There’s no doubt that a blog can often be the best way to put a consistent face on your business. Rather than a static website that makes no attempt to invite visitor interaction, a blog can be a perfect way to engage your people and build a relationship with them.
But it takes commitment to keep a blog going. Unlike a static website that you put up once and then only update from time to time, a blog requires constant attention in order to be effective.
And that requires a strategy. Sorry, but without an explicit strategy your blog will very likely fail. It will not accomplish what you set out to accomplish with it, and you personally will probably lose interest within a month or two.
1. Creating a ‘Brand’ With Your Blog
You need an objective for your blog, and I think the best one is to…
“Define and Enhance Your Corporate Brand”
That is a fancy way of saying use your blog to give your company a distinctive persona – what used to be called your “image”. Think about how you would like your public (customers, contacts, prospects, site visitors, etc.) to think about you.
For example, if you’re a real estate agent do you want people to think of you as
…the friendly guy
…the helpful guy
…the knowledgeable guy
…the smart guy
…the reliable guy
…the experienced guy
etc.
Do you want to reflect your area of specialization in what you do? For example, if you’re an internet marketer or online entrepreneur do you have a clearly defined area of specialization? Are you,
…the blogging girl
…the video girl
…the affiliate sales guru
…the list building expert
…the link building professional
…the SEO guy
…the creative web designer
…the clever copywriter
Whatever you choose, this should always (or almost always) be reflected somehow in all your blog posts. Each of your posts should clearly say “This is the voice of experience speaking when it comes to commercial real estate” or “Our web design is not only creative, but it will give you an edge when it comes to convincing people they should deal with you” or “I will work my tail off to make sure I get the best price for your home.”
Often the decision about the character or persona of your business has already been made for you. It is usually a reflection of your personal character and is simply the way you conduct your business.
But don’t assume your people know this. Make it explicit in how you promote yourself. In other words, turn your persona into a “brand”. Because of the personal nature of blogging, that makes your blog the perfect place to refine your brand.
Blogging Strategy - Stay On Topic - Local Business Marketing 4:21 am on December 12, 2008 Permalink
[...] the second part of creating an effective blogging strategy. In the first part called “Your Blog Will Fail Without a Strategy” we said you should focus on creating a consistent and distinctive “brand”. Your blog [...]
Howard 4:36 am on December 12, 2008 Permalink
Thanks for these tips. It’s pretty difficult when you’re just starting out to know what your “brand” should be. But I agree you should try to give people a clear idea of what you’re specialty is.
Web Hosting Reviews 9:48 am on July 24, 2009 Permalink
Great post. I kind of agree but only in certain instances.
Rick 12:44 am on July 25, 2009 Permalink
@Howard – It’s difficult nailing your brand even if you’ve been in business for a while. There are two different issues: defining your brand, and then being happy with it (because you believe it is working for you.) As an example of a company that is really struggling with this right now consider Microsoft. They keep coming up with concepts which seem weak because they are trying to remake themselves and don’t quite seem to know what they want to become.