day. It’s okay, we’ve got you covered. We believe in continuous ongoing education for all of our website design clients, so we’re offering a crash course on blogging strategies for our second seminar in the Press Refresh series. We’ll talk about why you should blog, what you should blog about and how to get the most bang for your buck from the blogging process. Join us for this fun, interactive workshop February 21, 4:00 at the Roundpeg offices, 1003 E. 106th St, Indianapolis.

Press Refresh is a series of classes offered on the third Tuesday of every month. These courses are open to any past Roundpeg web design clients. It’s our way of helping you keep your website relevant and viable as a part of your marketing toolkit.

Effective blogging starts with a strategyand an action plan. If you don’t have a plan in place, you should, and we can help. Join the Roundpeg gang and let’s talk. This is a class web clients won’t want to miss!

For more information on the rest of the Press Refresh series or to register, click here. We hope to see you soon!

Over the years we have written quite a few blog post about blogging.  Here are just a few you might find helpful :

• Blogs build better web sites 
• The 70 / 30  Traffic Rule
• Blogging Made Simple

If you are a regular visitor to our blog, this post might be a little basic. But we know that more than 70% of our visitors are here for the first time. We also know many of those readers are just starting to use social media for business, so today’s post covers some of the questions we get asked over and over again.

Do I need to be active on all the social networks?

While it is good to have a presence, it is hard for most small business owners to maintain active profiles and run their business. Or suggestion: pick one network and do it really well. If you have the time or energy, add others as you master each one.

Which network should you focus on? It depends on your business:

Facebook and to a less extent Pinterest make sense for consumer products and retail establishments.  In contrast, Twitter is perfect for restaurants and entertainment venues. Professional services should probably concentrate on developing a strong network on LinkedIn.

Which network will help me achieve my goals? Is your goal attracting new clients, strengthening bonds with existing clients, or building a reputation as a subject matter expert?

Facebook is where your friends hang out. Without a solid customer or contact sphere, it will be hard to launch a succesful business page without some investment in advertising. This platform is at its best helping you connect with and strengthen relationships with existing clients.

Twitter is a terrific place to expand your circle since there are few restrictions on who you can follow and talk to. Of course, you have to say something of value if you want people to talk back.

Where is the best place to share media?

Facebook’s’ new Timeline feature makes it an ideal place to share photos, photos and more photos. Twitter is all about the words. If you write good blog posts with snappy titles, be sure to share them here. LinkedIn doesn’t need as many updates, but when you jump in, make your updates count by sharing your best content.

For most small business owners, an average of 30 minutes a day should suffice. This is less time than you waste driving to the coffee shop, and the pay off is much better. Just be sure you use your time well. Follow the 80/20 rule: Spend 80% of your time responding, liking and talking to others. Spend 20% on your own status updates

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This week, I will be in Seattle on Tuesday and Columbus, Ohio on Friday talking with business owners and recruiting professionals about social media. While the general themes will be the same, there will be some distinct differences in my presentations.

In Seattle, I will be talking with HVAC contractors. For this group, I am going to focus on Facebook as a means of driving traffic to their primary website. Strategies for them include short videos of technicians introducing themselves, and interviews with customers. For the contractors who focus on remodeling, I am going to also encourage them to consider creating Pinterest boards of dream kitchens and dream baths.

In contrast, my group on Friday will be comprised of staffing professionals. Like the contractors, Facebook will  be important to their marketing efforts. Their primary objective will be to encourage applicants to view their job listings.    For this audience, I am going to suggest alternating between information on specific jobs and short tips on  interviewing techniques. For their secondary platform, I am going to suggest this group build a strong presence on LinkedIn. At its core, that network is definitely about finding your next job or your next employee.

When I get an invitation to speak, it is almost always about social media. But social media has become a very broad topic, and what is relevant to one group is not to another. It is no longer a one size fits all topic, just as there isn’t a one size fits all approach to using the tools to build a business.

It comes down to: What’s In Your Social Media Stew?

