There is such a Thing as 'Blogging Etiquette'. Here are 6 of them.

Etiquette is the acceptable way to behave in society. Now, the word society can mean anything from in the office, when receiving guests, at an event or even when doing a job or a relationship. If everything is governed by Etiquette, it's even more important for activities that involve sharing one's opinions, growing thought leadership, and influencing people's thoughts and actions.

Just in case you didn't get where I'm coming from, there is such a thing as Blogging Etiquette.

Blogging Etiquette is the set of actions and behaviours that are acceptable and generally accepted as a blogger. It's like the dos and don'ts of being a blogger and creating content on a blog. 

I've rounded up a list of 6 rules that govern Blogging Etiquette

1. Ask Permission: it's just like consent, if they don't agree, then you can't post it or use it. Never ever use any content - text, image, video or even audio, without permission from the owner. If for any reason at all, you desperately need to use it, make sure to link back to the original source in one way or the other (I do this with the images on this site. They all aren't mine but I make sure to link back to the source where necessary)
2. Proper Grammar: it might just be your little corner of the internet but if you want people to actually read, refer, share, and return, you really need to ensure you always use proper grammar. I know we are human and sometimes make mistakes, but let it be minimal. It is a blog after all, and one of its eternal appeals is the ability to edit and update.
3. Comment Constructively: we all know internet users spam a lot but that doesn't make it the right thing to do. When commenting, think about how your comment adds value to the post or article being referenced. Yes, even an emoji can be considered to be of value too if used well.
4. Avoid Copycatting: yes, blogging is more work than a lot of people make it out to be (I'm of the opinion, that is the reason why a lot of people would rather be social media Influencers these days). However, there is no room for copying other people's work. Research all you like but make sure what you finally publish is your words, your voice, and your opinions only. Otherwise, cite the source.
5. Be Kind: this should be a general internet code of conduct. It is so tacky seeing how people lash out at one another especially on platforms like X (Twitter). NO! Don't let that be you. They gain popularity for being vicious, trust me, Brands don't want to work with them and normal people prefer to avoid them. Instead, be kind - with your words, with your comments, with your feedback. Kindness pays and it definitely gets rewarded too.
6. Don't Digress: Trust me, I know how tempting it can be to want to share a long, winded story which in some weird illogical way relates to your post topic, but I beg of you not to. It is quite annoying to see a topic and be drawn in by it, only to find out that the substance of the article does not relate to it in any way. 

Know any others you think should be part of the list?

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

7 Reasons Why Images Are Needed On Your Blog

I love Saatchi & Saatchi. That was the first Ad group I worked at and I refer to Kevin Roberts (Former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi) very often in branding, marketing and advertising conversations. 

Kevin coined SiSoMo which when translated means Sight.Sound.Motion. This was at the height of the Emotional Branding maelstrom that took marketing communications, advertising and branding by storm and produced Saatchi & Saatchi's proprietary tool called Lovemarks.

Ok, I digress. 

The point of the SiSoMo ramble is to emphasize the importance of visuals in your content. 

Let's talk about 7 reasons why you need visuals on your blog and in your blogposts.

7 Reasons Why Visuals Are Needed In Your Blog Content

1. To Grab Attention

Visuals make people take a second look. Great visuals halt people in their tracks. For your blog and it's content to get the attention you want (and deserve after all the work you put into it), they need to take a break from all the content they are consuming and only an image can do that in a second. Only when you catch their attention, can you then pass across the piece of information contained in your blog. So, first, stop!

2. For Clarity

Very early in life, especially when one is a child with a very visual imagination, you realise that unlike yourself, a lot of other people can't turn the words of a book to images that float around in their head as the text goes along. To provide a clearer understanding of what a piece of text says, an image is required. 

3. For Emphasis

Want to bring the attention of your reader to a particular exact thing in your text? Include a picture of it. For example, An article about the different ways wallpapers can be used in interior design to create a certain atmosphere can be emphasised with actual images of one room, same setup, but different wall paints and wallpaper designs. Or, what better way to show what a tacking and an overlapping stitch look like than to put a picture of them side by side?

4. To Immerse

There are blogs that have not a single text apart from the title but yet, have amassed a ton of followers and readers. Uhm, I wouldn't say readers actually, I'd say viewers. The followers they have amassed, who spend hours on their blog, are only there to view the images they share. I've been there too so I understand 😊. Really nice images, can help to immerse your blog visitors in your content. They love your images and are so wrapped up in them that they don't realise when they read your text, discover how informative it actually is and before you know it, they become loyalists.

