Blogging Is A Great Way To Establish Yourself as an Influencer On Social Media
This article was originally posted on LinkedIn
As a digital marketer, I’ve seen the power of the blog post. Blogging is how you showcase your knowledge on a subject and position yourself as an authority on that topic.
By sharing your knowledge you’re making it known that you have something to say about the subject, and creating a scenario where readers come to you for information and advice. This can impress people in your network as well as their connections if they choose to share your post. If someone Googles your name to find out more about you after meeting you at a networking event, for example, it is fantastic for your credibility if they find a well-written and thorough blog post on your subject of expertise.
This can lead to opportunities you likely wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
Frequency Is Key
Even though there is contention on this subject, I’m not going to lie to you — in order to show your expertise, one post isn’t going to cut it. It’s important to come up with a blogging and content strategy to keep yourself top of mind on Social Media with those who are consuming your content. This will help those people remember to contact you when they need the services or products you offer.
Watch The Rambling
It is important to tell a story that takes the reader’s time into account. People are busy. They want to get the information fast and move on to the next thing, not slog through paragraphs of fluff and anecdotes that don’t provide any new information.
The trick is to make the post informative, hard hitting and, most of all, quick. This way, you’re showing respect for your reader’s time, and you’ll be showing your level of expertise.
In his book, Write Without Bullshit, Josh Bernoff talks about the Iron Imperative: “Treat the reader’s time as more valuable than your own.”
But What To Write About?
You might need to sit down in a quiet area and spend some time brainstorming what message you want to convey. Come up with a bunch of different topics ahead of time, so you’ll be ready when it’s time to write another post.
Keep in mind, blog posts don’t all have to be the same format.
Some formats to consider for a worthwhile quick blog post:
- Top 10 List Posts
- Opinion posts that give your insights on another article. *Always link to the article from which you’re giving your opinion, and cite the author and publication appropriately*
- Image-rich articles with charts and pictures that help explain what you’re writing about.
These are a few ideas to get you started. The end goal is to share your knowledge with people to become a thought leader in your space.
You’re Not Selling
Remember you are not selling your product, you are getting in front of people and sharing. The more you give, the more in return you will receive. Blogging isn’t about asking your readers for something, it’s about offering them something of value.
As Gary Vaynerchuk wrote in his book: “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook,” it’s about providing lots of value and only then can you ask for business.
Now what are you waiting for? Get blogging!
___________________________________________________________________Seth Goldstein is the founder and Principal Creative Director of Goldstein Media LLC, a digital marketing agency based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania (just north of Philadelphia). Goldstein Media specializes in helping companies of all sizes get a presence online and get found. Find out more at https://goldsteinmedia.com
