Freelance Copywriter and outdoor specialist
Most bloggers start blog writing within their niche, in other words writing about a topic that they enjoy and know something about. In my case this blogging niche led to a career as a very successful outdoor blogger and later as a freelance copywriter. Here are my three top tips on how to choose your own blogging niche and maybe end up with your own new blogging career.
Most people these days have heard the term ‘inbound marketing’ but many will still be unclear as to exactly what it is and how it relates to their marketing strategy or small business. At Fi Darby Freelance we like things to be simple so we have given you a few answers to the question, ‘What is inbound marketing?’.
Inbound marketing pulls customers in by providing stimulating content (visual, audio or written) that shares a brand message and makes them want to find out more.
Outbound marketing (what we know generally as ‘advertising’) relies on a business sending its marketing message to a defined audience. TV adverts, mail campaigns and posters would all be examples of outbound advertising.
Have you ever clicked through to a website because you like their Instagram video or checked out an online shop because their blog post made you laugh? If you have then you have been the subject of successful inbound marketing.
Most of us get exasperated with advertising. It interrupts our viewing, appears through our doors and pops up on our social media pages. Inbound marketing is more subtle, if we like a video we want to find out more, if we read something that makes sense we are interested in the company.
Inbound marketing is vibrant and techniques are ever evolving they include videos, blogs, giveaways, e-books, social media quizzes and influencer marketing.
By including a blog on your website you will not only attract new customers, you will build up a loyal following, convert that following into sales and improve your SEO.
At Fi Darby Freelance our inbound marketing speciality is blog writing. We provide high quality, keyword centred blog posts to global clients. We will take on any topic in either American or UK English and are skilled at weaving essential keywords into informative, grammatically correct and entertaining posts. For more information and a free no-obligation quote please contact us.
To find out more about Fi Darby Freelance, take a look at our freelance portfolio here.
http://www.fidarby.co.uk/freelance-portfolio/
Almost the first question clients ask us is, ‘What is a blog?’ Hardly surprising, we are surrounded online by all sorts of web content. Social media posts, articles, reviews, product descriptions, the list is endless and sometimes confusing.
The answer is simple: blog is a portmanteau (blended) word created from ‘web’ and ‘log’ which was entered into the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2003. In effect a blog is an online diary. Blogs tend to consist of short articles, written in a friendly tone that are regularly updated. The other common feature of modern blogs is interactivity, i.e. the ability for users to comment and engage in two-way conversation. All of this is great but blogs take time to create and manage.
People read blogs because they are interesting; many of them appeal to niche interests. For example, my outdoors blog Two Blondes Walking is very popular and almost all of our followers love getting outside. People write blogs for different reasons but the main two are: a) because they love their subject and enjoy writing. b) to gain a following.
There is some blog-based terminology, none of it is too complicated:
blog = ‘web’ + ‘log’ (also a verb ‘to blog’)
blogger = the blog’s author (some bloggers have multiple blogs)
blogging = the act of writing a blog
blog post = one section of writing (this could be weekly, monthly or even like Two Blondes, daily)
live blog = a blog written in short snippets as an event is happening
blogosphere = the wide and varied community of bloggers on the internet
blogroll = a list of blogs to which you subscribe
subscribe = sign up to receive updates when new blogs are posted
comment = join in a conversation about a particular blog topic
share = tell other people that you have enjoyed a blog post, usually through social media
You can share this blog post if you like and make this blogger very happy. Our next post will explain why all businesses should seriously consider including a blog on their website.
Ever wondered what SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is? We have some answers for you:
I have an announcement to make… are you ready?
The truth is that you can make enough money to live on from freelance writing and you can do it from home, from the beach or from the top of a mountain (well a mountain with internet access).
But… and here is the caveat (bad news)… it’s going to take you a while to build up enough income to give up the day job altogether. Before that can happen you will need to:
