We recently discussed ways to engage your online presence to further benefit your professional brand. The advice seems simple, but few people seem to really engage an active online presence. Simple tools like twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIN, all can drastically increase your visibility.
Those steps require little effort. Swallow your pride and join the social media revolution.
Fewer people take the next step which truly puts you head and shoulders above the rest of your competition. It is the step that takes you into the 1% of visibility which means you exponentially increase your potential to bring in new clients.
Blogging
Blogging has many forms, for a long while, it was simply writing your thoughts on a subject. It was considered the domain of the rarefied experts and angst-ridden teenagers. Yet, more and more, businesses and entrepreneurs are using Blogs as a platform to leverage their online presence into creative businesses and as sales pitches for their free-lance work.
Basic Methodology
Here are a few basic overviews of what you can do to use a blog to your advantage.
What to create: You can use almost any skill in your pocket to make a name for yourself with a blog. If you are a decent writer, write about industry news, write about your strategies, write about new technology or interesting developments. If you feel like you are a better speaker than writer, create a podcast or a video blog which talks about the same things. Put yourself into it, people like characters! Just by putting yourself out there, you’ll position yourself as a major player in your industry. People believe what you show them, so show them you are a pro.
Tip – Not everyone creates their own content! See below for information about ghost writers and hired bloggers.
80/20: “Wait a minute,” you say, “why should I give away free ideas? I should be charging!” Yes, you should. But first, show them what they’re buying. In fact, pay it forward in a big way. Give them 80% and charge for the last 20%. They’ll be so hooked on your voice that they’ll insist on buying.
Creative Business: Beyond simply leveraging your page to advertise your traditional services, you can create e-courses, e-books, or other consulting and mentoring programs which you can charge for or use to further increase your brand in your industry. You diversify your income and expand your presence. Talk about win-win.
The Price
Alright, so not everyone can do it. It takes a bit more creativity, but blogging is hugely rewarding. Dedicate yourself to writing 1-3 times per week and you can see significant changes in your network, your reputation, and even your own understanding of your field. Combine these tips with the section about social media presence, and you will surely have a brand new business self prepared to succeed in the new business world.
— You can get in touch with Dan Zubrzycki for quotes about blog-creation, ghost writing, and self-start-up consulting at DMZubrzycki@gmail.com.
