Some blog as a hobby,
or a way to express their thoughts and feelings in a safe place. For some however it does become a source of
income, so it is important to have a solid brand and business concept for
approaching companies or when being contacted directly.
My blog is what I enjoy doing in my spare time, but
I have been lucky enough to have been paid to write articles or given other
thank you’s. For my day job I work in
marketing for a brand and am often approached by bloggers. So many of these requests are lack lustre or
unprofessional, so I thought I would put together some things to consider which
will help showcase your abilities and services and build creditability and a persuasive
business portfolio.
1. Biography
Introduce potential
clients to your brand; let them get to know you, begin with your name and your
company name and outline of your business including your history and
purpose. Mention what you can offer and
how you can meet the company’s needs. It
is also important to point out your most important accomplishments. These are usually written as a third
person. You do need to keep this short,
concise and to the point – no one wants to read an essay.
“Mary Example is the founder of This Blog, an online forum specialising
in fashion and lifestyle. Based in
Cardiff, but has written for brands in the United Kingdom, Europe and the US. Established in 2014, Mary has become a must
visit influencer. She has written for
Something Magazine and Must Read Online, and last year was nominated Individual
Content Creator of the Year award. Mary
holds a degree in Creative Writing and Journalism, and has 10 years’ experience
of working in Sales and Marketing. Visit
her and read her blog at thisblog.com.”
2. Mission
Statement
Describe what your brand
does in a clear and concise manner.
These need to be short, sharp and straight to the point. This is also a great exercise to do if you
have lost your way while blogging, or over time your focus has changed. It will help you keep on track without getting
bogged down with the details.
Focus
on your motivation for blogging, and why do you do it? Who is your blog for, what kinds of things do
you write about, and why? What do you
want to become? Is there a blogger you
aspire to be like, or are you looking to make a serious income. Lastly, how you will do this?
“The mission for This Blog is to encourage and
reinvent how my readers get fashion and lifestyle knowledge and inspire them by
sharing ideas, experiences and real-life stories.”
3. Certification
Feature
any educational or professional certification your brand or you have
earned. These prove that you possess the
expertise, essential skills and qualifications that can emphasise your
expertise. It is also ok to include previous
jobs that have some transferable experience.
4. Services and Products
Describe
what you can offer the business and tell them what your customers love to
read. How can you help them meet their needs? You want this to be descriptive, show off
your creativity and writing skills.
Showcase your services including your niche, and benefits. Show the type, quality and style of your
work.
Show
off your brand imagery and colour, and include links to these – a gallery on
your website or your Instagram page. Do
these match the company you are wanting to work with? Pictures bring your products to life and are
a visual representation of your business.
It
is also essential to highlight the benefits – ideally your stats. Tell the brand who visits you, how often and
the interactions you get. Do you have a
customer profile? This is great to
include, the brand can see if it matches their target market. Save them the time of doing the research on
you!
5. Testimonials, Examples and Affiliations
Show
off samples and insights of your work, and the services you have provided other
companies. If you can get written
recommendations or testimonials, these are fantastic to use too as it shows
them the value of your business. It is
ok to boast about your accomplishments, showcase your achievements as these
will support your professional reputation.
In
addition to industry accreditations, add documentation – links and photos of
awards you have received, community projects including any charity or business
boards you sit on. Membership in
professional groups can give your brand credibility or any groups you are
connected to, plus initiatives you have undertaken. Print or online recognition is also a must
include.
6. Contact Information
This
is the most important aspect, and is so often excluded. Tell them how they can get in contact; your
address (especially if they need to send you a pack or products), website,
telephone, email, social media profiles.
I would also recommend producing an email signature. This will give you more credibility and you
will be seen in a more professional light.
If you have a logo, this can also be incorporated into the signature.
Where to post your business portfolio
There are various ways
to do this; an email, a one page representation, a PowerPoint (or similar), an online
presentation or a website portfolio. It
is ok to use a variety of these, or just the one. Find what works best for you. Make it easy for companies find you, and the
services you provide.
Make sure what you
produce is easy to update, as inevitably there will be changes that need to be
made. If you are getting these printed,
go for low print runs so there will be less waste if changes are needed.
I have an About | Portfolio one page section on my website.
I have an About | Portfolio one page section on my website.
I would love to hear
your thoughts, hints, tips and suggestions. Feel free to post these in the comments.
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