{"id":48531,"date":"2017-12-26T01:42:51","date_gmt":"2017-12-26T09:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=48531"},"modified":"2024-04-17T00:20:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T07:20:02","slug":"start-a-successful-blog-for-your-creative-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/start-a-successful-blog-for-your-creative-business","title":{"rendered":"4 Steps To Start a Successful Blog For Your Creative Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you’ve decided that starting a blog is the best way for your business to market itself moving forward. When we first started HighSpark’s creative blog on presentation skills<\/a> aimed at companies that require executive presentation training<\/a>, we quickly realized that it was not as easy as most make it seem. Over a few years, we’ve managed to grow our email list to about 11,000 people by being deliberate with how we run our blog and our website.
\nIf you’re new to the publishing space and want to get started on the right foot for your startup business,  whether you run a branding agency<\/a> or a cafe, here are some easy steps to ensure you build your blog proper from the beginning.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Identify Why You’re Starting The Blog<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

\nThe ‘Why’ I’m referring to here is tied more closely to your business goals. If you’re looking to get immediate sales through a blog from the get-go, look elsewhere. Blogging and content marketing, in general, is a long-term commitment. It can be powerful, but only if you commit to it consistently.
\nBe clear on whether you’re starting a blog to:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a) Build credibility as a subject matter expert<\/i><\/li>\n
  2. b) Engage with your audience to drive traffic<\/i><\/li>\n
  3. c) Boost your search profile on engines like Google<\/i><\/li>\n
  4. d) Garner sales for your company<\/i><\/li>\n
  5. e) Monetize viewership from ads or sponsors<\/i><\/li>\n
  6. f) Build a list<\/i><\/li>\n
  7. g) All of the above<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \nWhat you decide on will affect the content you put out and how you decide to run it. For B2B companies, their blog typically sits at the top of their marketing funnel to drive qualified traffic to their website and build credibility for their company and offerings. It’s hardly ever a ‘build-a-blog and immediately make money’ scenario.
    \nWriting a blog without an intentional bottom-line can be disastrous in the long term because of the time invested without a return. In our case, our blog is an avenue to build expert authority for our brand, collect information of prospects and boost our search profile on Google. Hence, the content we publish and the lists we manage have been managed as such.\n<\/p>\n

    <\/span>2. Select Your Niche<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

    \nKnowing exactly who you’re serving is going to be critical to ensuring you get a return on your efforts. Typically, your niche will be tied very closely to your business and expertise. For our company, we write mainly to executives that want to develop better presentations in a different way. Having this profile has shaped the kind of content we create and how we reach out to our clients.
    \nBe specific when you profile your target audience. Here are some good examples:<\/b>
    \n\"\"
    \nExample 1 – Niche blogs:<\/b> FreelanceFuel writes about     advice for creative freelancers<\/a> who are trying to learn business skills. In this case, the content they write may encompass step-by-step guides and actionable business tips geared towards creatives in order to deliver maximum value to these readers.
    \n\"\"
    \nExample 2 – Business blogs: <\/b>    Motionsauce<\/a> is a corporate video production company<\/a>. As an agency, the reason a company might have a blog is more to educate prospective consumers or in this case, other business owners, to build credibility as video experts and eventually convert them into customers. Hence, for companies like these, the articles they write might be geared more towards industry trends<\/b> and thought-leadership pieces.
    \nDepending on the type of audience and what you’d like them to do, this will affect the language you use and helps you as the webmaster to craft content that resonates with them. For example, if you’re running a platform for     sales training courses<\/a>, you’ll very likely be writing about useful techniques for sales to educate your audience and build a consistent following.
    \nAn easy way to do this for your blog is to ask yourself these questions:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n