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

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

8 Reasons Why Brands Should Work With Bloggers.

Do you remember the several times Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, even Twitter and other platforms have been down because of one issue or the other? 

Just imagine you were a brand with a time-bound campaign and several social media influencers had been contracted to achieve a target. What could they have done then? NOTHING. That is money wasted.

Do you know why? Because their platform of choice is not controlled by them. You can avoid such situations by using Blogger influencers instead.

Brands should work with Bloggers more than social media influencers because they have control over their platforms and are very prepared for any eventualities. In the long run, they are a more profitable fit for brands or businesses looking for online influence.

The 8 Reasons Brands Should Work with Bloggers

1. Evergreen content

The products and services rendered by organisations are evergreen, that's why they last for years and years. How better to showcase these products and services than via long-form content formats which are best on blogs? This means your brand will always be relevant within the context of SERPs and the searches people make - regardless of their ages, locations and professions.

2. Actual people with real experiences

Blogs are usually started from a desire to share personal experiences or purchases - from travel to fashion to events to makeup and so on. This varies from social media where accounts with no backstory to the owner or with instant celeb status tries to tell people about a product or service. It is easy to see that bloggers are normal people with normal and their evolution is visible across their posts over time. It is easier to listen to them and believe what they say.

And because they are real people, it is easy to relate with them thereby enabling them to build a community of loyal readers/visitors.

3. They are thought-leaders who have authority

You become a thought-leader by saying the same thing, over and over again in different ways. That's my definition anyways, here is another definition I like. But it is actually true and long-form content helps you to build that authority over time. A blogpost on a certain topic will always be at the top of searches and will always be the reference for others to follow or believe. Once you are identified as a thought-leader, your opinion and ideas are invaluable. Social media content is transient and unable to deliver the kind of lasting relevance a blog does.

4. Long-form content to share all the brand benefits

Tell me one social media platform with no character limit for the caption? None. That's the reason why on social media is most-important to communicate a singular message/idea/thought at a time. It is also advisable to repost/repurpose/reuse overtime because the algorithm moves fast and pushes past content to the bottom of the feed where it is left forlorn and forgotten - content even as recent as 2 months ago. 

With a blog, you can utilise long-form to breakdown a variety of products and services with details of each and links to drive adoption. 

5. Are present on multiple platforms

There is no blogger who ONLY is present on their blog site. At the minimum, they have a Facebook page and an Instagram page. A lot of them go as far as having YouTube channels, Twitter handles alongside a presence on Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat and a host of other platforms. 

This automatically means that they can promote your product or service on social media platforms in addition to their blog site thereby reaching out to a larger audience in the long run.

 

6. Content can be updated

Captions can be edited or updated on social media but the algorithm looks at it the same way - past content. Blog articles are never outdated because they can be updated e.g. an article about the Best Travel Destinations in 2018 can be updated to Top 10 Travel Destinations from 2018 to 2021.

Products can be added, dates can be extended, more benefits can be included and the price can be changed. All these do not affect the authority or ranking the article has on search engines as it will always be relevant to the search query of the relevant audience.

7. They are affordable

And dare I say, provide more value as well. 

With bloggers, it is easier to negotiate a package deal than with social media influencers some of which are only fueled by the 'success' of their counterparts who have reached celebrity status. 

They can provide a package deal which can include the blog, social media and even their email marketing lists. 

8. They are more accountable

How many times have you wondered just how many sales or leads that influencer campaign you did last week generated for your business? That's right, almost impossible especially with the limited link placements on platforms like Instagram and invisibility of dark sites like WhatsApp. 

Brands should work with Bloggers because with a blog, you can track every single sale, know how many people read about your product, where they came from, where they left to and even more granular analytics your brand will benefit from. 

Extra tip: people believe people over ads. Bloggers are regular people your audience believe because they look like them, know the same people they know, live in the same neighbourhood e.t.c. That's an extra reason to choose a blogger over an ad - in any shape or form - in 2022.

