Making a good online impression is a critical component in branding your business.
While social media is an excellent tool to promote current marketing campaigns, build rapport and establish credibility, a blog has the power to position you as a subject matter expert and an authority within your field.
As nearly 80% of all shoppers look to the Internet to research a product prior to making a purchase, it is easy to see how blogging done right can be a powerful tool.
From search engine optimization to social media optimization and the consistent use of quality content, blogging can impact your business in a very positive way.
A blog can:
- Create thought leadership and position you as a subject matter expert
- Build trust, authority and meaningful relationships with readers and subscribers
- Extend your message and branding beyond traditional marketing methods
- Connect you with potential clients looking to the web for a specific product, service or solution to whatever ails them
- Keep you relevant and top of mind
- Create differentiation among competition
Ready to leverage blogging to build business identity, authority and credibility? These six tips will help you get started.
Leverage Blogging to Build Business Identity, Authority and Credibility
1. Post with Purpose
Your first step towards creating a blog worth visiting is posting fresh and unique content. If you are eager to gain loyal blog subscribers, and what blogger isn’t, then you must provide a solid enough reason to keep them coming back for more.
Before you haphazardly begin creating content, sit down and ask yourself a few questions.
- Who is your target audience?
- What type of content are they looking for?
- What need are you able to fill or what problems can you solve through your blog?
- What is your purpose? e.g. exposure, income, thought leadership.
- What is your time commitment?
- Do you envision blogging long-term?
- What is your budget
Your blog can generate interest and produce results if you know what the purpose is before you begin. Just as with any other endeavor, having an end goal in mind and then a road map on how you will get there will make it easier to benchmark successes as they come.
Tool Tip: Create an Editorial Calendar
Hubspot has an excellent editorial calendar that you can download for free. You can also find additional resources on my post Creating and Managing an Editorial Calendar.
Not familiar with how an editorial calendar works? Get started with these information articles:
How to Get Organized with an Editorial Calendar – it’s Easier than you Think! via Peg Fitzpatrick
How to Create an Editorial Calendar with Your Blog via Ian Cleary
2. Post Consistently
Posting consistently lends credibility to your blog. Plan on writing two content rich posts per week. These do not need to be long, but they do need to be frequent. Pick the days and times you will post to keep you focused on a deadline and your readers accustomed to looking for your content.
However, I do want to qualify my above recommendation. If your answer to the time commitment question precludes you from posting twice per week, this is not a deal killer.
Always remember, put quality above quantity. If you can only post once per week, but it is quality work, your readers will appreciate it and you will benefit from their ongoing loyalty.
Once you begin to post consistently, make sure you share it consistently across your social media networks.
Tool Tip: Use Buffer to Post Consistently to Social Networks
3. Provide Valuable Information
Understand your niche or target market and offer specifics around that topic. Take frequently asked questions and answer them with a detailed response that anyone would find valuable. Provide tips, offer items of value, or share details about issues surrounding your industry.
Share your knowledge and expertise by giving readers and subscribers the content they really want. Make your blog a destination and one they cannot live without.
A word of caution: Building trust will not happen overnight.
It will take a commitment to consistency and a willingness to give freely of your insight, wisdom and knowledge without anticipating anything in return. This gives readers the opportunity to see that you are in it for them, not just the paycheck.
In order to stay relevant, you need to factor in time spent researching your consumer. What are they talking about, what are they worried about and what are they unhappy about when they discuss your industry or even your competitors.
Tool Tip: Research Your Consumer Needs
Use a site like Addictomatic to see what others are talking about within your niche or industry. Educate yourself on what is happening in real-time across the web and then take that knowledge and translate it into content for your target market.
Addictomatic searches multiple sites at once looking for the top mentions, retweets and blog posts being shared around your specified keyword. Add your search topic. run a search of YouTube, Bing, Flickr, Delicious and more. Then rinse and repeat!
4. Speak Directly to Your Target Market
Show your readers how much you care by researching who they are and what it is that matters most to them. Do not assume that just because you have been in your industry for a substantial amount of time that you automatically know what they are looking for. Times change and industries evolve, so make sure to stay on top of yours.
Ask questions, listen to the answers and study your analytics. It is very easy to see through Google Analytics where your readers came from, what keywords they used to end up on your page and how long they stuck around.
This is precisely why it is vital to know what your goal is before you begin to blog and then speak directly to the needs of your readers, adjusting that message as necessary to encourage readership growth.
Tool Tip: Know Your Niche
Social Mention is a nifty tool with a ton of functionality. Dissect, analyze and research content based on keyword, phrase or Twitter handle.
Begin by taking a look at your industry specific keywords and then drill down into the blogs, tweets and posts that pull up in the stream of most recent content shared.
5. Love What You Do and Let It Show
If you love what you do then it should be reflected in everything you say and write. Be excited about what you have to offer and why working with you would be a benefit.
Consumers sense desperation so always remember to keep your posts upbeat, positive and informative without getting bogged down by dreary details.
Is your industry going through hard times, has your business hit a slow patch or are you angry with a competitor? Nix the desire to share every last detail and instead choose to be a beacon of positivity. As the saying goes, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”
6. Join in the Conversation
The single most effective way to build loyalty and trust is through conversation. A blog allows readers to get to know you on a very intimate level. If you let comments sit without responding or even acknowledging them, you are giving away a valuable opportunity.
