The Benefits of Blogging
Blogging. It’s that thing that some people love and some people hate but it’s a staple of our marketing plans. Any half decent marketing strategy has a blog plan, as the benefits outweigh the cons. Let’s go beyond marketing for a moment. Blogging isn’t only a business marketing thing; it actually didn’t even cater to that when it first started, but Google favoured blog content, and marketers ruined it, as they always do. Sure, blogging is important your marketing campaign, content is king, keywords are critical, and SEO is the reason why corporate blogging is a thing. But put that down and let’s unpack this.
Blogging has always been a way for us to become publishers without it being complicated. It’s a medium for artists and writers of all types to get their work out there, and hopefully get it shared until someone who matters sees it. Blogging is a portal for us to share our thoughts, feelings and experiences in a medium where others can see it, read it and resonate with it. It’s a way for us to express opinions, voice concerns and analyse ideas. Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, and Medium have lead the way in making blogging more accessible to anyone, from the mid-90’s to date. We have come a long way from simple blogs on Blogger to high resolution featured images, keywords and recommended word counts. While the blogosphere details have changed, the scope remains the same.
So how can a blog benefit me, as an individual, a professional, or even as a business?
Share knowledge, passions and opinions
Blogs have always been a place to share knowledge, passions, experiences and opinions, but it can be especially helpful if your blog can help others. Many people are of the belief that if they shared information about their experience that someone might steal the idea. While everything on the internet can be stolen and repurposed, by sharing your knowledge and writing something interesting, people are more likely to keep reading, sharing and coming back. Opinions are what set us apart and it’s important that we keep writing our opinions as they sometimes question the status quo and give that competitive edge that we need to get that next job, or win that client. People buy into people, not businesses.
Become an authority in your industry
Why are you good at what you do? Why should anyone hire you? What makes you special? Sharing opinions and ideas are key to letting people know that you’re not just accepting what was taught to you, you’re shaping it. By writing a blog about your industry knowledge, it instantly increases your credibility and your readers begin to buy into your brand, personal or business. We’re all climbing to become authorities in our own right, but you have to stamp your name on a niche or an angle to show that you’re the authority in that specific area. Like with TILT, we specialise in shaping a brand’s story and controlling that narrative, regardless of the medium. And here you are, reading this blog, and possibly many others because we’re showing you how we shape that brand story, by showing how through this blog. Interesting how this all works, huh?
Gain influence and build a network
The more people like what you write, the more people share it, the greater your network becomes. Networking can be hard work, but a blog can make that a little easier for you. It’s not simple and it can be time consuming, but we can guarantee that it is absolutely worth every second and every once of effort. When you write an opinion piece on why you believe that your method is a better alternative than the industry standard, people pay attention. It’s through showing and telling that we improve as a whole. If someone never questioned flint stones as a method of fire starting, and never showed the power of a matchbox, or a lighter, where would be be today. Those pioneers in their field of fire, gained influence and people flocked to them, building their network and spreading their fire everywhere.
Refine your writing skills
The best way to improve your writing is to write. You will never improve your writing by not writing, or talking about it in your head, or hiding it in a draw. The feedback from blogging is immediate, and today, people are much less likely to sugarcoat it; they will tell you where you need to work. Read a few books outside of your preferred genres, experience other writing styles and apply what you know to your own writing. Keep writing. In five years, you will look back and realise how much you have improved and grown as a writer.
Turn your blog into a book
And the icing on the cake is always that you can turn that blog of yours into a book one day. Many people don’t realise it but if you have been writing for a few years consistently, if you published once a week, you have at least 150 articles already published. While some of them may not be suitable, you can look at what you have already written, start curating them into a book, and fill in the blanks. All of a sudden, a book that felt impossible to write because it was 120,000 words, you’ve already written 75,000 of them (assuming that each blog you wrote was about 500 words). Now you only have to fill in the blanks for 45,000 words and your draft manuscript is done. Amazing feeling just thinking about it, isn’t it?
The bonus with turning a blog into a book is over those years you built yourself a nice following, many of whom will buy your book because they are already readers. So a large chunk of the marketing work is already done as well for you.
Now, it’s time to own your spot as an industry authority, write those blogs, gain that influence, grow that network and in a few years, publish that book! Off you go now, unless you want us to write them for you then obviously, please stick around… (lol)
About TILT Creative
TILT Creative is a UK based creative agency specialising in content creation and managed solutions for blogs, websites, branding and social media. Désiré, the chief writer and artist behind TILT Creative, has worked with a variety of clients (from startups to luxury brands) across all kinds of industries (such as automotive, beverage, construction, oil and gas, tourism, and health and safety) across the United Kingdom, Dubai and the Caribbean.
TILT’s core philosophy is to change the perspective, or ‘tilt’ it. How can you TILT your business? Could it be a brand refresh, a better experience on your website, or perhaps a stronger blog strategy? Maybe writing a book on your expertise could skyrocket your company’s credibility and revenue?
Désiré’s work quality stems from her ability to infuse your brand’s story with the essence of abstract creativity, and disseminate a unique experience to your customers on an individual level, while meeting your business’ objectives. Her comprehensive research process, attention to detail, and pursuit of perfection embellishes every piece of her work: writing and design. The results are always favourable.
Ready to TILT your business? Find out more at www.TILTcreative.agency or send an email to [email protected].