Bloggers and vloggers have been on the rise since the invention of the internet. There are so many people in the world who want to put their opinion out there for others to see – which is why social media is so successful; people get to spout their thoughts and feelings and have thousands of people read and reply. The difference is that a blog isn’t limited to a sentence, or to a certain amount of characters. It’s a thought out, developed, and an edited piece of writing. Which, hopefully, contains evidence of research behind each thought.

Yet bloggers often forget about some vital tools at their disposal to grow their readership – particularly individuals new to blogging. These tools are things that have been used in businesses for decades and are tried and tested practices. And, at the end of the day, a blog is a business. If you’re earning money, or being given products, you are running a business and should be acting accordingly. The practices we’re talking about all come under the same title; marketing.

Marketing is more than just advertising; it encompasses the reputation of the company, it’s interactions with clients and, in this case, readers, and the strategy for the business to grow.

So why aren’t bloggers using this? Probably because it has been so affiliated with ‘proper’ business. But also because there isn’t a rulebook for bloggers to follow. A blogger isn’t trained up to be another blogger, nor do they go to school to learn how to run a successful blog. No, becoming successful relies on the person doing the research, reading helpful blogs like this one and ones like the Gotch SEO blog, and learning as they go.

There are those who consider blog writing as an easy pastime, and a lot of people do run their blogs in their spare time, but a blogger has to be aware of all the legal complications any opinion they state might attract. The writing and editing of a single blog can take up an entire afternoon – not including the research hours put into it.

But making your blog successful can be a smooth road if you let it. And you can earn a lot by doing it – look at Zoella, a successful beauty vlogger. She started as a blogger, moved into vlogging and now has her own range of beauty products.

So what marketing practices should you be using to help your blog?

SEO

SEO ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ is the term given to keywords or phrases that are frequently used in search engines. By using them correctly on a website, within a home page, or in a blog, it can influence how far up the search engine list you are. Who really skips to the second page to find something? Nearly all of us just adjust our search words. So the aim is to be on that first page and to be at the top of that page. For some reason, we as people put more faith in the first link to be better than the second. And the second to be better than the third, and so on. And in a way, that’s right. The use of keywords put the most relevant page at the top of the list. You can find out the best SEO words through Google Adwords.

Social Media

Just because you have a blog, doesn’t mean that you should refrain from posting on social media. You can use the platforms to reach a larger audience than just the ones who look for articles. Think about how many click baits or blogs you look at just because they pop up on your feed. Social media also gives you blog depth. People want to know you, who you are outside of the blog. You will have thoughts and ideas that don’t translate into a 500 or 1000 word blog, so pop them on your social media. It’s also a great way to promote other bloggers by retweeting and sharing their work. The blogging community is very much a ‘you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours’ group. If you like or share their work, they are very likely to do the same for you.

Branding

Again, think about Zoella, she created a brand with her name and look. Her particular style is what made her stand out. Your brand is a visual representation of you; your name, logo, theme, even style of writing. It’s all your reputation. Your brand is what people think about when telling someone else about you. And it’s your choice whether that conversation is positive or negative. Look at Philip DeFranco, another vlogger, he is both loved and hated for giving his opinion on the latest pieces of news. However, his brand is honest. He does the research behind everything he comments on and gives his honest opinion on the situation. He has also been able to create merchandise purely based on his hair and eyebrows (you can see him wearing the design in his videos) and people recognize that vague logo as him.

Interaction

Using your blog, using your social media platforms – you should constantly be talking to your readers. If someone comments on any blog, reply to them and not just if they have asked a question. A simple thank you, if they liked what you said, is enough. People like people. They want to know you and feel valued for spending their time reading your blog. You might get people who hate what you’ve written and tell you about it. Don’t shy away, and don’t blow up, simply apologise that they feel that why you never set out to annoy/offend anyone. It’s not your fault if someone doesn’t like what you have to say, but by respecting that they have shared their opinion, even if they are being rude about it, can go a long way to rectifying their dislike.

Advertising

Not in a ‘rent a billboard’ way. But in a ‘share everything’ way. Whenever you write a new blog, share it on your social media platforms. Promote yourself. If you’re friends with other bloggers, do a share for share deal – every time they post something, you share it, and the other way around. If you are working on anything exciting, then tell people about it. Drum up some excitement and anticipation for the new blog. If you’re writing a review, where you haven’t been asked by the company, tag them in a tweet about your up-and-coming blog on so-and-so product. The same goes for restaurants and cafes. If it’s an independent place, it’s very likely that they will be sharing your review on social media for their promotions. So tell them you’re writing it!

Marketing is all about finding opportunities and using them to your advantage. And, more importantly, giving back to those who are giving to you. If you make a living, or any money, off your blogs, it’s the people who are reading the blog that are responsible for your being able to do that. So make sure they know you appreciate it.

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