Blogging: What is it? What isn’t it?
In a time that’s less about the hard sell, your blog can be leveraged as a way for you to demonstrate your values and personality.
If you’ve come to read this, you’ve already got a good start. This is a blog.
A blog is a piece of web content that is updated frequently and allows for reader engagement in the form of blog comments and social media shares, likes, and follows. The fact that you are able to discuss the content being viewed by readers is what really set blogs apart from traditional websites. Websites being anything that appears on the internet that has information for people to check out. It could include a blogging section that is viewable to readers, but the main parts of a website include things like a homepage, portfolio of work, client testimonials, FAQ section, a contact page, and even a company’s terms and privacy statements. Theses are all things that a blog wouldn’t necessarily have– The content is meant to be seen by site visitors, but not necessarily openly discussed.
Popular topics include fashion, travel, and food. But once a blog goes live, the idea is to create with a purpose.
There are currently over a billion active websites and blogs on the internet today. So there is definitely some competition. When launching a new blog, traffic to your site might be a bit slow, but as you continue to come out with new content, rank in search results, and share content, that traffic will continue to grow over time.
Hello Social continuously tries to convey that if you’re going to have a following, then that following should be authentic. If your goal is to become a success overnight, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate.
When viewers are visiting your website, social profiles, and blog they are not there hoping to be bombarded with sales pitches. They are there to take a look at your product or service and see if it is of interest to them. Do you have something they can relate to? Is your startup story something they can aspire to? Although most things we see on the internet seem to have gone viral in less than 24 hours, the reality of it is, the content has most likely evolved from a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.
Takeaway: Blogs are a great source of information for your customers, but they are an even bigger source for that of your potential customers.
By using your blog to pour out your values and brand personality, you are developing a place to draw your viewers in and attract them to becoming a loyal customer long before you’ve made the sale. And we all know that a good vibe to your audience can spread like wildfire by word of mouth, increasing your overall brand reach.
Author: Katey Crean, Hello Social Co.