Photo via: mediabistro.com
Most
people think of logos, websites, and business cards when someone mentions
branding. While these items are popular items to spread the word of your brand,
they couldn’t be further from the center of what your brand truly encompasses.
Your
brand is a direct reflection of your company’s vision and goals for the next
6-12 months (and hopefully you have a vision). So while a website and logo can
reflect a small piece of what you have to offer, there is a better way to
spread your brand. How so?
Do it
with a blog.
The
industry and non-industry related bloggers and blogs I follow and subscribe to
are not people that blew me away with their logo or creative design. The
bloggers that strike my interest are ones with strong content that look like
they can help.
With
that being said, here are five ways to use your blog to share your vision and
get more customers:
Address people’s burning
questions
It is easier than ever to find
out what potential customers are looking for these days. If you are not Twitter
savvy or FaceBook friendly, then head over to Yahoo Answers or quora.com and
see what people are asking.
Answer questions your
customers should be asking
It’s a great idea to give people
what they are asking for, but it is also wise to help people with your insight
on questions they should really be asking. This is a great opportunity to show
people you are around to help. Find topics that save people time and money that
may not think of, or really know how to do themselves.
Share your philosophy on your
industry
People like to do business with
people they trust. One of the great ways to do that is to share your opinions
on where your industry is going with personal thoughts. This is not the place
for dirty laundry, of course, but more so how your company is positioning
itself to be the best in your field.
Review popular items/products
Some of the most popular blog
posts on ANY blog are the good product reviews. People want to know what
established sources think about something they are considering buying. You have
the unique position of being an expert. Use that to steer people to the best
stuff and you will continue to gain credibility for your brand.
Give insight into what your
business looks like every day
This is where you can really get
creative. Have some camera friendly people in the office that can show your
customers a day in the life, for example. Another important thing besides trust
is likability. The best way to make your company likable is to share events,
personalities and places with your audience. While not everyone is going to
like you, the ones that do will really, REALLY like you.
So, go out and get creative with
your blog and help people get to know your brand and trust your words. The only
way to do that is to start!
Jake Jordan is a Marketing
Strategist @AgencyEntourage, a Dallas, TX Advertising Agency that specializes
in content creation and strategy via email campaigns, social media and blogs.
Find out about their tailored plans at http://agencyentourage.com
Jake on Google+>
