Over the past few years, i’ve been fortunate enough to work as a Digital Marketing professional (more on that here) in corporate America. My day job has taught me sooo much about what goes into creating a marketing strategy that helps get your brand out there. And, I figured that sharing the marketing strategies I use would be the perfect fit for this month’s “Behind the Blog” post.
The phrase “If you build it, they will come,” has no place in blogging. Think about it… The blogging market has become so oversaturated, that almost everyone says they’re a “blogger, content creator or influencer” these days. And, that means that if you’re sitting around waiting for your ideal audience to find you, it’s not going to happen.
If you’re serious about building a strong brand and taking your business full time, you have to constantly be marketing and promoting your brand. I promise, building a marketing strategy isn’t as cringe worthy as it sounds – and, you definitely don’t need a degree to be able to figure it out.
7 Marketing Tips to Implement NOW
1. Get To Know Your Business
If you’ve already started your blog, odds are you’ve already done this, so this first step shouldn’t be too time consuming.
I like to think of this step as providing a general overview of your brand. Questions you should be asking yourself are: who am I? What can people expect when they read my blog? Which areas do I focus on? What sets me apart from other content creators?
After all, you can’t market your blog until you have a clear idea of what you’re sharing!
2. Determine your “Ideal Reader”
There are a lot of people in the world. And, your blog isn’t going to appeal to most of them. So, if you try to cast a wide net, odds are you won’t catch anything! (I don’t fish, I swear 😂)
That’s where determining who your “ideal reader” comes into play. Sit down and think through all of the traits that someone who reads your blog has. What does she do for a living? What interests does she have? What’s her favorite Netflix show to binge watch? All of these questions help you to narrow in on your target market, leaving you to create content that speaks right to your readers.
Proactive tip: I’ve found it helpful to keep a list of bloggers, friends, families who fall in my ideal niche, as a sounding board for my new ideas!
3. Build Up Your Brand
Now that you know who you are, what you want to share, and who you want to share it with you’re ready to build up your brand. The most daunting, but, fun process! Your brand should stand out to your readers the first time they see your photos, feed, website. It should all be consistent so that it screams YOU, and tells your story. A few things to remember when deciding on your brand:
Your readers need to care about you, not what you’re selling. So, make sure that your brand is personal and not pitchy. Turn your story into a few key messages and categories and build them out! Remember: that’s what you should be talking about in everything you post on your blog or social channels.
4. Shout it Out on Social
Set up and sync up your social channels. *Insert DUH moment here* I know it sounds silly, but this is actually one of the most time consuming parts of blogging. Your social media channels are the quickest way to grow your following, and each has their own special place.
Your social channels should be your readers’ personal connection to you. It’s where they go to keep up with your life, see what’s new, and get a little more nitty gritty. That’s why you have to constantly show up there, consistency really is key. Here’s a daily look at how I use each of my social channels for marketing purposes:
Pinterest: I look to Pinterest for inspiration, so I spend a lot of time pinning content that relates to my brand. I’ll pin 20-30 things a day, and most of it isn’t my content. I follow people who’s brands are similar to my own and who’s aesthetic inspires me! Of course, i’ll always be sure to pin my latest posts and past posts here too. It’s a great source of website traffic.
Instagram: Ahh Instagram. Such a great tool for promoting your blog, whether you’re sharing a quick behind-the-scenes moment on stories or a beautifully edited photo on your feed. My biggest tip here is to consistently post, engage with your community and always be cognizant of the brand you’re portraying on your feed. My rule for Instagram is to always post with intention. It’s such a big space, and posting on a whim usually leads to bad content. So carefully think through everything that you share, and include location, brand and hashtags that make you more discoverable.
Facebook: There’s a lot of noise on Facebook, but it’s a great place to get traffic to your website. I post almost daily on my Blog page, and love the loyalty of the readers that follow me there!
Twitter: I don’t use Twitter as much as I should for my personal brand, but it’s been instrumental in marketing for the companies I work with. It’s a great way to reach readers quickly and to jump into conversations with new people.
5. Grow Your Network
Is there anyone that likes networking? I’m not typically one for showing up in a room where I know nobody. But, thanks to social media and the blogging world networking with strangers has never been easier.
It can be as easy as sending a DM to a favorite blogger of yours! Or leaving a comment on a new post. Start regularly engaging with other bloggers in your niche who have similar brands. Get to know them and share their content, i’m willing to bet they will return the favor! It’s a great way to get your blog in front of new eyes. Personal note: Always be GENUINE. No one likes comments like (soooo cute, or love this!) Engage for real, I promise it will pay off.
Ready for more? Try getting published on a bigger blog that’s in your niche. I’ve pitched my blog to a few larger publications, and it’s always brought me a crazy amount of new readers to the blog! A few favorites to get you started are Inspired By This, Style Me Pretty, The Every Girl and Lauren Conrad.com.
6. Create Consistent Content
In the blog world, creating consistent content is key. And, nothing is more marketable than a person or brand that shows up regularly for their audience. If you post to your blog three days a week – great! Make it the same three days so that your loyal readers will come back regularly each day you have a new post. If you share one Instagram every day – awesome! Post at the same times, so that your followers know when to check back (it will help you with that pesky algorithm too).
Whatever you do, be consistent and make it authentic to you. Share content that would inspire you, and thus your readers. If you’re consistent, it shows that your brand is too, and that markets itself.
7. Build It Up
Now, you’ve got the tools to start marketing your blog. You just have to build it up! So, where should start? Start building your social networks by following bloggers and friends who you think would be interested in your content. Engage with them and their followers to start getting your own brand in front of your ideal reader! Best of luck, and remember: you got this!
Interested in more helpful blogging tips? Look here.
XO,
K
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These are really helpful tips. I need to network more. I’m sure your experience in marketing for your other job has helped you loads here!
Yes! It helped me learn so much. Happy to pass them on where I can! Thank you so much for reading XOXOX, K
Love it. These tips were super helpful!
Thank you so much, Gina! Appreciate you reading XOXO, K