Getting into blogging can be a great way to earn money from home, and can be done around existing commitments like a traditional 9-5 and or family. Plus, with the likes of social media and the opportunity for sponsored content, it can be quite the lucrative side hustle.  Blogging is certainly something that is here to stay. Woo!  As for brands and businesses, it can be a great way to advertise and promote easily to a global audience.  The worldwide web is allowing for more and more people to walk this path, without needing to have content experience or having to get a publisher to get copy published online.  It is bringing this ability to the masses, and as such, is now an accessible way to earn some extra cash. CHA-CHING!

But the real question is … how can the social web be used to create a following and to earn an income.  In a world where many people are blogging and influencing, how can you stand out?

Here are some examples of how you can best build your brand, and use your influence on the social web to inspire and make a difference in your life, whilst providing value to your followers.

Creating a Powerful and Personal Online Brand

For many bloggers, seeing themselves as a brand can cause discomfort.  It can seem a bit too much like a sales pitch.  BUT, your brand can be honest, witty, clever, or silly, if that is who you are. Using the word brand doesn’t mean things have to suddenly become serious if that isn’t your end game.  Staying authentic with the brand that you create for yourself is a win-win, because you believe in it and it’s fun for your audience.

Many businesses will look to do internal branding, which is a corporate philosophy focusing on bringing a company’s culture and identity to all of their employees.  Even as a one-man band, you can still do a little internal branding audit.  Take this chance to evaluate what identity or ethos you want your content or influence to have.  Be genuine and think about what will really work; people can spot falseness a mile off, so make sure you think wisely about what is genuine and sustainable for you.

Start a Website or Blog

Most people start out with a blog or website.  This is a great way to start building your brand.  A blog or website helps people to get to know you a little and follow your social channels from there.  Rather than just having social channels where your ‘backstory’ or ethos is hard to translate into shorter updates.  Having a blog right from the start highlights your personal brand and the kind of content that you like to create.  This can be the fuel that your brand needs.  Start with one that fits your brand and you can’t go far wrong.

Define your Audience

When you are building up a brand, remember, inch by inch and life’s a cinch.  Translation … DON’T DO TOO MUCH AT ONCE!  It can be quite evident when this is the case and can make it difficult for people to know what to expect from your content.  I know a lot of bloggers and content creators don’t have a niche, which I totally respect.  But I would always recommend at least forming a clear picture of who your target audience is.   This can really make a difference to the kind of following that you are able to create.

If you post about family travel, for example, then your target audience is likely to be parents, perhaps in particular mothers.  You can then create your content around what they want to read about.  If you don’t define your audience you run the risk of having content that is SO varied, not many folks stick around past the initial post.  They read what is relevant and then dash off to another space on the interwebs! *Sad face*

Design

Brace yourselves, because I’m not a big fan of this term, but I’m equally lost for another descriptor!  If you want to become an influencer (there I said it) then it’s recommended to get yourself a uniformed aesthetic.  This means that from your social profile images and logos to your email signature, cohesion should be your main aim. This uniformity can help individuals to instantly recognise your brand.  Otherwise, your presence on the web, can appear messy and cause confusion to potential readers.

Think carefully about the colours that you use, and things like images and photographs that are prevalent within your website.  What kind of look are you trying to portray?  I love a good pouty selfie just as much as the next gal.  However, if people are here for your helpful family travel tips, they may become alienated.  Activate your brand intuition and think wisely.

Community

There is a sense of community in the influencer industry – GAH there it is again I’m sorry OK.  If you take away anything from this, heed this advice, GET INVOLVED IN THIS AWESOME, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY!  Phew!  You can find people to collaborate with, plus people to bounce ideas off and so on. When you have people that are going to champion you and share your content, it can boost your morale no end.

Remember collaboration is a two-way street.  Think of ways to provide value to them too, share content and interact.  When you get involved and make your presence known, people will gain awareness of your brand and word is likely to travel quicker.

Keywords

The content that you create will be most beneficial when it is content that people are going to search for.  When they are typing into their search engines, what words would have to come up for your content to be seen?  This is why keywords are so important and make such a difference.  Think about what keywords are most relevant to you and then you can go from there.

FIN

Thanks so much for joining me today.  Do you have any tips? Plus how do you feel about the word ‘Influencer‘ and does ANYBODY have an alternative?!

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