{"id":19277,"date":"2014-07-30T17:25:05","date_gmt":"2014-07-30T21:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.shareaholic.com\/?p=19277"},"modified":"2014-07-30T17:25:05","modified_gmt":"2014-07-30T21:25:05","slug":"brand-publishing-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shareaholic.com\/blog\/brand-publishing-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Reasons The Best Brands Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blog better with Shareaholic<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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For brands, publishing has historically been reserved\u00a0for journalists.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, brand publishers<\/a> are as prolific as social media strategists, PPC experts and advertising gurus. But there are still plenty of naysayers, skeptical about blogging’s potential<\/a> and unclear about how producing content will impact their overall business goals.<\/p>\n

Before jumping to the wrong conclusions about the value of business\u00a0blogging<\/a>, see what 12 members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)<\/a> have to say about how content helps\u00a0their companies grow.<\/p>\n

What\u00a0is the\u00a0main goal of your company’s blog marketing-wise?<\/h2>\n
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The YEC\u00a0is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC launched StartupCollective<\/a>, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.<\/em><\/p>\n

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1. Tell (Visual) Stories Worth Sharing<\/h3>\n

\"Visual<\/p>\n

For\u00a0Jared Feldman<\/a>\u00a0of social media intelligence firm\u00a0Mashwork<\/a>, the company’s blog serves as a destination for shareable storytelling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Our company believes that data is only as good as the stories we tell with it. The same goes for our blog — no one wants to read about our technology; they want to hear stories about how it impacts business outcomes. We also make design a priority. To that end, all of our blog posts are highly visual, which we’ve found leads to more sharing.”<\/p>\n

With heightened awareness, Feldman is more likely to see potential clients filling up his sales team’s pipeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Express Brand Identity<\/h3>\n

“The ONA blog is a key component of expressing our brand’s identity: we love to highlight emerging photographers, feature our favorite blogs and retail partners and share our recent travels,” says\u00a0Tracy Foster, Founder of\u00a0ONA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Foster employs\u00a0her blog to be a reflection of the ONA brand and its target audience.<\/p>\n

3. Build an Email List Through Great Content<\/h3>\n

On\u00a0Patrick Conley<\/a>‘s mind is leads.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0Automation Heroes<\/a>, he says, “The main goal of our blog is to put relevant content up, attracting the type of clients we’re looking for. We have a big push to get readers\u00a0signing up for free offers on our site via email, so we may\u00a0follow up with them. A one-time visitor who doesn’t return to our site isn’t worth much to us, but a new email captured could turn into\u00a0a new client.”<\/p>\n

4. Attract Top Industry Talent<\/h3>\n

\"Building<\/p>\n

Growing the team is what makes the process of producing, publishing and promoting content worthwhile for\u00a0James Simpson of web game maker\u00a0GoldFire Studios<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We regularly publish content that interests developers and others within our industry, especially locally. This has allowed us to spread our brand to the people that we would be most interested in hiring, and this strategy has worked wonders. In fact, most people that have worked with us have found us through our blog.”<\/p>\n

5. Build Credibility<\/h3>\n

“Our company blog serves many purposes, but one key goal\u00a0is its ability to build credibility,” shares\u00a0David Ehrenberg of\u00a0Early Growth FS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“When you don\u2019t have a well-known, established brand, content can help you create awareness, build your brand and establish credibility. We offer a tons of useful, educational content that helps to position us as thought leaders in the startup financial space.”<\/p>\n

6. Give Partners a Behind-the-Scenes Look<\/h3>\n

A sneak peak can garner loyalty too.<\/p>\n

“Our blog is for our business partners,” says Ty Morse of interactive firm\u00a0Songwhale<\/a>.\u00a0“It shows them what’s going on in the business and keeps them up to date on our activities, strategies and affiliates.”<\/p>\n

It’s fun and informative — and above all, it’s human. “Our blog shares\u00a0additional information about us, our employees and our company culture, and lets potential and current customers see who we are. Customers want to know who they are working with, and company blogs allow them that access.”<\/p>\n

7. Become an Industry Thought Leader<\/h3>\n

Jason Grill<\/a>\u00a0owner at\u00a0JGrill Media<\/a>\u00a0agrees.\u00a0“Without a doubt, the best thing to do on your blog marketing-wise is to provide expert opinion on your market or vertical.”<\/p>\n

Grill suggests, “If you’re a fashion B2C company, publish\u00a0new trends and style tips. If you’re an industrial B2B company, write about\u00a0information on new partnership opportunities. Thought leadership builds credibility and grows your active following and client list.”<\/p>\n

8. Connect Personally With Fans<\/h3>\n

\"Engaging<\/p>\n

“We work hard to make sure people\u00a0think of our business as comprised of a group of real individuals, and not some soulless enterprise,” tells\u00a0Aaron Schwartz<\/a>, CEO of brand\u00a0Modify Watches<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“As a startup, we include hand-written notes and business cards with every order. That way, you know exactly who you’re dealing with. But we use the blog to add more color. Aside from sharing a behind-the-scenes look, we try to share more depth stories about all of our teammates.”<\/p>\n

9. Capture Media Attention<\/h3>\n

“We post articles frequently on our company blog to discuss technical topics, but have found recently that it is also a great avenue to garner media attention,” reveals\u00a0Bj\u00f6rn Stansvik of mobile app design and development house\u00a0MentorMate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best industry blogs tend to develop into authoritative voices<\/a> within their respective industry. “Members of the local media frequent our blog and often report on the innovative things we do\u00a0or the changes we see\u00a0in technology.”<\/p>\n

10. Analyze Your Own Data<\/h3>\n

Bhavin Shah<\/a>, co-founder of\u00a0Refresh.io<\/a>, uses the company blog to serve two purposes:<\/p>\n

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  1. Announce<\/a> product features, news and updates.<\/li>\n
  2. Provide thought leadership.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    “A great way to implement the second point is by sharing and analyzing your data. Technology companies often have data sets that yield powerful insights, and you can showcase what you’ve learned on your blog. Ultimately, it\u2019s about producing high-quality content.”<\/p>\n

    11. Facilitate Word-of-Mouth Marketing<\/h3>\n

    “Content marketing is our core business, so we take our blog very seriously,” shares\u00a0Mary Ellen Slayter<\/a>\u00a0of agency\u00a0Reputation Capital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    “We are less concerned about SEO than building connections with people over time, facilitating word of mouth and demonstrating our competence to prospects.” And it’s that selfless sort of thinking<\/a> that has made their blog a success. Slayter adds, “So far, this approach has worked very well for us.”<\/p>\n

    12. Distinguish Yourself From the Competition<\/h3>\n

    \"Standing<\/p>\n

    In such a crowded space, Alex Lorton of catering startup\u00a0Cater2.me<\/a>, leverages his company’s blog to separate itself<\/a>\u00a0from the competition.<\/p>\n

    Lorton discloses, “Through the blog we are able to solidify our brand voice, demonstrate our values and create original content that our various audiences can relate to. We pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable, and the blog allows us to show that to our clients.”<\/p>\n

    Why do you blog? Share your reasons below!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    \"Shareaholic<\/a><\/p>\n

    Join Shareaholic.\u00a0We’re hiring\u00a0marketers, engineers and designers<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Image source: 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, 3<\/a>, 4<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Blog better with Shareaholic For brands, publishing has historically been reserved\u00a0for journalists. Nowadays, brand publishers are as prolific as social media strategists, PPC experts and… 
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