10 Steps to Launch Your Microblog: Part II
A blog of few words.
I used to have a Tumblr blog in 2008. Maybe.
For those who are new to describing the world in a couple of sentences, these are mini-blogs for people who want to stay in touch with their audience while posting short but in-depth content, frequent updates and constant connection with the outside world. Microblogs, like any other form of content creation, can cause fatigue and burnout. I believe that they can be more time-consuming and value-driven than long-form writing. If you feel like you can’t keep up with the pressure, it’s okay to take a break for a few days.
On the other hand, microblogging on a personal level can be fun. You don’t always have to churn out ideas for your platform, especially when you’re on vacation. You don’t always have to keep your audience updated about every event happening in your life, and it’s always recommended to have privacy and security as far as possible. Being continuously available is exhausting for me. I need my private space even when I’m online, and I don’t always want to be pushing myself for content.
Create Something Of Value
Much like a traditional blog, you want to attract and retain your audience the best you can. While a regular blog focuses on the written content, microblogs are much more visual. Whether you’re microblogging as a hobby or for your business, you want to be noticed by people. Add something extra to your profile such as well-researched content, aesthetic photographs or even thought-provoking quotes presented beautifully. As you work on your plan, ask yourself: how do I make my microblog work?
Regardless of your niche, first, see if there is a public demand for it. What is something unique only you can bring to the picture, and how do you make it possible for yourself and your team? If you’re running a microblog for your business, it’s important to consider all aspects of sales and marketing. On the other hand, focus on creating people-centric content such as infographics, GIFs and short videos to appeal to people instead of simply throwing your services at them. Win them over first.
“Don’t try to plan everything out to the very last detail. I’m a big believer in just getting it out there: create a minimal viable product or website, launch it, and get feedback.” — Neil Patel
Choose The Right Platform
Microblogs are combined with social media platforms, which are the perfect base for you to start. Common examples are Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter. Though LinkedIn is primarily used for job search and networking, people also use it for professional microblogging. You’ll find content on health and fitness, makeup and beauty, fashion and culture, food and travel. Whatever your niche is, it must be long-term and monetarily profitable. You must have things to talk about, and people must be interested to hear you talk about it.
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While Instagram, YouTube and TikTok usually cater to a video-centric audience, Twitter and Tumblr are text-oriented. Depending on the platform, all you have to do is create an account and start filling in the details. Even better, create microblogs on different platforms. If you’re new to microblogging, you might not know which works best for your niche, content and audience. Once you know what’s working for each platform, make changes in your content strategy as required. Meanwhile, explore your brand voice and identity.
Build Your Profile And Audience
When building a self-hosted blog, you must work with themes, plugins, a landing page and contact information. If you have access to the premium features on your platform, it could make all the difference to your blog. When you’re microblogging, all you need is your regular blogging platform. Depending on your niche, keep your name or pick a suitable brand name for your microblog. I usually keep my digital platforms eponymous, making it easier for someone to find me online. From there, add your profile picture, information and contact details.
When building your target audience, the important thing is to own your microblog regardless of your expertise. While you’re creating content, make sure to show the human side of the microblog. This includes your story of how you got here, your breakthroughs and discoveries, your failures and how you put it all back together. What you’ll also need to remember is that a one-day big bang will not attract everyone, as social media is an extremely fleeting place. Instead, start slow and work your way up. If your brand is great, people will eventually find it.
“When you brand yourself properly, the competition becomes irrelevant.” — Dan Schawbel
Find Your Voice And Style
One of the fun parts of setting up a microblog is to find out what works best for your brand. Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted tone? Should you choose a sleek and sophisticated voice? Should you be funny, sarcastic or even a bit mean? Would your target audience take it well? What matters the most is that you should be authentic because we all know when a brand is trying to be too appealing, dramatic or hilarious. Unless you’re careful, it can backfire terribly. So, less is always better than more.
Find your voice and writing style and work with it. Before you start posting, think about your target audience. You can’t impress everyone, so you need to have a target audience in mind. That alone, and your objective determines the colour scheme, brand language and content. Your content should usually revolve around advice, tips and tricks and other resources that would instantly engage and attract your followers. Make your profile stand out in a sea of similar content, and put forward your unique selling point (USP).
Have A Content Strategy
When you start microblogging for business or a hobby, you want to look at the monetisation value. These come through sponsored posts and affiliate links, but this entirely depends on your audience and niche. Your posts must remain relevant and consistent with your brand, thus you need to use hashtags and keywords accordingly. As an ex-content writer, I know how important keywords are for the audience. Though I barely use hashtags on my social media profiles, they make your brand more recognisable to the target audience.
If you have the resources, feel free to invite your followers backstage. Include behind-the-scenes, anecdotes, live discussion sessions, Q&As and polls to stay in touch with the audience. Experiment with what kind of content works well with the audience, and have more of that. Of course, always end any post with a call-to-action, such as inviting them to check out your profile, services and products. Always add your contact information so they can get in touch or say hello! Also, you’ll find my email in the blog description if you’d like to say hi! ;-)
“There’s a lot of information out there for free, so you’ve got to figure out what makes your information different.” — Matt Wolfe
As I complete my first post on how to start microblogging, I feel like taking up the craft once again. However, I’m not sure what to write. I don’t have a niche in mind, and I simply don’t always have the time and energy. It’s after midnight at this point, and I need to mend my sleeping schedule. I believe that your habits and lifestyle change once you have a major life change, such as moving to a new city, getting married, working at a new job or even as an unusually well-kept New Year’s resolution.
Most importantly, you don’t have to make your digital presence your entire well-being. It’s okay if you have fewer loyal followers, and few likes and shares but more satisfaction and no brand partnerships. Work on honing your craft, and you will taste your much-deserved success. Though it might seem too much to cram our brilliance into a few words, it is a different kind of talent to accomplish. What would you like to say if you only had a few words at your disposal?
