Standing Out As A Professional In The Blogosphere
This post isn’t designed to bring any one member of the blogosphere down. Some people prefer to take a more casual or personal approach to how they manage their blog, which is fine. However, when you want to look seriously at affiliate and marketing opportunities, you want to make sure you’re presenting your best self to the businesses and partners you can end up working with. As such, here are a few ways to make sure your blog has its most professional face on.
Stick to your commitments
It’s easy to be a little non-committal as a blogger, to be honest. Inconsistency with schedules, delivering different content than first planned, skipping out on networking opportunities. They can all happen quite easily. However, you should never skip on a commitment to a business arrangement you make. If you, for instance, agree to write affiliate posts for a brand, then doing so should be your number one priority. One of the most important lessons you will learn as a blogger is that your long-term relationships with other bloggers and brands are what is going to help drive you to success, so don’t sabotage them. Make sure you are keeping to your word when you say you will do something and always deliver!
Keep your blog presentable
When looking at starting any partnership with you, a brand or marketing company will be going to take a close look at your brand, too. Having a presentable brand includes not only have a great looking blog, but also your other channels, too. You should have an easily understood and impactful brand image that stays consistent from your blog to your social media channels. Creating a brand style guide with the help of https://www.forbes.com/sites/propointgraphics/2016/07/24/brand-style-guides/ can help you unify your look across all channels.
Know how to act
Your blog isn’t the only thing that potential partners are going to be looking at when they are deciding whether or not you’re a reliable and worthwhile partner for their campaigns. They are also likely to look at how you communicate and how seriously you take your partnership with them. Using tools like https://www.templafy.com/templafy-email-signature-manager/ to make sure that your emails all have an organized, professional style, for instance, can make sure you’re giving off the right vibe. Your blog might be personable and friendly, but your business should be organized and professional looking as well.
Grow your personal brand
Your blog represents your professional brand, how you interact with your audience and market at large. However, you also have your personal brand, i.e., how others in the industry know you as an entrepreneur. To make sure that people know your personal brand, you can look at opportunities to establish your expertise. For instance, you can submit content to other blogs and publications, take speaking and webinar opportunities, and generally network obsessively to get your name out there.
Can you get into the money-making side of blogging without sharpening your professional image? Sure. But a little extra polish can go a long way, so if that’s your aim, these tips are worth considering.