Podcast: Play in new window | Download
“I think 2016 is the year of the blog.” And Maddy Osman knows a thing or two about brands and blogging. That’s because she’s the force behind not one but two blog brands. Her lifestyle blog, Chicago Cheap Ass, helps young Chicagoans find the best deals in the second city. Over at The Blogsmith, Maddy helps personal brands and small businesses find their voice online through better blogging. I couldn’t wait to discussing stronger branding through better blogging on this week’s On Brand podcast.
Enjoy This Episode Now
About Maddy Osman
Maddy Osman is a digital marketer who has a passion for blogging. Her lifestyle blog, ChicagoCheapAss.com, shows young adults how the find the best deals and values in Chicago. If you’re more interested in learning how to be more effective with your own blog, check out her website, The-Blogsmith.com.
Episode Highlights
“Chicago Cheap Ass is fun to say.” There. We both said it. Maddy and I kicked off the show by first discussing this important aspect of branding naming. Too often brands try to get either too cute or too sophisticated with their naming. Make it blunt, make it memorable, make it fun. Period. This lifestyle brand is Maddy’s way of “giving back to the world.” It’s also her test kitchen for the work she does as … The Blogsmith! (I really think this should be a super hero-themed brand!)
Blogging. Still …? Is it hard to sell blogging services in 2016? “I honestly thought it would be a lot harder. People are ready. They know they need a blog but they aren’t sure exactly how to do it. That’s where Maddy comes in.
“I’ll give you $5 for 1,000 words!” It’s content mills with pitches like these that Maddy is up against and many brands fall prey to. When it comes to content, more isn’t always better as Mark W. Schaefer frequently states in talking about “content shock.”
Massage therapy and carpet cleaning? With her Blogsmith hat on, Maddy works with several diverse brands located in the Chicagoland area. The common denominator? Making exceptional service businesses standout in a crowded local market place.
What brand has made Maddy smile recently? “Barkbox!” The canine-centric brand actually made Maddy “almost cry” before smiling with a story of a pitbull.
To learn more, follow Maddy on Twitter and check out her sites at Chicago Cheap Ass and The-Blogsmith.com.
As We Wrap …
Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community …
Recently Dewi Eirig Jones gave a shout out — all the way from Wales — on our recent episode featuring Brian Fanzo. Thanks Dewi!
Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.
Last but not least …
- Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS.
- Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.
- OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out.
- And finally a reminder that On Brand is brought to you by the Social Brand Forum. This premier digital marketing experience takes place September 22-23 in beautiful Iowa City, Iowa. Learn from experts like Jay Baer, Joe Pulizzi, and Gini Dietrtich in the heart of the heartland. Listeners of the show get the best rate when they register using promo code ONBRAND at socialbrandforum.com.
Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!
