This post is an extension of a course I am teaching at the University of Texas entitled: Start your own company blog.
I am including the slide deck from my class and encouraging an online conversation about the topic of corporate blogging.
I am encouraging my students to put any questions or comments into the comments section. This will open up the conversation to the other students and my community of readers.
So make your voice known and don’t forget to do your homework!
A note to my class:
Thank you guys for coming, getting involved and asking such great questions.
For setting up your wordpress blog:
Here is the page to sign up: http://wordpress.com/signup/
About parking at UT:
This fall the University Co-op Garage will honor Informal Classes receipts Monday – Friday 5:30-10:30pm, with a $3.00 flat charge for the evening. You must show your class receipt to receive the special rate. Please speak with the attendant before retrieving your vehicle.
Setting up a Diigo account:
http://www.diigo.com/sign-up?referInfo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diigo.com
6 responses so far ↓
1 kelly jenkins // Oct 19, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Thanks a bunch for the parking tip..
Question:
When picking a domain name is it better to use your name or a general (non subject) name? Giving you the platform to discuss various subjects? Suggestions?
2 TrackSuit CEO // Oct 20, 2008 at 4:44 pm
@kelly,
Good question about the domains! A good rule for domain names is: “don’t be too generic”. Ask anyone what a good website to get cheap airline tickets at and they will list them off: orbitz, priceline, travelocity, etc. No one even thinks of cheapairlinetickets.com even though it’s the most self-explanatory.
If your name is available I would grab it. Using your own name gives you the flexibility to make the blog about anything you want it to be about. It can change and evolve as you do.
So my overall advice is choose your domain with your branding in mind and make it memorable and easy to spell.
3 Emily Graves // Oct 22, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Enjoyed Pearsonified.
passive versus active interlinking/navigation interesting but not quite sure I get it. I think it means one drives people to click because it is embedded?
I set up my start up blog.
emilythebrave
got a picture in and a short post
enjoying the class
4 kelly // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:29 am
I noticed today as I was surfing blogs. That several of the blogs I go to have “giveaways” and ask people to either subscribe or leave a comment in order to be placed in the prize pool. I am guessing this is a way for the blog host to capture readers and show affiliates that they have following in order to get them to pay them to be on their site?
5 Tracksuit CEO // Oct 24, 2008 at 11:24 am
Hey Emily,
Glad you’re enjoying the class. You’re right on about passive vs. active linking. Passive means that you program your categories so that your most popular posts automatically show up under a category like “must read”.
6 Tracksuit CEO // Oct 24, 2008 at 11:28 am
kelly:
good question, I have seen this a few times. On http://dooce.com Heather Armstrong had thousands of comments on one of her contests.
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