This is a guest contribution from James Aschehoug.
While the modern social entrepreneur may be heavily focused on ideals — whether they be ideological, concrete, or hopefully a mixture of both — it is necessary to use all of the relevant tools and technologies available to help your dream become a professionally sustainable reality.
Your company can and should have a blog in order to bolster your online presence by reaching new audiences and engaging existing ones, and establish your company as a leader in its field.
Perhaps you have already begun a company blog and could use a few pointers, or maybe you are unsure as to how to go about setting one up and generating posts that will make blogging worth your personal and professional while.
Here is a look at 5 blogging tips from one social entrepreneur to the next:
Listen to your audience
Blogs can be prone to pitfalls on account of providing the information it thinks it should, rather than being focused on what the intended audience would actually like to read.
It is advisable to invest in some initial audience research in order to maximize the value they can receive from your blog and thus make blogging a worthwhile endeavor. What types of people are you currently reaching, and what types are you trying to reel in? Check out their comments and concerns, as well as their responses and engagement with other companies in your field to discover what information they want and need to read, and craft your content accordingly.
Some of the most popular and effective blog posts directly answer questions posed by individual audience members, so keep tabs on the conversation and actionably respond in turn.
Maintain consistency
Consistency is a key value for any business, yet a lack thereof is quite easily identifiable by the discerning online reader.
Once you have your blog up and running, make sure it functions consistently and concisely. Adhere to an editorial calendar and style standards to ensure that your readers know exactly when they can expect to read new content in a style, tone, and voice that remains present and unchanged throughout all of your company’s endeavors.
Consistency breeds credibility, which in turn can foster a halo effect that will elevate not only the content included on your blog, but also generate positive brand awareness across all other initiatives.
Provide genuine value
This point comes off the heels of the first tip of actively listening to your audience and responding in kind.
Especially in the field of social entrepreneurship, the bulk of your readers will be more privy to the words you say and how you say them, as opposed to readers of a generic, high-and-dry business blog. When your readers come to you, they will be doing so in order to learn something new and/or receive something that will be of true value to them going forward, and will be able to see through fluff easily.
It goes without saying that your blog should not overtly sell or over-promote, but rather focus on being personable yet professional, and aspirational yet actionable. Readers interested in the efforts of socially entrepreneurial companies automatically expect the company at hand to have a solid conscience and put social good with lasting value at the fore of its operations.
Stay updated with best practices
Blogging has blossomed into a hybrid art form and science in itself, and keeping track with the best, most updated blogging practices will give you a leg up in the game. There are many points to consider here, including but not limited to: having at least a foundational grasp of SEO, incorporating images and other rich media, making your posts digestible with concise subheaders, shorter sentences and paragraphs, including CTAs when relevant, contributing posts to thought-leading publications in your field, inviting guest contributors to write on your own blog, making the most of social sharing, and much more.
Show your true colors
As a social entrepreneur, you likely have a lot of heart and concern over the intricacies of your projects — and fortunately this is a field in which it is not only permissible but advisable to wear your proverbial heart on your sleeve. “Passion over profit” is the mantra to keep in mind in all of your business communications, including but certainly not limited to the content curated for your blog. This does not mean that your blog posts should be preachy, but rather honest and straightforward expositions on the company’s culture, existing status and initiatives, and goals for the future.
Authenticity, intimacy, and humility are three values that are especially important to the realm of socially conscious companies, and can help elevate your blog to become a trusted resource for an engaged community of socially conscious, discerning readers.
If you adhere to these five blogging tips, you will be better poised to run a successful blog that will supplement your socially entrepreneurial endeavors. With the right strategy and content, you will have greater leverage to engage your readership, promote your company’s efforts and aspirations, and form a dynamic community of like-minded, socially responsible individuals.
James Aschehoug is the co-founder of URIJI JAMI created in 2015, he is a British and French national based in London. His passion is to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.
