Image via Mint Arrow
No person ever said, “I’m going to blog harder, not smarter.” With blogging and all the new advances, devices, and platforms that seem to pop up daily, it’s a struggle to focus on what’s going to be the most beneficial for your brand.
Today we are looking at bloggers who are taking smart blogging to the next level, and hilighting Corrine from Mint Arrow. She thinks about everything they sends out to her audience, from meticulously thinking through each pitch on IG to titles on blog posts and the clickbait she needs to impart to readers to get them to close a sale.
Titles: In many circumstances, this is the introduction for readers on what your post is about. If the title is more SEO-focused, you may not trigger your readers’ interests so much — e.g., black distressed denim/sparkly top is pretty basic, but if you add a title like “Send This to Your Spouse Now!” there is a direct call to action with a specific time frame, prompting more of an immediate response. A few other great blog post titles are “The Best Stocking Stuffers That Ship For Free For Christmas” or “The Best Men’s Gifts For Christmas This Year.”
Body of Post: People come to blogs to be inspired. If you assist them to become inspired and are also helpful on how they can help themselves, it’s a double win and you will gain loyalty among your readers. Become a great storyteller and give your readers real-life circumstances about how your holiday OOTD came to be, or why that recipe you just posted means so much to you, or why your under-$25 gift guide saved your Christmas. A few other things to keep in mind when blogging smarter:
- Add affiliate links within the body of your post. E.g., “Darling gold monogram mugs that only come out during Christmastime are on sale too, so they drop from $10 to $8!”
- If things have dropped in price, call it out! If the price can get lower with a discount code, call that out and add the code in parenthesis in bold so your readers are more likely to convert a sale. E.g., “On sale! + Extra 30% off w/ code sprinkles.”
- Link to website homepages when you call out a retailer. E.g.,, “I love the new holiday collection Kate Spade just came out with.”
Social Posts: Storytelling doesn’t stop at your blog. Social posts are just as important when entertaining your followers. Aspire to tell a story on each micro post. Even when IG is so immediate and quickly consumed, your followers want more from you. I tend to gravitate to influencers who put effort into what they post, not just to throw something up because they need to post “once a day.” They curate a beautifully told story of who they are and the parts that make them who they are. Take, for example, Corrine from Mint Arrow, who is a lifestyle blogger who focuses on the best deals out there, and she delivers. Look at her latest IG where she shares how to ensure you get the gift you want by following her advice. She keeps her mini story interesting, uses all CAPS when necessary to really drive the point home, and always brings her readers back to her blog, which is something you should always strive to do.
These are just some of the main tips to think through when you strategically plan your next blog/brand move.
Happy (strategic) holidays,
Carlina
*Please note all examples were featured from Corrine’s blog Mint Arrow
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