5. To Remind

Research proves that the human brain can process an image over a thousand times faster than it can process text. Think about it - when you see a beautiful woman, in a red dress, looking all gorgeous,  you remind her easier than you remember the colour of the wall against which she stood to take a picture (at an event, you'll probably just say - the event backdrop but you won't remember the details as much as you would the details of her look and her dress). Now you understand what I mean right? For people to remember your content, you need to supplement it with visuals that direct their brain to what your blog and its content was all about so they remember it and can come back again.

6. For SEO

Have a blog and don't already know what SEO means? You need a blogging 101 class for sure. One of the hottest topics in Digital Marketing is online promotions, but honestly, I'm of the opinion creating content that attracts organic visits from search engines, social media and even word of mouth is a bigger win that the money you'll spend on sponsored promotions. Having images on your blog, will help increase this. How? 

• Image description: always ensure images you post on your blog are described and not left to read CAM_700. Image description is text that search engines can crawl and use to collate image results which will lead to organic traffic
• Image alt text: in simpler terms, this is the text that appears on your screen when an image doesn't load fully on a webpage. This is also the image that is used by online image generators or voice assistants, to describe your image to the visually impaired. Having a great alt text is therefore equal to tons of organic traffic as well

 

7. To Increase Share Value

What do people share the most on the internet? Whether via messenger, or memes or inspiration or as a reference to something? Images. Using images in your blog content, especially images that are original to you or your blog, will increase the share value of your blog content and its content automatically.

4 Ways Bloggers Can Leverage Events

I have supervised influencers at 2 major work events and was surprised to see that quite a number of them are unaware of the leverage they have when speaking to brands about working with them in regards to an event. 

First things first, although a vanity metric, the number of your followers is the first thing you can use to catch the brand's attention, but that's about it. The amount of leverage you can place on the relationship between you and your audience is the next best thing to that figure you want the brand to pay and most importantly, them reaching out to you for their next event. 

Well, that's for influencers and we focus on bloggers here.

For a blogger to get an invitation to an event, there are 3 things they must have done right 

• Attracted the audience the brand is interested in
• Being consistently featured in conversations around topics the brand is interested in
• Have a personality the brand would like to be affiliated with
• Can boast of consistent results from similar events as that of the brand
• Have worked with competition brands and delivered great vanity metrics

If you are sure you have done these right and secured that invitation to the event, then you will benefit from the rest of this post, otherwise, stop here and go do the above first!

 

Bloggers Can Leverage An Event in these 5 Ways

1. Tell it as a story 

Bloggers tell stories all the time in their blogposts. They take the reader on a journey from the beginning to the end. When pitching to the Client, describe how you will invite the readers to attend the event with you by carrying them along on the story, sharing all the experiences and in some cases challenges faced along the way, the people you met, the food you ate. All this, while spicing the content with pros and knowledge about the brand. 

Another story angle is to get to the event early before it starts and take your readers on a virtual attendance of the event from the entrance to the red carpet, the guests, the refreshments spread, the entertainment and finally your thoughts on the brand and the show.

2. Don't Miss The Highlights

If you can't tell a story, then you definitely should document all the high points of the event. The brand wants to reach your audience and there is no better way than sharing the most exciting parts of the event with your audience. That will make your audience feel like they missed a lot because they were not in attendance.

Make it into a blog post and you can title it 'The 6 Moments I fell off my seat at the [insert brand name] End-of-the-year Party Last Week'. 

It promises excitement, it promises fun and positions your Client as an exciting brand. They will love you for it and you'll definitely make the top of their list next time.

3. Pick A Side

If you are a niche blogger, it doesn't mean you can't create content from an event - regardless of the type of event it is. You just need to be more creative. Applying this tactic to all events will definitely give you a niche approach that a lot of other bloggers won't consider. 

For example, 

• do you cover gossip, it means you say anything and everything so, give a side of wit to the event via commentary on the outfits you saw, how some of the guests arrived, the collection of meals that were served and so on. 
• do you cover interior design, then focus only on the decor, the arrival stretch, the hall decor, the colour combos, the stage design

That way, you stick to your niche and stay true to your brand while also delivering value to the brand that invited you.

4. Interview Style

Yes, you can interview the guest, your Client contact and pretty much anyone you'd like to at the event. 

It can be a vox-pop kind of video where they describe the brand and the event in one word, or say how they feel in one word or tell you where they were at that same time yesterday or pretty much anything. 

What matters most is that you project the brand and project the event you attended while ensuring you maintain your organic, creative style.

There you have it - 4 ideas you can pitch to brands so they invite you to their oh so exclusive events.

