{"id":2670,"date":"2012-12-05T23:02:54","date_gmt":"2012-12-05T23:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bme2.flywheelsites.com\/blog\/how-to-build-your-brand-by-blogging\/"},"modified":"2020-01-17T02:11:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T02:11:41","slug":"how-to-build-your-brand-by-blogging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.benchmarkemail.com\/in\/how-to-build-your-brand-by-blogging\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Your Brand by Blogging"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Fortune 500 companies to that mom and pop flower shop just up the road, just about every business is throwing its hat into the blogging ring these days. And it\u2019s no wonder. Business blogging drives search engine traffic to business websites, helps business owners develop intimate relationships with customers, establishes expertise and helps create a distinct and compelling sense of personality and voice.<\/p>\n

But in order to achieve these branding benefits, business owners need to treat their blogging efforts like a business unto itself. Here are our top tips for doing just that.<\/p>\n

Develop an Authoritative Platform<\/h4>\n

Read any good guide to business blogging<\/a> and the first thing it will emphasize is the importance of establishing expertise. That can mean a few things, including:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Writing expert \u201chow to\u201d or opinion articles on industry trends.<\/li>\n
  2. Giving customers an up close look at your approach and the results you\u2019ve achieved for others through case studies and reportage on company activities.<\/li>\n
  3. Linking to the most cutting edge expert articles, and having authoritative guest bloggers write posts for your page.<\/li>\n
  4. Doing all of this in a unique, authentic and personable voice, avoiding jargon altogether.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Together, these techniques will work to establish your site as a go-to place for the best information in the industry.<\/p>\n

    Create a Content Strategy<\/h4>\n

    In order to keep content consistently interesting, relevant and on theme, creating a content strategy is key<\/a>. But where to start?<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Get to know your audience.<\/b> Who is your demographic? What are their interests? What\u2019s your own<\/i> story, and how does your business fit into the lives of your ideal customers?<\/li>\n
    2. Research (and use!) keywords.<\/b> Google\u2019s Keyword Tool<\/a> is your friend. Start with any keywords you personally associate with your industry or business, and scour the results for commonly searched keywords with low or medium competition rates, which you can then use to brainstorm topics that answer customers\u2019 burning questions.<\/li>\n
    3. Set and measure specific goals.<\/b> Do you want to dominate a certain keyword? Increase comments on each post? Be as specific in your content goals as possible.<\/li>\n
    4. Create a content calendar.<\/b> Brush up on all of the most important dates within your industry, load them onto a calendar, and plan to post relevant content around those specific dates, leaving breathing room for breaking news. Better yet, pick regular weekly publication dates so customers know when to expect more great content.<\/li>\n
    5. Identify your market\u2019s form gaps.<\/b> Do your competitors rely mostly on written content? Add a few videos to your site. Do your competitors rely mostly on videos? Try a photo slideshow for a top ten countdown. The more varied your content style, the more likely your customers will be to comment, enter the sales funnel, and generally be engaged with your distinctive brand.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Incorporate Social Media<\/h4>\n

      Just as you wouldn\u2019t create a thousand advertising leaflets and leave them in your warehouse, you can\u2019t create content with a \u201cbuild it and they will come\u201d mentality. Consider social media to be your go-to distribution channel, and also your best way for developing intimate relationships with your customers. Use social media to:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Let customers and fans know about your newest blog content and products.<\/b> But remember, branding in this hyper-social day and age means sounding as human and as accessible as possible, not like an advertisement. Keep it casual, personable and in voice.<\/li>\n
      2. Develop relationships with key influencers.<\/b> Share other industry articles you love, and reach out directly to influential bloggers both by commenting on their blogs and proposing guest posts.<\/li>\n
      3. Nurture relationships with potential and current customers.<\/b> Monitor your social media feeds carefully, and start meaningful conversations with customers, responding to tweets and directing them to your content only when it\u2019s relevant<\/i>. Try to avoid that annoying and meaningless direct message after you receive a follow, \u201cThanks for the follow! Check out my blog!\u201d which reads only as an advertisement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The rumors about blogging are true; there\u2019s simply no better and more cost efficient way to build your brand than with a good blogging strategy. But to make the most of your efforts, it\u2019s important to actively work on building your platform, get social, keep it consistent and, most of all, be yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        From Fortune 500 companies to that mom and pop flower shop just up the road, just about every business is throwing its hat into the blogging ring these days. And it\u2019s no wonder. Business blogging drives search engine traffic to business websites, helps business owners develop intimate relationships with customers, establishes expertise and helps create…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beyond"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Build Your Brand by Blogging - in<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Build Your Brand by Blogging - in\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From Fortune 500 companies to that mom and pop flower shop just up the road, just about every business is throwing its hat into the blogging ring these days. 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