In an effort to provide you with the best blogging tips and advice from acclaimed blogging and web design experts, we are spotlighting our talented and knowledgeable Love Your Blog vendors in our Love Your Blog series over the next month.
Today, we interview professional blogger Mir Kamin on what it takes be a successful business blogger.
As a professional blogger, Mir Kamin is savvy, knowledgeable, and knows what it takes to be a successful blogger. Mir Kamin is skilled in showing small business owners how they, too, can create a business blog that increases exposure and profits.
Below is our exclusive interview with Mir:
1. What are a few common misconceptions that small business owners have about blogging?
I think many small business owners feel like they can’t afford to blog, either in terms of time or money. What they’re missing, in that assessment, is that even though you may not be able to find an easy way to measure the ROI, investment-wise it’s one of the most cost-efficient ways to strengthen your brand and put a human face on your company. Similarly, even business owners who feel they can afford it often wonder if it’s “worth” it, because they’re viewing it as an advertisement avenue rather than a brand-building avenue.
And either way, the nice thing about blogging is that it’s accessible to everyone; it’s an extremely inexpensive and easy way to broaden your reach and get your brand out there.
2. In your opinion, how does blogging fit into a company’s overall online marketing strategy? Is a blog one of the most important marketing materials a business could have? Why or why not?
I make a point of explaining to clients that their blog is marketing, but it’s not advertising. That distinction is important. Advertising is when you say “We do X, and we’re better than the rest for Y reasons.” Marketing (ideally) is both more subtle and more relatable; it’s a company’s chance to say, “This is who we are, and what we care about, and what we have in common.” While a company certainly doesn’t have to incorporate blogging in their online marketing, again, it’s an inexpensive and easy way to put a human face on the company and make potential patrons think about their organization as one that’s run by fellow citizens of the world rather than a faceless, soulless corporation.
So is it one of the most important marketing materials? Only if you want a simple way to build community, goodwill, and customer relations. (Hint: Yes.)
3. You frequently lecture about branding. How important is it for small business owners to have a blog that is in line with their brand message and how can they achieve a blog that accurately portrays their brand message?
The bottom line is that you have to know who you are before you can accurately introduce yourself to others. Hopefully your company has a mission statement and there’s some genuine heart and enthusiasm behind that, and then it’s a simple matter to translate that passion into an online conversation with potential custom ers. Now, the biggest mistake I see companies make is deciding that staying “on message” means turning their blog into an ongoing ad for their products / services, and that’s 1) not really a blog and 2) boring to read. Staying on message means that you talk about the things that you are passionate about, and which you believe matter to your customers, too.
It’s easier to achieve than most people think. Step one: Talk about what matters to you. Step two: Listen. Step three: Respond. Repeat as necessary.
About Mir:
Mir Kamin has been blogging professionally for over half-a-dozen years, managing both her own award-winning blogs (personal blog wouldashoulda.com and shopping blog wantnot.net) and providing various freelance support to clients big and small. She takes on single article assignments, from-the-ground-up blog content creation and audience building, and everything in-between.
Mir is known for her conversational style, ability to infuse any topic with wit, and reliable production of engaging content.
Stay tuned for Part II of this post!
