Build Your Brand Online with a Business Blog - Introduction

The IIA and BizGrowthNews present a half day introductory course on the business results that can be achieved through blogging.

So you have heard of blogs – but aren’t they just online journals? What relevance do they have for business?

In fact business blogging when part of your business communications and marketing plan can have a dramatic effect on your visibility, reputation and profits online as many Irish businesses are already finding out.

But where do you start? What blogging platform should you use? What should a business blog cover so that it is interesting and engaging to your clients and potential customers? How do you measure and the return of investment of your business blog? How can you integrate your business blog into your communications programme?

These are just some of the questions we will be addressing in the Business Blogging Masterclass so you will be able to discover how integrating a business blog into your marketing programme will boost your visibility, reputation and profits online.

Overview

This workshop is relevant for marketing and communications professionals from large companies and is equally relevant for business owners and managers of SME’s who want to discover how to integrate business blogging into their marketing and communications strategy.

Who Should Attend

The programme is split in two parts. PART 1 will cover the basics of business blogging and PART 2 is ideal for those people who have implemented a business blog and want to take it to the next level and increase the result they have seen from their business blog

Group Discount

Groups of 3 or more receive a 10% discount automatically when you book online, members and non-members.

Programme Outline

In today’s world where increasingly customers are going online to research information before making a purchasing decision, they are searching for valuable information.

Businesses who share that information through digital marketing strategies are finding they are able to build a community of potential customers, raise their visibility in the search engines and are attracting more business even in challenging times. And those companies who are using a business blog as a hub for their inbound marketing are able to do this cost effectively and with little technical knowledge – publishing to the web has become as simple as writing an email.

However, applied without reference to your business strategy, business blogging will not support your company in achieving its bottom-line goals. Integrated into your strategic communication efforts, developing and nurturing a vibrant online community can build buzz about your brand online and help you win all important market share, provide a place to nurture conversations with your customers and potential customers and help you be found online.

A business blog is very different from a personal blog. If you want to know how to enhance the impact of your marketing and the relevance of your communications to customers through business blogging, this is a workshop you won’t want to miss.

In the Beginners (morning) part of this workshop you will discover:

• Why business blogs are becoming popular and what kinds of businesses in Ireland are using business blogs
• Best practice case studies business blogs and the anatomy of a business blog
• How to start to engage with blogs even before you establish your own business blog
• How to determine your content strategy for your business blog and integrating it into your marketing and communications plan
• The different publishing options for your business blog
• Tips for authoring an effective business blog
• How to market and raise the profile of your blog so that you increase traffic to your site
• How to build a community of customers, prospects and fans
• Guidance on measuring the effectiveness of your business blog and evaluating your business blogging success
• You will leave the workshop with knowledge so that you can either set up your own business blog or advise your webmaster of your requirements for your business blog.

Outcomes

PART 1- At the end of the workshop, attendees will have developed an understanding about how business blogging is being used by both micro businesses and global organisations.

They will also be able to determine if business blogging will be relevant in supporting the delivery of their business strategy and determine the resources they need to implement the strategy.

They will leave the workshop with knowledge to either set up their own business blog or if they prefer, to be able to advise their webmaster of their requirements for their business blog

Combine with the Advanced Course

This course can be taken as a stand alone course or combined with the afternoon advanced session to form a full day training course. Reduced rates apply: €255 Members and €365 for Non-Members. Email Irene Dehaene if you are interested in attending both sessions or book online here.

Venue

The course will be held in the Glencullen Suite, Fitzwilliam Hall.

Fitzwilliam Hall is located on the corner of Fitzwilliam Place and Leeson Street and the entrance faces Leeson Street canal bridge. Some parking is available but must be booked in advance. Call 01 669 4700 directly to book a space. Alternatively the Burlington Hotel car park is nearby also.

Questions?

Email Irene Dehaene with any queries.