I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you need a blog!
Whether you’re an influencer or a digital entrepreneur, having a blog is an essential part of running your business. Unfortunately, social media has given us the illusion that blogs are irrelevant. With platforms like Instagram and TikTok, why should influencers invest so much time on writing blog posts?
The answer: you do not own your social media account.
Don’t get me wrong; social media is a powerful tool. However, having a successful blog and email list is the difference between owning and renting your platform. For any reason, Instagram can implement new rules, change the algorithm, and even disappear. Whereas the control of traffic, monetization, and the existence of your blog is entirely in your control.
How to Start a Successful Blog
In this episode of Her Life, By Design, I discuss why a blog is extremely beneficial for your mindset and business. We’ll talk about why every influencer needs one, and how you can start a successful blog.
Social Media vs. Blog Mindset
One of the first things you have to get right is your mindset around blogging. The social media world has us craving instant gratification. Influencers get so caught up in the world of instant numbers. We scrutinize our engagement rates without realizing that we’ve tied our identity to those numbers.
The ebb and flow of your following count, likes, and comments are just a natural part of social media. For influencers, a dip in engagement could incite a loss of brand deals and income. This causes a lot of creators to invest so much time, energy, and stress into their social media profiles.
Instead of putting too much stock on your social media pages, invest that time wisely into your blog and email list. A blog and email list ensure that your content will be seen by your current audience at all times. It doesn’t rely on an unpredictable algorithm and is essential for the longevity of your business.
If you find yourself frustrated with the ups and downs of Instagram, you’re not alone! I share my personal experience in this episode. You’ll hear how relying solely on Instagram for building my business ultimately caused burn out.
Why Blogs Matter
Unlike Instagram, the content on your blog lives on forever. Typically, a post on Instagram gets seen in the first 72 hours. An older post would only be seen is if the viewer spends time scrolling through your feed to get there. On the other hand, a high-quality blog post will be discoverable forever, making it a smart investment for the long-term.
But creating a high-quality blog post for longevity means writing with your reader in mind. Most amateur bloggers make the mistake of treating their blog like a diary. Instead, set your blog up as a place of resource, where your readers can find information about your area of expertise. Not only does this make your blog more discoverable on Google or Pinterest, but you build credibility and authority with each post you publish.
Tune in to the episode to find out how I turn these diary-like entries into highly searchable blog posts that are relevant for years to come.
4 Ways Blogs Increase the Value of Your Business
The long-term discoverability nature of a high-quality blog post increases your authority, credibility, and overall value of your business. For influencers, having a blog can really set you apart in this saturated market, allowing you to secure higher paying brand deals. Here are 4 ways you increase your business’ value when you start a successful blog:
- High-quality blog posts are searchable for years
- Offering a blog post as a deliverable can earn you more from brand deals
- It allows you to control the entire user experience as well as monetization
- It is easier to attract new audiences to your content through SEO and Pinterest strategies
We all know that brands pay influencers for sponsored Instagram posts. Because of the long-term discoverability of a blog post, offering an article to a brand will instantly increase your value as an influencer when it’s time to negotiate brand deals. With the right SEO and Pinterest strategies, a sponsored blog post will increase ROI by bringing more traffic to a brand over a longer period of time than a social media post ever could.
Additionally, you control the entire user experience on your blog. This is extremely valuable because you get to tailor a new reader’s experience from the moment of discovery. A high-quality blog post will get readers to know, like, and trust you. This will lead them to binge more of your content, download a freebie, get on your email list, and eventually buy from you when you launch a product.
Set Your Blog Up For Success
The benefits of having a blog are abundantly clear. However, most bloggers get intimidated from the very beginning. Starting a blog is very different from signing up for a profile on Instagram. Before you can begin writing, there are so many decisions you have to make from finding a hosting platform, choosing between WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix, to customizing a theme.
There are many conflicting opinions out there, which is why I’m sharing my exact process in the episode. I’ve made mistakes like starting on Squarespace, having to go through the tedious process of moving all my content to WordPress. I also discuss why Siteground is a superior hosting platform and why you see so many bloggers recommending Bluehost instead.
If you’re ready to start a successful blog right now, here is a step-by-step guide if you’re from scratch.
Putting You In Charge of Your Own Content
Not only are blogs more relevant than ever, but they’ve also become a necessity for every business. This episode discusses everything you need to know and how you can start a successful blog.
If you’re ready to hit the ground running, I’m hosting a free 1-hour long class to teach you the ins and outs of starting (and running) a successful blog. You’ll learn how to find your niche, identify your audience, build a strategic content calendar, and grow a loyal readership and email list.
Whether you’re brand new to blogging, or you’ve been blogging for a while but not seeing the results you want – this class will equip you with the strategies you need to establish your authority and set your blog up for long-term success.
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Super interesting to read, after my first blog years and the rise of social media, I’ve noticed that blogging became a little bit less ”important” . But I always knew that a blog could be a great addition to a personal brand.
I think there is a misconception with the rise of social media that blogging isn’t important anywhere, but from my experience that couldn’t be further from the truth! It is the only platform that you own and that you can control your audience’s experience on, so it’s more important than ever to optimize your blog.