Looking to either build your brand blog or find a blogger influencer you would like to work with on an upcoming campaign? Shoot us an email to bloggersnbrands@gmail.com 

3 Lessons From Davido's N100m Birthday Challenge

There is no single person who hasn't heard of how Davido a.k.a. OBO; raised over N100m from friends and family on his birthday yesterday in less than 24 hours (It's actually still on as at the writing of this post, over 150m has been raised and the goal is now N200m)

If you say you haven't heard, then you live under a rock. Period. 

Anyway, I'll just do a quick storytime before I share my 3 learnings from the challenge which I hope people will take to heart and really think about. 

There I was on my laptop, trying to publish the first episode of my podcast (shameless plug. Check it out here) and I realised that my work whatsapp group was buzzing with something around Davido. After a couple of minutes, I decided to go on IG to check it out for myself and I started following through myself. 

While everyone was looking at the amount raised and wondering 'GOD when?', I was thinking about what life lessons can be taken away from the whole activity. I came up with 3

• Be good to people. This is in essence the basic tenet of this challenge. Davido is known to be a generous celebrity and giver to those around him i.e. friends, family, employees and even fans online. This attitude made it easy for him to ask and receive in like manner from people - some of whom are even strangers to him. Lesson: be good and you will receive good in return.
• Ask. A lot of people are bypassed all the time because they are either too shy, or too proud or too timid to ask. If a celebrity like Davido can call people out and ask for a gift of N1,000,000, then pray tell, who are you not to be able to ask for assistance or better still, something that you have either worked for or deserve? Lesson: ask and you will receive.

JESUS CHRIST was on to something when HE said in Matt. 7:7 - Ask and you will receive.

• Show gratitude. People like to be appreciated. That is common knowledge. Davido didn't just receive the money and say thank you in private, he showed public gratitude which makes a person smile and feel just a little larger than life in that short moment. He gave each and every person their own '5 seconds of fame' which they all appreciate - whether they are humble enough to admit it or not. Lesson: no matter how big or small, always show gratitude to people who have reached out with good thoughts and/or deeds towards you.

There are more lessons to be learned for sure - especially for influencers and the brands that look to hire them for campaigns. I'll be addressing those directly in a subsequent blogpost.

5 Steps on How To Work with Bloggers

You know how they say creative people need a little extra patience when working with them? Well, when working with Bloggers, you definitely need a little extra, but not necessarily patience. More like you need a little extra strategic thinking and a little extra time to create a plan of action + expectations. 

Here are some steps to guide you:

1. Have A Plan: Why do you want to work with a blogger? What are your expectations of the partnership? What kind of bloggers are you looking to work with? What platforms? These are the kind of questions your plan should have. Your plan should be concise, simple, clear and easy to understand.
2. Know Why: This 'why' is the expected result of the partnership. Do you want to grow sales or introduce your product to a different audience? Properly identifying this will help you select just the exact blogger to work with. They might have the same audience but different impacts on the audience so it is good to know and understand what success will look like in the end.
3. Start With A Bond: Bloggers are real people. They want to know you really care about them, their content and their brand. That you value all the work they put in. When reaching out, ensure it is from a position of knowledge of them and their work. Ideally, follow them and interact with their work for a period of time before reaching out with a business proposal.
4. Leave Them Be: A lot of times, brands interfere in the creative process after contracting a blogger. The brand forgets that one of the core reasons they selected the blogger was for their unique voice and style. Interfering with this, will contaminate the content they produce. Give them a guide i.e. colours, style, words e.t.c. but leave them to be the creatives they are so they can create great content for you.
5. Have A Great Offer: A lot of times the bloggers only have vanity metrics on their side (especially here in Nigeria), but considering that you as a brand can't boast of that, you need to decide what will be worth the bloggers while. Is it money? Is it a lifetime supply of your product? or maybe a reward or their audience or an honorary position as your brand ambassador. When you are the one approaching the blogger, you need to make sure this is sorted out so you don't get the boot.

