One of the biggest things business bloggers struggle with is gaining influence or establishing thought leadership in their field. According to the B2B Content Marketing Report, thought leadership is one of the top three goals of content marketing. The research results showed that 43% of the respondents prioritized thought leadership in content marketing. Not long ago, in a poll, people were asked what blogs they follow the most. Although we expected business blogs to be the most popular, people chose freelance blogs. When it comes to influencing, freelance bloggers seem to outperform even corporate bloggers, Even if companies can devote much more budget and marketing personnel to this task.
So, how can freelance bloggers grow their audience and compete effectively with business bloggers with fewer resources and limited marketing budgets? And what can companies do to increase their influence? Pay close attention to influential freelance bloggers in your niche and use these seven tips to be more effective.
1. Freelance bloggers are entrepreneurs
Many freelance bloggers are also entrepreneurs, driven by their ambitions. Freelance bloggers can create more income and freedom for themselves and their families due to the independence they have in their work. It makes them work longer and harder than their counterparts working in companies.
Business bloggers work for a fixed income and don’t have to work as hard as freelance bloggers and entrepreneurs. The motivations of a freelance blogger are different from a business blogger.
Freelance bloggers spend a lot of time doing their work, while a business blogger’s main responsibility is content creation. Therefore, freelance bloggers can share their experiences and results, While business bloggers focus more on content creation to secure their quota.
How can companies compete with freelance bloggers?
Business bloggers must compete with bloggers who are willing to work harder and longer to grow their brands and get to the top spot.
Things companies can do to compete with freelance bloggers:
- Focus on hiring motivated and proficient people in their field of work.
- Encourage bloggers to continue learning by investing in education.
- Improve communication between content authors and other departments of the company. Strengthening communication allows writers to closely observe the company’s growth story and share it with others.
2. Successful bloggers focus more on relationships
One advantage of freelance bloggers is their greater focus on relationships. Many company employees do not understand the importance of networking and communication. Building relationships and collaborating with other departments help freelance bloggers produce more user-friendly content. Meanwhile, business bloggers do not need to connect with others to succeed in their careers. In one case, a business blogger sued the company he worked for because he was required to respond to audience comments without receiving extra pay. To solve this problem, companies can educate their marketers about the importance of relationships and create training for their employees on how to interact with other bloggers and influencers. Blogging is for those who want to build their brand and connect with others.
3- Company bloggers often do not disclose their information
Freelance bloggers often do better than business bloggers at revealing their daily lives. In his book, “Messages,” Dr. Matthew McKay considers self-disclosure important in building trust and empathy. Personal self-disclosure is rarely recommended, and there is no requirement for corporate bloggers to do so. Many corporate blogs focus solely on providing information and solving problems. Storytelling and exaggeration are not necessary for success in content marketing. However, self-disclosure can be a powerful way to connect and engage with readers. Of course, it should be noted that self-disclosure does not mean that bloggers openly share all their personal information with the audience; Rather, they should help create more intimacy by retelling everyday events and sharing them with the audience.
4- Freelance bloggers and business bloggers have different salary structures
Usually, freelance bloggers and business bloggers have different incomes. Solo entrepreneur bloggers want to spend more time creating content Because they know that to attract their audience’s attention, their content must be rich and prominent. On the other hand, producing unique content will lead to more production and, ultimately, sales. However, business bloggers are often salaried employees. Unlike a freelance blogger, the rights of a business blogger are limited. Due to this, a freelance blogger can produce more content whenever he wants to earn more money.
So how can companies motivate their bloggers to produce better content?
Business owners should consider rewarding top writers. Performance compensation isn’t just about extra pay. Sometimes, recognizing and praising hardworking people can be the best motivation. It would help if you found out what motivates your employees and rewarded them accordingly.
5- Successful bloggers have long-term thinking
Many content marketing tactics pay off over long periods. However, many bloggers give up before they get results. Company managers are interested in monitoring the criteria and process of return on investment. Still, in the business world, it takes some time for marketing campaigns to show their effect and for the relevant costs to be recovered.
Successful freelance bloggers will continue this career until they become successful. Companies should ask themselves if they are ready to engage in content marketing as a long-term strategy to compete with freelance bloggers. Using metrics to check performance is not an unreasonable option. Still, companies must realize that content production and its impact on audiences will change over time, and they must produce content to these changes. Every business should dedicate resources to help its bloggers succeed and align with the long-term vision.
6. Freelance bloggers often start without enough experience
Another reason many businesses fail to produce customer-oriented content is that most company managers like to hire experienced bloggers. Meanwhile, independent bloggers can easily start their own businesses after relative mastery. Currently, with the changing perspective of business owners, it isn’t easy to attract independent bloggers Because other companies are looking to hire them. However, one of the best ways to attract influencers is to hire them before they become famous. To find the best options, you must first identify the characteristics that lead to the success of bloggers and choose people who move towards achieving these criteria.
For example, to hire a good digital marketing blogger, look for someone who has read a lot about digital marketing and has marketing experience on their own. Then give him the resources and support he needs to succeed.
It is possible to hire someone before they are known to the audience and provide them with the necessary resources to make an impact. While simultaneously growing your company through content marketing.
7. Many company blogs do not encourage personal branding
Creating a personal brand can help the company to increase its influence among the audience. Because the name of the company is associated with the brand name of the blogger. For this reason, companies prioritize hiring bloggers who are already popular among users.
For example, The Moz blog is recognized as a thought leader in the SEO and online marketing field, and Rand Fishkin is their most well-known content creator. He posts videos on the website that allow people to see his personality and connect with him more closely. He also produces textual content and speaks at conferences.
When hiring, look for a content marketer who has already built their brand. Ask them to develop their blog. Growing their brand will help your company grow in influence.
Conclusion
Creating engaging content is one of the challenges that many businesses face in content marketing. Please pay close attention to what freelance bloggers publish on their websites and keep the above tips in mind to effectively communicate with your audience.