Jerusalem Seminars in June: using blogging and social media (Facebook, Digg, Friendfeed, etc.) for marketing

I’ve never really written about things related to my work here on the big felafel – but this seemed too important to pass up. I think there are a bunch of small businesses in Israel, especially in Jerusalem that are only slowly starting to realize, hey, why isn’t Janglo bringing in enough business? Make no mistake, I am no Janlgo critic, in fact, I’m as big an addict as they come in this part of the country. However, I’ve noticed that as I blog and become active in a whole slew of social networks, I’m finding out about opportunities, networking events, and connections that I probably wouldn’t have been aware of otherwise.

In short, I think plenty of Israeli co.s and non-profits could benefit from this upcoming 3-day seminar. If you think you know someone who would be interested, feel free to send them the info. To Register, click here.

Here is the agenda which I may or may not have helped out with:

Thursday, June 5, 2008: Intro to Corporate Blogging

9:00-1:00 Corporate Blogging Overview

• Overview of social media: where does corporate blogging fit in?
• Why are businesses blogging? Case studies, successes and failures
• Blog lingo: comments, trackbacks, rss, pingbacks, and more
• Meeting corporate requirements and limitations, such as regulations, compliance and trade secrets
• Corporate blogging strategy: defining goals, processes, personnel, and resources (i.e. time)
• Dos and donts of blog etiquette

1:00-2:00 Lunch and Networking break

2:00-6:00 Getting Down to Business: How to Blog

• What is a blogging platform?
• Overview of available blog options: self-hosted blog vs. WordPress.com, Blogger, Typepad
• Design and Layout: how to integrate your blog with your corporate website; selecting modules and features to add and to omit
• Identifying key bloggers to follow in your niche
• Free cool tools that help enhance your blogging experience and efficiency
• Using RSS feeds: how to stay updated on blog activity in your industry with RSS feeds and feed readers
• Determining frequency for posting on your blog
• Handling positive and negative comments
• Techniques for promoting your blog: linking to other blogs; search engine friendly blog elements: Tags, Keywords, Content; Press releases; Guest blogging; Scoops

Thursday, June 12: Roll up your sleeves: Start, Write, Publish, and Optimize your blog

9:00-1:00 How to write compelling content

• Building strong foundations: create a blog that can grow with your needs
• A new writing style: how to write for blogs and social media
• Titles: how to grab your readers (and search engines)
• Content: what to write about, who to write for, length of posts
• Plagiarism: where do we draw the line? How much can we copy from others?
• How to protect your blog from sploggers (spam bloggers)
• Writing for search engines vs. writing for human beings
• Practice writing a post and get feedback from others

1:00-2:00 Lunch and Networking break

2:00-6:00 Practical Application and Search Engine Optimization: Set up a free blog account, publish and optimize your posts (option to bring your own laptop to follow along – wireless will be available)

• Set up a free blogging account at WordPress.com
• Learn how to publish a post
• The SEO Magic Formula: keywords, links, and fresh content
• What Google looks for: how and where to use keywords in your content
• Tweaks you can make to optimize your blog or site for search engines
• Generating Google gold: inbound links

Thursday, June 19: Promote your brand through Social Media and Digital PR

9:00-1:00 Social Media and blogs – joining the conversation

• Understanding web 2.0 and social media: social bookmarking, blogs, social networking, podcasting, wiki, rss, user-generated content
• General vs. niche social media
• Overview of main networks and social media: YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Ning, Myspace, twitter, friendfeed, and more.
• How to integrate social media into your existing marketing strategy: identifying the best networks for your brand
• Creating a profile, make “friends”, and submit your blog posts to relevant social media sites.

1:00-2:00 Lunch and Networking break

2:00-6:00 Beyond the press release: digital PR for Social Media and Search Engines

• What is the Social Media Press Release (SMPR) and how do I use it?
• How to write press releases for new media and search engines
• Staying up-to-date with the latest online newswires and news services
• Using your blog as an independent media desk for your company
• Online tools to monitor what blogs are saying about you
• Understanding the conversations and reacting appropriately
• How to gain from positive and negative publicity