The Roundpeg blog is four years old. In that time, the blog has evolved and expanded, partially because my writing style has changed (although Allison will argue my use of commas hasn’t) and partially because I have added other voices to the mix.

This was not my first blog. Indy-Biz.com and LorraineBall.com both preceded it. With Indy-Biz for local news and LorraineBall as an outlet for my humor and occasional rant, Business Notes from Roundpeg was a “serious” business blog.  It was filled with checklists and links to informative articles. The tone was formal and the content was solid. Unfortunately, it was a little dry and kind of dull, like reading a textbook.

I started reading lots of blogs on marketing, social media, web and graphic design and  technology. The ones I returned to over and over again blended information and personality. While they often included formulaic  lists (10 ways to do anything) they did it in an engaging way, which held my interest. I started to copy that style as I worked on my voice.

It took me a while to get comfortable letting my personality come through my writing. Once I did, I no longer needed to maintain a separate blog for my rants. If something  is wrong, I share it here, always looking for the lesson to make it relevant to my readers. The posts were easier and more fun to write. And the more of “me” I let come through the blog, the more popular it became.

Adding guest posts and features from the entire Roundpeg crew expands our voice, allowing us to offer something for everyone. It also  means I don’t have to write as often. While I miss the challenge of creating something new every day, it is nice to take a few days on a post if I really want it to be memorable.

The informal voice may not be right for everyone. Lawyers and accountants may struggle more to find the balance.  The key is to find a style which is natural for you.

Stumped for blog content? Think about the questions your customers ask you again and again. These FAQs are a great source of blog content. Typically, companies create a page of FAQs. While this is helpful, you are missing out on the SEO benefit of this content.

According to Michael Gray putting one question on a page or post works much better. He says:

Unless your questions and answers are very short, ideally you want to create a single page optimized for each question, this gives you the ability to create narrowly focused posts around specific keyword phrases that will rank better and drive more traffic.

Some of these posts may be very short or not as popular as other.  That is fine you can create a summary post like we did for Randall Beans, with links to each question.  Another strategy is to create a custom search. This will work if you are using a custom menu which allows you to link the search to the navigation bar.

How to get started? The next time you find yourself answering a question in an email, stop. Is this something other people will find valuable? If so, you have the makings of a blog post.

Dr. Greg of Leo’s Pet Care used this strategy recently. We were talking about treatment alternatives for our office kitty, Maybee. He researched and wrote a post about her condition. I read the article before I went to see him, so I was more prepared for the conversation. And the next time he is asked about this issue, Dr. Greg can simply send the link.

Do you have FAQs?  Do you have the answers written down? If so, you have great content for your next few blog posts.

Roundpeg, an Indianapolis social media firm, helps our clients construct blog calendars, brainstorm content to keep their readers coming back.

Fact: The Internet is filled with jerks. The anonymity and the faceless nature of the Internet seems to unleash something deep inside people. They’ll spew venom and hate about everything from the most trivial (your favorite TV show, for example) to the most important (politics and religion) to the most personal (you, your business, your profession). They’ll post things that are flagrantly untrue, hurtful or just foul and full of profanity and lies. And just as it’s easy for them to pound out a scathing attack on something you hold dear, it’s incredibly tempting to sit down and immediately pound out a devestating counter attack.

Don’t. Stop. Wait.

Why? Because if you let that flaming response fly, you might wind up looking just like the owner of Boner’s Barbeque, who posted a profanity-laced tirade against a customer who left a negative Yelp! review, complete with a photo of the customer in question. The company instantly became an Internet laughing stock, the poster child for how not to deal with customer service issues on social media. But the problem goes far beyond customer service: it goes to the heart of how we see people and interact with them in the digital world. Because we can’t hear their voice or look into their eyes, we suddenly give ourselves license to say and do things we would never, ever do in the physical world. So the next time you’re faced with a blog post or social media comment that makes your blood boil for any reason, follow these simple steps:

1. Remember, it’s just the Internet. I know this runs counter-intuitive to a digital marketing company that makes its living selling people on the importance of the Internet, but at the end of the day, one negative comment isn’t going to sink you. What might, however, is your response. Remember: it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

2. Weigh the pros and cons of responding. If someone has written a negative review or comment about your business, you need to respond quickly and helpfully, without anger. However, the whole issue gets a lot more complicated when you just read a blog post that pisses you off something fierce and you just HAVE to show the other person how wrong they are.