You not only have the chance to answer their question in a public forum but you allow your readers to see that you care about their needs and are there to assist when they are ready.
Tool Tip: Use a Third-Party Management Tool
To stay consistently in the conversation, consider using a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your content. You can choose a specific time to post to various social networks or choose specific times with Hootsuite’s auto-schedule feature and then post at custom times throughout the day.
Wonderful post! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website.
Keep up the great writing.
Thanks for this post on the best practices for running a blog. I think it is so important to build your identity through a blog and for searchers to find your blog as a resource with valuable information! I have always tried to implement a content calendar but it just seems there is never enough time. I will definitely have to check out your other post that specifically focuses on that!
Also, do you recommend any other tools besides Hootsuite for management?
Thanks again!
Best,
Erika
Great tips on blogging that are really helpful. Thanks! More power to us bloggers!
Hi Rebekah,
Love each tip, especially the note about letting yourself out to play more. I am shooting more videos and having fun with my content these days; what an easy way to build authority!
People who play stand out from the drone masses. Keep playing 😉
Thanks Rebekah!
Ryan
Thanks for all of these tips. I’ve been blogging for a long time but have gotten much more strategic about it. You’ve got to be better about writing for your target audience, use basic SEO good practices and promote across your networks enough to get noticed. There’s only so much quality content any of us can put out on a regular basis. We all need to strive for great in what we do and put less emphasis on more.
Excellent point Jen. Strive for great is something we should all do everyday in both our business dealings and our writing.
Hey Rebekah,
I wanted to stop by and check out this post because I’m always about learning ways I can improve upon what I’m already doing and trust me, I don’t know near enough still.
I don’t use any type of editorial calendar mainly because as I come across things I share those along with questions from readers or subscribers or things that might be happening right now that I want my readers to be aware of. I’m horrible about writing posts ahead of time although I know it will come back to bite me eventually. I am nothing but consistent though. I post religiously twice a week on the same day at the same times and have for years. Come rain or shine, I post and haven’t missed a day.
For the most part I do a lot of what you’ve shared here but I wasn’t familiar with Addictomatic. I’m going to have to check that site out.
Now as far as getting in the conversation, I’m so there… You know me, the relationship queen. I do love to chat, get to know people, answer questions and even ask them as well. I think I have that area covered. lol..
Great post Rebekah so thank you so much for sharing this with us and hope you’re enjoying your week.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne! You have definitely mastered two key ingredients to blogging success – consistency and quality content.
On top of that, you have taken blog commenting to a whole new level! You are a true relationship builder and obviously care about those you actively engage with. It shines through in each of your comments. Something we can all learn from!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Great post Rebekah!! You always have such great tips to share. There were many tips I’m already using…(pat on the back)…but I hadn’t heard of Addictomatic or Social Mention. I’m thrilled to have them in my arsenal.
Thank you Heid! I’m always happy to hear I’ve touched upon a couple of tools others haven’t heard about yet. It’s fun to find new resources! 🙂
Nice post as per usual. I am a subscriber. While we are pretty advanced at online content (we use Hubspot), your posts are always great reminders.
FYI – I tried to tweet, but your social share buttons were not functioning. Could be something temporary. Who knows?
Thanks,
Keith
Thank you Keith for subscribing and sharing! I was aware of the issue with the social buttons (a minor glitch with the theme), but have it fixed. I appreciate the heads up!
Hi Rebekah,
If I ran a course on how to get started with blogging I would hand this out!
Well thought out and summarised :> And a few tips in their for us bloggers who even thought they knew everything! (not me!)
I have a few friends running online business and I find it very hard to convince them how much the world has changed and how they can no longer just list themselves in the yellow pages and expect customers, especially when they are not plumbers!
Blogging is the key to modern marketing
Thanks for bringing this to the world’s attention – again
have a great week
ashley
That’s quite the compliment Ashley — thank you! And you said exactly how I feel – “blogging is the key to modern marketing.” It is the hub, while social media is the spoke. Using both effectively together is a huge WIN!
Thanks for such an enlightening article. It’s great to see such an emphasis on understanding your target readership and creating quality content for them. Will check out the different tools you suggest to help.
It’s one thing to create a blog and a whole other to actually speak directly to the consumer you’re trying to attract. I see this issue muddied by a confusing strategy, no system and a lack of consistency.
Have fun with the tools and thanks for stopping by Justin!
Great post Rebekah, I think using an editorial calendar would be a big help to keeping me on track with my writing. Although I come up with many ideas I seem at times to have to many thoughts running through my head and need to focus on more of a clear direction of what I want to accomplish and say.
Thanks for sharing your insight !
I know that feeling Ed. Where it helps me the most is in keeping me on track and holding me to a schedule. I could easily veer off in multiple directions, so its nice to have those ideas already in place.
Hey Rebekah,
You are a perfect example of how to build credibility through delivering great content!
I agree regarding social mention, it’s a really useful tool!
That is a huge compliment coming from you Ian and I truly appreciate it! You have been so inspirational to me from your blog to podcasts and all of your guest posts.
Always informative and full of tips and tools I never knew existed.