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

7 Reasons Why Brands Need Bloggers

Brands have switched outdoor billboards for website leaderboards. They've gone from paying modelling Agencies to paying Instagram models. They've also switched from press releases and briefings in the announcement of a new product or service to letting bloggers/influencers do it for them.

There's a reason why - because bloggers have a direct relationship with the audience these brands want to connect with.

Well, that's just one of the reasons though. Let me share the remaining 6 with you

2. Bloggers are trusted.

When brands share a message online, the audience already knows that they just want to sell. But Bloggers want to connect with the audience and are trusted because of their personal connection to the content they create. The audience, therefore, knows that if this blogger speaks positively about a brand, then the brand is worth checking out. 

3. It helps your bottom line. 

Yes, it isn't as affordable as when they first came on the scene but with the one-on-one connection Bloggers can provide a brand, they are definitely cheaper than mainstream media. So, you get more bang for your buck and more impact.

4. It gives your brand a personality.

Brands are businesses. And brands that have been unable to carve a personality niche for themselves in the class of the Nikes and Coca-Colas of this world, need help to carve this persona for themselves. Working with Bloggers can do this for you as based on the type of Bloggers you work with, the audience can immediately connect the brand to a kind of personality e.g. Pepsi - fun, loud, colourful, pop brand that loves music and football.

5. To provide you with content. 

Face it, brands are there to make sales not create content.  But the audience they seek to connect with want content they can consume. Bloggers create content so working with a Blogger helps you generate the kind of content your audience love thereby providing you with the content repository your brand needs.

6. It's easy to convert them to brand advocates.

Working consistently with Bloggers and developing an honest, sincere relationship with them will guarantee you a place in their hearts and in their content. Bloggers talk about the things they love so once they love your brand, they'll definitely talk about you and include you in conversations about thier favourite things.

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash

The 3 Most Important Lessons To Learn from Facebook, Messenger, Instagram & WhatsApp 8-Hour Blackout

We've all heard the phrase 'Never put all your eggs in one basket'. But it seems we never learn. 

In the first quarter of 2019, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram experienced outages for almost 24 hours which saw users and brands suffering business-wise and emotionally. Geez, I'm almost sure some had high blood pressure or even fainted. 

That was 2 years ago and it would have been assumed that lessons would have been learned from that.

Alas, not, in 2021, brands and creators the world over, were once again thrown into a state of panic when Facebook and it's apps experienced an 8-hour blackout.

With the recent account loses by creators, it was a tangible worry for them that their accounts would be lost and their livelihood cruelly snatched from them in the blink of an eye and for brands, it is inestimable the losses that would have been experienced. 

Well, I hope we have learned. I have. That's why I'm sharing 3 important lessons:

1. You Don't Own Anything On Social Media.

If you ever thought you did, shame on you. 

Your content is owned by the platforms on which you post. These platforms are not controlled by you and realising you are subject to their whims at any point in time is the best thing you can do. 

I always advise brands and creators to have a blog or an email list. When you own your own content repository or contact list, you can retrieve your content or reach out to your customers at any time with no fear of loss. 

Still wondering why you should create a blog in 2021? Read this

2. Decentralise Your Social Presence.

Do you really only need to be on only Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? There are so many other platforms you can play around with and be present on. 

Although these platforms have made it easier to connect with the audience by providing almost everything e.g. VR, Live, Interactive and promotional tools e.t.c., there are still other platforms that can provide this same services and other social media platforms for networking too i.e. LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, SnapChat and more. 

Yes, it will require a new learning curve, but it will definitely be worth the peace of mind in the end. 

3. Prepare For The Worst But Stay Calm.

I am of the school of thought that says, "When you prepare for the worst, nothing can surprise you.".

Learn to think through all your processes, make plans for any eventuality, back-up, save, store, have duplicates. 

Nothing is certain except yourself. Always remember that. 

Photo by Cristian Dina from Pexels