How to Lead Through Your Blog Content

In many ways, there is no longer a need to make a compelling case for business blogging in 2016.

After all, there are a myriad of statistics which support this practice, with businesses that commit to regular blogging known to generate 67% more leads than those that do not. Marketers who prioritize blogging are also thought to be 13 times more likely to achieve a positive Return on Investment (ROI), and this underlines the reach of the cost-effectiveness of publishing branded content.

While business owners are increasingly informed about the benefits of blogging, however, many are still struggling to leverage this channel to its full potential. Beyond the generation of leads and the optimization of sales conversions, for example, blogging may also offer entrepreneurs a platform from which to lead, inspire and create a viable company culture.

Can you lead through your Content? Here are three reasons why the answer is yes

The challenge that remains for entrepreneurs is to determine precisely how content can be used to lead and develop various business elements. So here are three examples that we came up with for business-owners to focus on: -

Use your Blog to establish Thought Leadership

Thought leadership is a foreign concept to some, but this essentially refers to the process of building client and consumer relationships through the publication of industry knowledge. Your blog can therefore be the entry point into such relationships, offering a unique insight into a specific market and allowing you to build trust.

The key here is the quality of the content on your blog, which depends on its accuracy, insight and the way in which it is delivered. So long as you can add value and present interesting data in an engaging manner, it is possible to build a loyal following that is keen to interact with your brand.

You can build on this further by encouraging readers to leave comments that share their opinions and questions, while also creating tailored blog content that responds to these directly in the future. The ability to listen is a key leadership attribute, and one that can be reflected by your regularly published blog posts.

Promote a reflective company culture through your blog

The development of a clearly defined company culture has numerous benefits for businesses, particularly in relation to branding and the recruitment (not to mention the retention) of talent. A company culture should be underpinned by a number of core values, which in turn creates consistent messaging and a structured approach to overcoming challenges. This supports sustained and organic growth and the creation of a talented, like-minded workforce.

Your blog can be central to this drive, as you look to publish content that promotes these pivotal values. Positive and energetic brands should look to write posts in the present tense to create a sense of urgency, for example, while also covering exciting topics that feature an organic hook.

The main thing is to focus on brand values and the type of culture that you wish to create, before using your blog as a platform to embody this. As a starting point, try to create an array of content that promotes as many values as possible, while also including examples of employee success stories and other case studies that offer an insight into your businesses culture and philosophy.

Create posts that help you to lead by written example

In the quest to lead and inspire others, communication is one of the most important skills that you can possess. The use of your company blog as a platform for engaging and inspiring others therefore makes perfect sense, especially if you commit to driving interaction with readers and sharing your content across various social channels.

With this in mind, why not use your blog as a channel through which you lead by written example? Creating a series of posts that share your experiences as a successful entrepreneur is sure to inspire readers, for example, while this type of positive content is also relevant to your businesses philosophy and its marketplace. It also adds genuine value and offers a first-person perspective on the concept of turning an initial business concept into something that generates a sizable income, which is invaluable in the modern age.

One of the main characteristics of leaders is that they are secure in themselves and not afraid to inspire an entire generation of potential business competitors. In fact, many consider their duty to educate and inspire this demographic, while also mentoring employees and customers alike. A company blog is the ideal platform through which to attempt this, especially in competitive markets where there remains a great deal of interest.

In terms of best practice, try to focus on key areas of expertise and knowledge. You should also tailor this to suit demand, however, so create a number of potential blog post ideas before testing specific keywords for popularity and traffic. This will enable you to write informatively about topics that are close to your readers' hearts.

These steps should help you to lead through your blog, and hopefully become an inspiration to both employees and consumers alike.