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Spreading like butter on a hot piece of toast, the news that Banksy had created new artwork in Cheltenham reached far and wide.
The unknown ‘guerrilla artist’, who sources say is responsible for the street art, depicts three shady characters listening into a conversation in a telephone box. In a matter of days, the piece had already attracted hundreds of visitors and become the ‘most read’ article on the BBC website.
For those who follow the artist already, you will know this isn’t the first time he’s cleverly used art to take a swipe at controversial issues in society. Recently, the artist caused a stir during a month-long residency in New York where he was very active on the streets of Manhattan with daily pieces of street art.
But it is his home city of Bristol where he has made the most impact with his art, something which is now embraced by the local tourist board as an ‘attraction’ and a reason to visit the city.
So where do business blogs come into the mix?
Well, just like the artworks on the streets of Bristol, blogging is a great (and legal) way of waving the flag to raise awareness of yourself. It also allows you to become an expert in your field. Let me explain.
Think of a business blog post as your very own graffiti art...
You’ve identified the audience of the piece and the message you want to get across, now it’s time to get writing.
Remember, you want this blog to stand out from the crowd. So take a different angle, have an interesting title and good imagery too – but more importantly be educational and informative.
Once you’ve completed the small matter of writing the blog, now it’s time to tailor just how the message of your blog gets out to the world.
Promote...
Banksy himself relies on a strong word-of-mouth approach to promoting his work, after posting tip-offs on various forums and his personal website.
Just like Banksy, blogs require promoting too. Use calls-to-action on your website to direct people to your latest blog as well as using your social media accounts to share your new article.
Optimise...
And because we cannot compete with the huge media attention Banksy gets (although it would be nice), the best alternative is to optimise your blog so your audience can find you on search engines.
By optimising your blog’s keywords, meta description, title, content and URL – you’ve got a better chance of your name popping up on the holy grail of the internet, Google’s 1st results page!
Make it frequent...
Once you’ve started writing articles for your blog, make it a regular occurrence. Keep talking about your sector and specialism and keep optimising those blogs. By doing this regularly, you will be increasing the chances of your audience seeing your work, and thus establishing your business as an expert in your field.
Once you’re seen as an expert, your audience will share your work with others, just like the Bristol tourist board with their Banksy tours.
Follow his lead – be creative, get your message across effectively and be the source of new, exciting and educational material. He may not have a face, but he certainly has a brand that is known by millions.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia