For those of you looking to connect with brands, Rowse suggests laying out your goals and how you can improve with time to be top of mind. “Think about what your blog is about,” he noted. “Understand what your readers want to see and think about how you’ll be promoting your posts.”
He added: “Think about the top three people in your industry and connect with them throughout social media, and see how they engage.”
For Rowse, understanding the problems and dreams of his readers is critical. “You want to really understand the pain of your readers,” said Rowse. He then explained that bloggers need to know the emotions and feelings of their readers because readers like to feel connected to the blogger. There are two things Rowse believes are important when blogging for business:
1. Take your readers on a journey
With the invention of live-streaming platforms such as Periscope, it’s important to get comfortable with video.
Although creating videos may be top of mind, Rowse believes bloggers should be persistent when trying different online platforms. “Try a lot of different things,” he said. “Try alternative topics, mediums, etc. with your audience to see what resonates with them.”
2. Setting time aside for blogging
Many bloggers will agree that not only does blogging require planning and lots of dedication, but it can suck up time away from more important things like family time.
Rowse brought up an interesting point on how relationships have been torn apart because of blogging.
“You need to put boundaries around blogging,” he discussed during the interview. “Set up a time for blogging and for your family…You really need to protect both things that are important to you from one another.”
One way Rowse does this is by making it a point in his home that when he’s in his office, he makes blogging a priority. Otherwise, he’s with his family, being a father.