I started blogging 9 years ago. Wow! I can hardly believe it. Back then I was a fish in a very small pond able to swim and work with whomever I wanted. Blogging back then was a dream job that didn’t require very much attention, just writing.
Nowadays with so many social media and brand influencers, that pond has grown into an ocean where survival of the fittest is a must, especially if you want to stand out amongst the crowd. But how can you as a blogger get noticed with so many other bloggers doing the same thing you are?
By marketing yourself as a blogger that’s how.
Understanding Your Readers
Marketing yourself as a blogger isn’t as simple as just leaving a comment on another person’s site. Not anymore. Posting on social media has become a prerequisite to working with brands. Algorithms have changed. Some platforms are more popular than others, and it is your job to figure out what is the most popular, what works and what your readers want from you.
One of the most important things you can do as a blogger is get to know your readers. Knowing your readers, who they are, what they like, their age, shopping habits, if they have kids or not is an important part of becoming successful as a blogger.
You wouldn’t pitch a doll making machine to a group of motorheads, would you? Or share parenting tips with those that don’t have kids. Get to know your readers. Take some polls on social media asking them questions. Find out what they like and don’t like. This will go a long way in helping you understand your readers and what motivates them to read your blog. It will also help you understand what type of content you should be blogging about.
Know Your Content
Knowing and understanding what content you are producing that is popular will go a long way to helping you get noticed as a blogger in 2019. Some bloggers have a niche such as they strictly blog about food, kids, budgeting. Or maybe they only focus on doing reviews. Other bloggers like myself are all in one. Being a lifestyle blogger is a bit more difficult as I often blog about a variety of topics.
How can you know what to blog about?
Read what is going on. Read what people are talking about. Read what the hot topics are and then choose stories to weave around those topics to interest your readers by doing one important thing. Answer a question they might ask.
For example, several of my friends were discussing online how difficult it is to get teachers to help their kids with disabilities when back to school comes. It was a truly hot topic at the beginning of that year. So I decided to write an article on How to Help The Teacher Cope With Your Child’s Disabilities. It was very well received and talked about after writing it. This is what you want to do to be successful as a blogger and help market yourself so you can be successful and give your readers what they want.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Personal
When I first started blogging it was to share and connect with others like myself who had a child with disabilities. But then as time went on and I began working with brands, I kinda lost my way. I spent too much time focused on doing reviews and sharing my opinion (which I still believe is important) on what those brands could offer my readers, instead of talking about how those brands helped me personally.
Don’t be afraid to connect emotionally with your readers. Getting to know your readers is important, but it’s equally as important for them to get to know you. It’s okay if you want to share happy times, down days, photos of your family, places your visited. Let your readers take a peek into your world. Only then can you truly connect and become successful blogging and sharing.
Find Your Voice
The final way a blogger can become successful in 2019 is to or you to find your voice. Sharing and developing your voice is an intrical part of marketing yourself as a blogger and understanding how this can shape your future.
Nancy of Behram shares an article on how your voice is an important part of branding and working within PR agencies to make that connection with your readers you want to make. The more the readers get to know your voice the more successful your partnership for the future will be, especially when determining what sort of brands your voice and readers will love.
So there you have it. Just a few simple ways to help you market and grow your brand, voice and yourself in order to be successful this year when moving your blog forward.
Don’t get down if you don’t see the connection or numbers right away. Marketing yourself online isn’t an easy job. It takes time, consideration and understanding the core value of what it is your readers want and what you wish to share with them. Figure that out and success will be yours!