Before you hit “reply,” stop and think about what leaving that comment will really accomplish. Is it going to reflect well on you? Is there actually any chance that it might persuade someone to change their view? Is it going to help you get new business? If the answer is “no” to all of these questions, ask yourself what you’d really be accomplishing by responding, besides making yourself feel better.

3. Give it a positive spin. If you must respond to a negative blog post, be better than your opposition. That is, don’t respond with a relentlessly negative attack from which no one walks away unscathed. Instead, look at the post for lessons, and respond to them in a positive way.

Recently, an Indianapolis business owner came to me for advice on dealing with a blog post about his industry that made him furious. I encouraged him to take what made him mad about that post and turn it into an educational, positive post for his clients. Transform someone else’s hatred into something useful, and you’ve truly won the day.

Remember: Breathe. Stay cool. Recognize that arguing on the Internet rarely ends well, and you’ll keep your online reputation on course.

Another week where if we waited an hour here in Indianapolis, the weather changed. We’ve had ice, snow and on the rare side for January, thunderstorms.

Our blogs this week seem to have followed the pattern of one of our favorite interview questions…so weather you favor words, pictures or numbers, we’ve covered it in at least one of our blogs during the past week. If you’ve missed one or several, here’s a quick recap:

Saturday – Faces of Roundpeg: The Boy Band
Lorraine’s ode to Taylor & Jay and the way things used to be.

Sunday – Make Pictures Part of Your Web Design Strategy
Pictures are cropping up more often on blog posts, this article explains why.

Monday – Taking Stock of Your Image
In the “old” days, designers cringed at the thought of using stock photos, Jenna explains how to modify those photos to have a bigger impact and save money.

Tuesday - I Don’t Like Football, But I Love the Super Bowl
Most of us don’t realize all that hosting a Super Bowl brings to a local community as part of the Super 46, Lorraine explains what makes the Super Bowl special for the hosting city.

Marketing in Handcuffs with Muhammad Yasin:  More than a Few Words
For this week’s podcast we’ll be joined by Muhammad Yasin, social media strategist for HCCMIS, a travel health insurance company. The topic is learning how you can make regulations work in your favor.

Wednesday - Indianapolis Social Media: Way More than 46
Allison shares her thoughts on how the Super 46 could have been handled more effectively. What are your thoughts?

Thursday - It’s In the Numbers: 4 Strategies for Blog Success
Lorraine explains why paying attention to numbers in blog posts makes a difference.

Friday – You Can’t Save Everyone
This is the marketing version of you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

If you noticed that the weekly summary was published late this week, that is because the Roundpeg crew took the day off to head downtown to experience the pre Superbowl activities.  If you are in Indy, be sure to check it out before it is gone.

Do you have an idea for a great blog post?   Today I am going to suggest you think about the numbers to help make it successful.

1.   Word Count – Finding a balance is tough. Posts that are too long (1,000 words or more) lose all but the most committed readers before the end.  Posts that are too short (less than 250 words) don’t offer enough content or key word density to attract the attention of the search engines.

So what’s the magic number? I typically shoot for between 300 – 500 words. I don’t let word count drive my post, but a quick look at the number in the lower left hand corner of my screen keeps me on track. Too long, I probably have a second post in the works. Too short, I might need to do a bit  of research on to expand this topic. ( More on this topic from ProBlogger) 

2.   Length of the Title  - Keeping your title under 70 characters has two key benefits. First, it is easier to share the title with a link on Twitter. With a limit of 140 characters, a short title and short link can easily be retweeted without losing content. Also most search engines will crop your title at 70 characters.

