A recap of Blogworld: Day 2

Second day at Blogworld, and I attended sessions to cover my social media PR/marketing and blogging interests. It was hard to pick between the tracks, but I walked away with some great info. Here's a small sampling:

Get Discovered - Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse

Side note: This is the third Problogger session I've attended, and I'm really digging their accents.

Set goals for your blog and make sure every post, tweet, YouTube video you share relates to the goals.

Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. If you are just starting, don't quit your full-time job anytime soon.

Have a reputation for being helpful, offer fantastic content and build relationships through genuine, kind engagement. This create advocates and loyal readers.

Harnessing the power of numbers: creating a blog network - Cecilia Mecca, Bridgette DuPlantis, Wendy Piersall

Focus on who you want to be in the network, find them and start working together. Consider what motivates bloggers (e.g., money, Internet fame). E-mail them with your plan.

What grows blogs are the "back to the basics" ideas: links, content and networking.

Social media and ROI - David Alston, Don Bartholmew, Connie Bensen

Social media is an investment, not an expense.

Word-of-mouth marketing will decrease your PR and advertising spend.

ROI for social media is still a financial calculation that may result in generating money, saving money or cost avoidance. Do not confuse the notion of impact vs. ROI.

Social media marketing has to start with measurable objectives, communicating the timeframe and the change desired.

How to create mouthwatering content so your readers come back for more - Nathalie Lussier

Keep a log of your ideas and once a month/week, schedule and editorial calendar for your blog to ensure you post fresh, interesting content regularly.

Always end a post with a call to action. Tell the moral of the story, what the next step is or what you want the audience to do (e.g., share, retweet, offline action).

Collect your readers' e-mails so you have a way to get them back to your site. Send out a survey to find out their interests and what you should be blogging about.

Your story is what makes your blog unique. Include your life experience and how you learned what you are sharing in your posts.

I'm looking forward to Day 3 and awaiting the morning keynote right now. This has been an amazing conference so far. If I left today, I'd already be happy with what I've learned. It can only get better from here! Have anything to share from your Blogworld experience? Please, speak up in the comments. Also, find me on twitter if you're here and we'll meet up. Would love to meet you.