Verizon

One of the four SEM and SEO training workshops that will be held at SES London on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, will be focused on “Reaching Your Audience through Blogs.” The instructor is Jennifer Evans Laycock, the Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Guide, an online publication aimed at educating Small Business owners about search engine marketing, viral marketing, social media marketing and blogging.

There have been a number of studies aimed at understanding the size of the Blogosphere, yielding widely disparate estimates of both the number of blogs and blog readership. All studies agree, however, that blogs are a global phenomenon that has hit the mainstream.

This means the opportunities for businesses to speak with their customers is nearly unlimited. That’s why more and more companies are turning to the blogosphere to connect with consumers. Businesses have never had such effective access to the frustrations and desires of their target audience.

After attending this half-day workshop, you will have a solid understanding of concepts that are vital to reaching out to consumers via blogs including:
• Why blogs are the fastest growing form of consumer generated media.
• How blogs can change the way you interact with your customers.
• How to engage your target audience in conversation and how to put what you learn into action.
• Why blogging works for both B2B and B2C companies.
• How to avoid the most common corporate blogging mistakes.
• Crisis control tactics in case you encounter negative blogging.

In this workshop, you will learn why so many companies are launching corporate blogs and how they are creatively using them to advance their brand and marketing campaigns. You’ll also learn how to leverage other people’s blogs to build your company’s reputation, address criticism and introduce new products.

The workshop will give real life examples of both good and bad blog campaigns as well are sharing insight on how your business can build their own blog style based on consumer feedback.

During this workshop, you will learn:
• How to find your corporate blogging voice.
• What resources are needed to launch an effective corporate blog.
• How to balance sales and information to build a more loyal readership.
• Why pitching bloggers is different than pitching traditional media.
• Why companies ignore blog comments at their own peril.

In addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Guide, Jennifer also operates as an independent online marketing consultant specializing in organic search marketing and viral marketing. Her clients have included companies like Verizon, American Greetings, Highlights for Children, and Option-Line, a national crisis-pregnancy hotline. She is also the author of the popular e-books “The Small Business Guide to Search Engine Marketing” and “Zero Dollars, a Little Talent and Thirty Days.”

During SES London 2009, Jennifer will also be speaking at the “SEO Through Blogs & Feeds” session on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. In 2005, she delivered the keynote presentation at the MIVA Small Business Conference.

Jennifer has been interviewed and quoted by a variety of publications including The Financial Times, USA Today, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Entrepreneur magazine. At SES San Jose 2008, Andrew Goodman of Page Zero Media interviewed her about using social media sites like Linkedin and Twitter to communicate one’s marketing message to a dedicated and enthusiastic audience.

Small Business Viral Marketing Tips, SES San Jose 2008

And check out the other three SEM and SEO training workshops at SES London 2007. Participants may register for training in addition to the SES London conference or independently, since the workshops take place on the Friday after the event.