3.   Links in Your Post  - Internal links in your posts drive readers to other related content. External links build community by making connections to other relevant sites. But how much is too much? How little is not enough?  While SEO MOz says you can have up to 100 links on a page, this is clearly overkill for the average reader. Scribe SEO encourages you to have at least one relevant link near the top of your post.

So what is the right answer? I typically think one link per hundred words works well. It shows the post is well-connected without being overwhelming. When you add a link, be sure to include a trackback as well.

4.   Numbers in the Title – People like simple answers. The promise that you can solve their problem in just 5 easy steps is too tempting to pass up. Blog posts with numbers in the title get more traffic. Look at top social media information sites like Copyblogger and ProBlogger, and you will see titles that look like this:  5 Suggestions for…, 3 Ways to… , 7 Quick tips… The problem? I don’t often write linear posts. If there are no lists, it is hard to have a numbered title.  I won’t sacrifice a good title just to add a number. I simply use this tactic when it makes sense.

At the end of the day, none of these other tricks will make a bit of difference if you don’t offer good content. If the article isn’t well-written, thought provoking, funny or smart, no one will share the article anyway. So follow the rules if they make sense, but never let them get in the way of creating a truly great post. I actually wanted to call this post “5 strategies,” but only came up with 4 ideas, and the post was getting long.  What would you add to this list?

To do marketing well is always a challenge. To do it in a heavily regulated industry can seem impossible at times. But with a little creativity and a lot of hard work, you can overcome regulatory hurdles to create innovative marketing that gets results. We’ll be joined by Muhammad Yasin, social media strategist for HCCMIS, a travel health insurance company. Learn how you can make regulations work in your favor.

Do you have any comments or questions? Post them here or send it to us on Twitter, or call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865. Remember to use the hashtag #MTFW on Twitter, so we can find your comments during the broadcast.

The call will be live from 10:30 – 11:00 today, Wednesday,  January 18. You will be able to listen to the program from our station on BlogTalkRadio.com

Muhammad Yasin is the Social Media Strategist for an international travel medical insurance company.  His social media marketing campaigns reached over 2 million people in 2011. Muhammad’s innovative use of social media in the healthcare industry was nominated for a Mira Award in 2010 as well as being featured as a case study in the book Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day.

He was recently recognized as a Rising Star by the Indianapolis Star and by the Indianapolis social marketing community as the most influential Up and Comer of 2011.

As an evangelist for the use of social media, Muhammad Yasin regularly publishes tips at www.muhammadyasin.com as well as making appearances on the topic.

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of bloggers adding images to their posts. And if you are paying attention, you have probably noticed many more pictures on our blog too. Why? There are several very good reasons to add pictures to your blog and web design strategy:

1. Google and other search engines are doing a much better job of indexing images. The picture gives you one more hook for search.
2. Pictures attract the eye. As people scan your blog archive, they are drawn to the posts with an image.
3. Images can reinforce or expand the ideas presented in the blog post.

The trick is to pick the right image, something that is attractive and relevant. If you can’t find something which fits, you might have to create it yourself. You can go out and take a photo, or create a chart or graphic image.

Mark Smiciklas  of Intersection Consulting does this better then any other blog I have found lately. Although he doesn’t post often, each post on his blog is accompanied by a relevant, original meaningful image. Maybe that is why he doesn’t post as often.

The graphics themselves are so content rich, you almost don’t need the supporting text. For example, this image from a post on content strategy clearly delivers the idea that at the core of your strategy is the audience.

The clever arrangement of the interesting icons held my attention much longer than words alone.

Is it worth the effort to spend the time creating something this intricate? If it is well done, it will be shared over and over again. Images have tremendous viral potential.

Mark has built his contact information into the graphic, so everyone knows the source. I am linking to him from the image, and I hope you will go and check out his blog, because there are many, many more cool graphics on his site.

I am sure that not every graphic he has created has gone viral, but if one does, it pays off over and over again with a steady flow of new traffic to your website.