The Difference Between Bloggers, Creators and Influencers

These 3 words are used interchangeably when describing an online 'talent'. 

To make it easier on all of us, I have scoured through numerous articles defining who a blogger is, a creator and an influencer. One thing I do know for sure is that they can all be influencers.

Let me not confuse you, I'll just go straight into it

• Who is a Blogger?
• Who is a Creator?
• Who is an Influencer?

 

Who are Bloggers, Creators and Influencers? The difference between all 3

Blogger

Put simply, a blogger is someone who writes in a blog

But there's more to that.

Blogging is now more complex than it was 12/13 years ago when it only entailed one writing down the things they like and hope others will like it too. 

Now, bloggers are pretty much in the same league as journalists and a lot of them have gone on to become Magazine Editors and Writers who get paid by brands and businesses. Blogs are now referred to as websites and host much more than just posts. Bloggers are now business owners. 

To be a successful blogger, there are 4 other things you need to be good at apart from just writing. They are

• Research: acquiring more information and knowledge on what you want to write about.
• Editing: the ability to know what needs to be there and what doesn't. Good command of grammar and attention to detail.
• Marketing/Promotion: you need people to come read your blog don't you? You need to be adept in how to sell it to people and brands so they visit, engage, find it useful, talk about it and ultimately become an ambassador for it.

Creator

Also called a 'Content Creator', they are pretty new in the grand scheme of things. 

The easy definition of a Creator is someone who creates content. That's what being a Creator is all about.

But there's more. 

I checked Wikipedia, Adobe, Digital Marketing.org, Hubspot and a bunch of other sites and summing all their definitions, here is a complete definition of a content creator

A Creator is someone who goes through the process of ideation to create appealing and inspiring digital media content via any platform or channel, that connects with the passion points of their audience. This content can be for educational, entertaining, motivational or even marketing purposes, covering any economic sector or industry.

Influencer

The English language describes an Influencer as someone who has influence over another. 

I define an influencer as someone with the ability to wield influence over people by significantly impacting their opinions and actions especially in regards to the purchase of something.

Listen to these 2 posts below: 

What is influence?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blogging + Influence (@bloggersnbrands)

Are you an influencer?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blogging + Influence (@bloggersnbrands)

 

In summary, 

• A blogger writes
• A creator is a multimedia, digital artist
• An influencer is any of the 2 above or any other person who can persuade people.

 

Now you have a better understanding of the difference between all 3, it is easy to understand when I say bloggers and content creators can become influencers. They have the value, influencing others will come regardless. 

Which of the 3 are you?

Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

How To Start A Blog | The 5 Necessities New Bloggers Need for Blogging Success (Lesson 2)

What next?

The 5 questions have been answered in the first step on how to start a blog what do I do next?

This must be the first question on your mind after reading Lesson 1 in this series - The 5 Questions Every Beginner Blogger Needs To Ask 

The next step is familiarizing yourself with the necessities for new bloggers. A lot of times this is skipped in the haste to 'just start'. When we finally come round to it, there is sometimes a disconnect that leads us to need to start something entirely new. 

Well what's next is 

• A new mindset (a bonus)

• A name

• A domain

• A logo

• Brand colours

• Site design/layout

Does this sound strange? I've heard some people say they need a DSLR camera, they need to have a truckload of products, a beautiful room (I've been in that position before), they need to know the owners of makeup brands so they can get products (for beauty bloggers) and some fun stuff like that.

I mean, you'll get there eventually but those are not the things you need to START.

The 5 Necessities New Bloggers Need

- You need a name

What are people going to call your blog? 

You need a name that is a reflection of you and what your blog stands for. For some, the blog name is entirely about the blog or a nickname from when they were little. 

Unless your blog really is just a hobby and you are not planning on making a business out of it, you should brainstorm a name that will still be relevant to you, your blog and your brand as a whole in 5 - 10 years from now. 

It needs to be sustainable otherwise your blog will grow and 5 years later when you've achieved blogging success, you'll be looking for another name or be too ashamed of the name you have.

- You need a domain

Once you decide on a name, the very next thing you need to check out is your domain - to be sure the name you have picked is available and then purchase it. Godaddy & DomainKing are great domain purchase platforms for beginners either doing it yourself or with some assistance. 

For your blog business to stand the test of time, it needs to have a domain of it's own regardless of whether it is self-hosted like on Wordpress or free, like on blogspot.

Having a domain name gives your site credibility and makes it look more professional. Also, a domain name is most times easier to remember and will make people take you seriously.

So you need a custom domain.

- You need a logo

As a new blogger, part of your blog identity is a logo. It helps you stand out, grab the attention of people and is a key part of your brand. 

