How To Make Blogging Easy for Your Brand
I wish I could count how many meetings I’ve sat through and told clients that they need to post to blogs/social media/newsletters because they are the experts and should act like it. The panic on their faces always seemed a little strange to me since they knew so much and were more than capable of sharing that knowledge. Then we started Paper Laundry (PL) and I tried to talk both of us out of needing one. “Oh, that’s important for a lot of companies but not ours” or, “The website isn’t really where we’re going to get our business, it’s more word-of-mouth.” Funny, those are never words I would say to a client because I know the value of it. But what the heck was I going to say? How could I possibly compete with the 800-pound branding agencies out there?
Then I realized this blog wasn’t just about branding, latest trends, or best practices (though there will be plenty of that) it’s about how small startups can glean knowledge from a branding agency starting up. Confused yet? So are we. But that’s ok, because every small business has growing pains—heck so do the huge ones. So here are some tips to get your blog off the ground and progressing in a way that works for you.
Find Your Niche
Figure out a piece of the market not many are talking about or a new spin on it. I could have tried to just be an expert on branding but that’s overdone. We’re the experts on starting up a brand because we’re going through it right along with our clients. Sure, we have a ton of background but it’s crazy different when you’re doing it for your own company.
Keep Your Message on Brand
Once you’ve established how your brand looks and sounds, keep it alive in your blog. Are you extra friendly like a neighborly chat over the fence? Professional and buttoned up like an insurance broker? However your brand speaks is how your blog should sound.
Set Aside Time
Yes, everyone says this and that’s because it’s true. Set aside time to come up with posts throughout the month. If you spend a few hours brainstorming topics one day and a few more hours building them out another day, you may just find that you have enough content for the whole month.
Automate!
Once you get those posts written, find ways to have them post in the future if at all possible. Sitting down for an hour and scheduling out the whole month feels really good.
Remember, You Are the Expert
We’re constantly surprised by how much we know and have learned over the years. Chances are, your audience doesn’t know even half of what you know about your topic. And even if they had heard, “blogging is important,” or “you should always have a set budget,” it never hurts to be reminded.
Hold your head up high, you’ve got this!