Recently, I celebrated small businesses in Calgary by attending the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Small Business Expo during Small Business Week. Apart from spending the day connecting with awesome business owners, I loved listening to the keynote speakers. A particular highlight was listening to The Ten Spot ceo & founder, Kristen Wood as she spoke about the journey of the company and the importance of uniting everyone under a common brand – values, vision, purpose and mission.
At one point, she spoke about building a company that wasn’t reactive or proactive, but strategic. It was then that I realized the evolution of The Write Harle’s blogging process has grown into a strategic process, creating better results for our clients.
That said, it was the “reactive, proactive, or strategic” that made me think of the types of mindsets prospects typically have when we initially sit down. More often than not, prospects come believing that reactive is the only option, but nothing could be further from the truth. So, ask yourself if any of these types of blogging mindsets ring true for you and you can start building the blog that you want!
Are you creating a reactive, proactive, or strategic blog?
Reactive blogging is what the majority of companies coming to The Write Harle have been doing. They sporadically blog, sometimes even build consistency for a couple of months, but then trail off again. Reactive blogging – apart from writing a commentary blog for a timely issue – is often the frantic mindset of, “I need to write a post, but what am I going to write about?!”
Sound familiar?
- Fuzzy feelings towards your blog are rare.
- “I need to write a blog NOW and no clue what to write about! Gulp!” *staring blankly at computer screen*
Proactive blogging is stockpiling blogs. Here you write a number of blogs in one fell swoop, and then roll them out over the next few months. This is great for building consistency in your posting schedule, however, it does not leave itself as open to the flexibility of topics as a strategic approach does.
Sound familiar?
- Fuzzy feelings towards your blog increase.
- “I have all these blogs written and ready to share!” *high five self*
Strategic blogging is when you develop an editorial calendar for a period of time and pinpoint what topics you’ll write about when and why. A strategic blog is built with great intention as it doesn’t just focus on ensuring consistency in blogging, such as a proactive blog, but it also focuses on why a specific blog is written at a specific period in time. This also allows for your blogging strategy to directly tie into your overall marketing and business strategies. A strategic blog blends into your SEO tactics (search engine optimization), social media strategies, and other marketing materials, such as your newsletter, working in tandem to enhance your brand and connect your blog to more readers.
By being strategic, you are not just being proactive with your topics; you’re being intentional in supporting your business goals. This allows you to remain flexible with your blog, but removes the frantic “what am I going to write about” with reactive blogging and “this blog doesn’t fit with the industry right now!” proactive blogging may not account for.
Sound familiar?
- Fuzzy feelings towards your blog are through the roof!
- “I have a solid process, complete with intentional topics and time!” *happy dance party*
How to adjust your blogging mindset?
The first step to moving towards a more strategic mindset is simple – get your calendar out and start building a blogging timeline and process. From there, it’s being committed to your calendar. Yep, it’s that straightforward.
Both proactive and strategic blogging have their benefits, so as long as you aren’t in the reactive mindset you’re already ahead of the curve. The most effective blogging for you is one where you build your own creative process into your development process and connects with your audience.
Of course, writing strategy and blogging is what we love at The Write Harle, so if you are curious about how strategic blogging can support you or simply need a place to start, reach out for a conversation.