Designing 101 - Episode 3: Marketing

Designing 101. How to use marketing & design to get a bigger audience on your blog. Everyone wants to get as many followers as they can get and want to get noticed in the crowd. But how can you do that? In this episode we’re gonna talk about marketing and how to use it to your benefit!

Target your audience

In Episode 1 (Branding) and Episode 2 (Identity) I talked about your target audience and why they are important. But how can you reach them? First of you need to have some really good things to talk about in the specific topic you chose. You have to hit that sweet spot of your demographic! Pay attention to what they say, what they want and what they need. Interact as much as you can and give sneak previews to loyal followers. As their opinion to make the piece better before publishing it. Connect with them on a new level!

Be a guest on other blogs

Make friends with other bloggers in the same topic. Don’t make it a competition but help each other out. Refer to each others blogs so you can double your audience. You are here to grow and you grow the fastest when you have help. The readers want to find tons of information that is relevant for them so just make it simpler to find.

Be honest, be original

Don’t go into the herd and post the same thing as them. Find that unique spot you can treasure! Most followers aren’t innovators, so when they read about new things to keep reading and craving for more. If you have a common topic, write about it but give it that unique spin. Your point of view and ask for theirs. If you’re not honest your readers will notice it right away and you will lose them. Your readers trust you to be a good blogger and an inspiration for them.

You don’t sell, you teach

You can post 10 times a day, keep sharing your posts but it won’t be long before your readers will unfollow you and ignore you. When you post a lot each day your readers will see that its about quantity and not quality. You can’t sell that, thus you have to teach them with 1 amazing post. Give it your best for 1-2 posts each day and your readers will notice that. You have to know when to stop pushing your readers and when to start teaching.

Be different

What is the best practise to get the attention of readers? Controversy! Engage others with a different opinion. Why? Because others will disagree and you will have heated discussions. In the end they might not agree with you at all, but they will have respect for you because you took the time to interact with them, share your point of view and gave them attention. This is one of the most important points there is.

Social Media Marketing

Yes. We didn’t talk about the real meaning of design yet. And how you perceive it. The visual aspect. The social media marketing is an important part. You want your friends to know that you do stuff here on Steemit! Facebook & Twitter are very important in this instance and will give you new readers. Everytime you make a new post, share it on those channels and let your readers know. Update the latest news that keeps your readers interested. Make a good thumbnail for visual that really invites people to click on it.

Design that blog!

Design every detail of your blog. What does that mean? Well upload a profile picture, tell something about yourself in keywords and a location. Those are the small stuff. Then we look at your blogs. Let them have amazing thumbnails that are consistent with your brand. Of course you want to resteem stuff of others, check out their thumbnails as well. Do they fit your brand? Because when people come on your blog they will see that as well. What kind of person are you and what do you think is interesting? Keep in mind every detail!

But what’s the most important in marketing on Steemit?

Others. Other bloggers are most important. Why? Because they will let you grow. Without their votes, comments and resteems you will stay at the bottom.

“There is no quick path to success. You can’t get 1000+ followers and $50+ on your post when you begin. That takes time and people.”

So make friends. Talk about stuff that isn’t related to Steemit and eventually you grow together and become Dolphins > Whales!

Did you think this was helpful and interesting? Is there something you would like to know more of and needs a new episode of? Let me know in the comments! This episode was requested by @cedricdurand!