A Practical Guide to Blogging for Personal Brands

Are you a subject-matter expert ready to expand your reach or career? Blogging is a path for many professionals to establish themselves as thought leaders or influencers. Use the steps below to develop a blog plan that conveys your knowledge, passion, and creativity to hiring managers, recruiters, and customers.

Before you get worried about your writing ability, you need to know that blogging gets easier with time. There are also many online and written resources for help. The most effective place for professionals to blog initially is on LinkedIn. Depending on your goals and archival needs, you can also consider creating an external site.

Blogging is an incredible way to promote your professional brand, and it doesn't have to rule your life. As you review the simplified steps below, note that I've had excellent results with one original blog and one article repost per week while avoiding boring my network with too many posts. Create the schedule that works best for you, and don't hesitate to seek help if needed.

Set Goals for Your Work

• Think about the goals you want to achieve through your blog

• Evaluate how the content will showcase your skills

• Create content that is specific to your industry

• Develop a summary of the kind of personality and voice you want to impart to readers

Create a Persona of Your Audience(s)

• Define the general demographics of your audience (likes, dislikes, age, gender, profession, etc.)

• Summarize the kind of content your audience needs to see to define you as a thought-leader

• Create a persona (or two) to whom you can talk in your blogs

Review Your Peers for Inspiration

• Analyze the original content and reposts of bloggers and thought leaders in your industry

• Engage with other peoples' content (like, comment, and connect)

• Note the types/topics of posts that seem to garner the most interest

Select Themes

• Pick general areas of interest (themes/topics) that sync with your professional goals and skills

• Ensure your themes are directly related to your area of expertise

• Define a rotating list of themes or topics that you can apply to your blogging schedule

Create a Content Calendar

• Use a spreadsheet to assign each theme to a specific week

• Note relevant holidays (gratitude, resolutions, etc.) or events (small business Saturday, spring cleaning, etc.) that can add some color to your content

• Write out the content (original blog or reposted article) you'll post for each week

Write Compelling Content

• Write down the three key messages your content must convey to the audience

• Use catchy headlines to improve engagement

• Determine the best structure for your post (i.e., problem/solution, compare/contrast, or reference)

Review Performance and Adjust Accordingly

• Review the responses to your content to determine what works best

• Continue to engage with others' posts and note what works for them

• Determine the frequency and timing of your most successful blogs

Did you know that the most successful bloggers are hyper-aware of how they can help people? They provide a new way to view issues and the steps needed to tackle them. By focusing on providing solutions, you'll establish yourself as a thought leader – ready to move to a new position or broaden your network.

Additional resources: Everybody Writes and Content Rules from Ann Handley and/or C.C. Chapman

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As a certified career coach, Hillary guides extraordinary people and their personal brands. She's a career solutionista that helps clients discover their unique worth to find new employment, pivot industries, or move toward cause-oriented work. When Hillary's not busy coaching amazing people, she rides bikes, learns about wine, cooks for friends, and travels globally with her family. Find out more and sign up for her newsletter at www.careersolutionista.com.

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