A good logo doesn't have to be complex or complicated. It should be a visual representation of your style and can be as simple as just a text or an icon. 

While you may want to hire a designer to create the logo, you can create an equally iconic and striking logo using Canva. The Bloggers 'n Brands logo was created with Canva.

- You need brand colours

This is a personal favourite of mine actually. 

Being in the branding/marketing industry, I've come to appreciate this a lot. Having brand colours defines your brand aesthetic. 

Check out the biggest global brands and you'll see that they have a colour that is primarily associated with them. Even in football, this is true i.e. Chelsea FC (The Blues), Arsenal FC (Red Devils).

Brand colours will help to guide your branding in everywhere and ensure consistency in everything you do for your brand - business cards, social profiles, blog design and even sometimes permeates the brand offline too.

- You need a site design/layout

The key is to do something that fits the aesthetic of the blog you want to have. Should it be a simple design, colourful, fresh, whimsical. The key is to unique and ensure the design & layout matches the type of brand you want to create and is also user friendly so people don't come on  your blog, read one article and are not happy to stick around. 

So those are the 6 things you actually need to start your own blog. It's a step by step process so don't rush it. 

The 6 Ps Needed For Awesome Content Creation

Content is king but alas, poor content creation can hamper that kingdom leading to poor engagement, low interaction and no lead generation or clicks.

We scroll up, down, side-to-side and switch web pages at will without realising that everything we read on the internet is made up of content. Everything on the internet is content - blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, ads, articles, videos (did I miss anything out?)

That is why creating great content is key to ensuring all aspects of your online communication resonate with the intended target audience and gets you the right traction. 

As a guide for great content creation, I came up with the following Ps:

1. Passion

2. Platforms

3. Personality

4. Purpose

5. Position

6. Publish

THE 6 Ps FOR GREAT CONTENT CREATION

• Passion: this isn't fake emotion. It is almost impossible to fake. You need to create in a niche you are truly passionate about. If you are not passionate about what you are creating, this will shine through and your audience will feel the lack of passion in your content. Passion is fuel and when your content is fueled by passion, it shows.

• Platforms: not every creator should create on every platform. Know the platform best suited to your content and create there. Remember, FOCUS. Don't be a jack of all trade and master of known. In fact, did you know that the real definition of multi-tasking is the ability to manage multiple responsibilities at once by focusing on one task and keeping track of the others? Not, the ability to work at different tasks at the same time? Keep that at the back of your mind when you are tempted to focus on all platforms at once.

• Personality: in the world, we live in, it is easy to fake a personality when you face the world and another when you are by yourself or with those close to you. This is simply exhausting (trust me, I know). Be yourself at all times! Feel free to be witty, funny, solemn, sarcastic, serious, whatever. As long as it is your personality and your audience love it and understand it, hone it, grow it, own it and be it.

• Purpose: never thought knowing the reason why you were doing something was important? Well, it definitely is. Your 'Why' is what will make you wake up in the morning and keep going at night when all else fails.

• Position: the only one of the Ps related to marketing, it is critical to a content creator's success. You need to know and understand the position you occupy in the mind of your audience - are you the go-to person for quick fixes, the shoulder they come to for inspiration or motivation, the person they want to be like or they trust anything and everything you recommend because in their opinion you never lie. You need to know what position you want to occupy in the lives of your audience. Call it a 'positioning statement' if you like.

• Publish: don't just create, hit that button that publishes it, post it, let it go live. If it never does, then it never was.

How To Start A Blog | The 5 Questions Every Beginner Blogger Needs To Ask (Lesson 1)

Starting a blog begins with a decision but after that decision comes a whole series of actions that require patience, guidance and strategy. 

In the grand scheme of things, this is actually the easiest phase of the whole journey but if not passed right, can ultimately become the hardest part of it all because it will keep drawing you back and keeping you behind. 

You need to ask yourself the following questions: 

• Why do I want to start a blog 

• What will it be about 

• What will be the purpose

• Who will it cater to 

• How will it function 

These are literally the building blocks to your blogging success so take time out, have a notepad and pen, go to a place to think about it and then write out the answers. 

The 5 Questions Beginner Bloggers Need To Ask & Answer

1. Why do I want to start a blog 

I'm going to be using myself as an example most of the time.  

So when I started my blog, I knew I wanted to teach regular women how to apply makeup and I knew the type of makeup I had in mind. At that time I didn't know anything about makeup and to teach people about it, I had to know about it myself so I started watching YouTube videos. You'll be surprised to know that when I learned more about makeup I knew my mission had to change and that's when the purpose of my blog changed again. 

 

If I had taken time out to properly think about the purpose of my blog then I would have known that my first purpose was a boatload of crap. Hazardous, full of potholes and bound to fail because 

1. I didn’t know anything about makeup 
2. I'd have known better than to promote cheap makeup that literally has no source 
3. I'd have been promoting a mix of affordable Nigerian brands and other foreign drugstore brands which were available in the market but no one knew about. 

= I'd have moved several steps at a time instead of one step at a time. Image having these 3 steps squashed together into a 6 months period as opposed to having to use about 3 years to learn them all. 

The good thing is that I always wanted to teach so even when I finally came round to the true reason, it wasn't too hard to do a turnaround.

 

The same goes for you - ask yourself the truth about why you want to start a blog. Is it for fame? Free event invites? Free products? Exactly what?

2. What will it be about 

For me, it was makeup. So what? The whole world is talking about makeup. 

But what about me? What EXACTLY will the blog be about? Will it be general topics like Makeup reviews, looks, stores, High-end products, drugstore products, tips? And remember, a makeup blog is different from a beauty blog.  

You have to decide which one you are.  

Imagine you want to write about vintage clothes, your blog could focus on vintage clothes for professionals which can then branch to casual vintage clothes for the off-work period. If you want to write about interior design, why not focus on kitchen interior for large families and you can still do recipes or interior design for the pantry or even the dining room or the rest of the house. You have to pick a niche and won't box you in but still give you room to wiggle. It might help to consider something you love + a skill you have = your niche. 

You just have to know what your site will be about. Write it down and make it plain. 

I started off as a makeup blogger but when I became a makeup artist and began working on shoots, people would ask me about skin and fashion. I always replied with "makeup guys, makeup", but somehow people expected it so I went into other aspects of beauty and the my personal fashion style. I knew how I wanted to approach fashion and though I had a few faulty starts, I've been able to do it the way I want and I'm happy with it so far but my mainstay remains beauty. 

3. What will be the blog's purpose?

I know you've already established what your blog will be about but to what end? What purpose will it serve? Will it just be there to flow with any whims that come upon you at any time? NO, that won't work you know.

You have to define the exact purpose. For me, the initial purpose of my beauty blog was to teach, when the direction changed, the purpose became to be a source of information, then it finally evolved to become a source of inspiration, information and education more than anything else. 

So you have to find the purpose of your blog - teach like Neil Patel or Adam Enfroy, entertain like Buzzfeed, just be a go-to source of information like Beauty in Lagos for Lagos beauty businesses, or inspire.

 4. Who will your blog cater to?

Who will you be writing for? Teenagers, the Working class, the general public, mums, mums with teenage kids, or mature mums. They are called your target audience. 

You have to properly define your audience. Your audience might be fellow bloggers or some kind of professionals like amateur makeup artists or professional makeup artists whose Clients are regular women and they want to know what products these women like to buy so they can sell them too or working single men & women who want to learn quick 5-minute meals they can whip up in a sec.

One thing I've learned is that your direct primary audience who are your main focus are people who are just like you. 

In my case, these will be females between the ages of 25 and 35, they either have jobs or work for themselves, they always like to look good but at the same time don't mind having off days, they want to be themselves while going with the trend, they love to hang out on social media, they like to meet others who are just like them, they are not afraid to ask questions but sometimes prefer to find out the answers for themselves. That's just a snippet of who my direct primary target is. 

There is also a secondary audience who are fallouts of the primary and you also have to consider them sometimes because they may be entering the sphere of your primary audience or they may just be growing out of it.

5. How will it function

Do you have a demanding 9-5 that leaves you almost no time for yourself on weekdays? Or maybe you work remotely and can juggle one and off all day every day. Better still, you work better with a tight schedule so weekdays are for work and you prefer to devote the weekends to all your personal projects. 

You get my drift though. How is your blog going to function? Will you work on it at night only or on weekends? Will you create a schedule for posting or you'll be random? Will you get other people to become active parts of it or will you work on it alone? These are important questions you need to answer.

 

Recap

The 4 questions that need clear cut, precise answers before starting your blog are 

1. Why do I want to start a blog - just an offhand decision or a genuine passion. Will it serve a worthy purpose?
2. What will it be about - is it a topic I'm knowledgeable about or one I'm passionate about? Can I tear my clothes in support of it in an argument? (ok, that's extreme but to what length will you go for it?)
3. Who will my blog cater to - my friends, my family, my colleagues, my little sister and her friends?
4. How will it function - maybe I'll just hire someone to write about this topic cos I don't have the time for it but I'd like to have this little space on the internet anyways.