Creating an Identity via Blogging
As a start-up organization, the On Demand Industry Association (ODIA) needed to show that there was voice behind the organization—one that was not only part of the industry conversation but aware of the current events affecting on-demand businesses. Their key tactic: a blog that combines aggregating industry news, creating original content, and commentary on hot industry issues. ODIA partnered with RCC editorial to provide a critical eye for noteworthy content, as well as original writing services and blog management.
Staying Neutral
Part of the challenge is keeping an eye on what content is noteworthy without being too controversial—we want ODIA to be seen as an authority in the industry, but not a pot-stirrer. We became more familiar with the issues surrounding the on-demand industry by reading articles as well as the comments, determining whether the sentiment of the response to the issue was something ODIA might align with. Topics like worker exploitation are deemed too sensitive and are generally avoided, though articles about how to classify workers are often an appropriate way to address the labor concerns that on-demand businesses have without being polarizing. We might share the articles with a brief intro or share the first few sentences of the article, and provide readers a link to read the full article on the source site.
An Original Voice
Writing original content is an important part of establishing ODIA’s image as a trusted trade association of on-demand professionals. Topics are sometimes vetted or recommended by ODIA’s founders, though generally feature a topic universally interesting to the on-demand industry. Rather than being position pieces, original content focuses on knowledge-sharing. For example, a piece focused on how to know whether an employee should be classified as an independent contractor or regular employee. We cite authoritative sources, like the U.S. Department of Labor, and link to other high-ranking sites like Inc., Forbes, and CNN that have related content. This tactic not only helps strengthen reader perception that ODIA is producing quality, relevant content, but the cross-linking to other established brands is an SEO tactic that can help elevate ODIA’s site standing.
As traffic patterns are established, we’re evaluating what content resonates with readers and receives the most traffic. We also strive to update the site regularly both to ensure that it is seen as a lively organization and to enhance the site’s and blog’s SEO and appearance in Google search results.
