For a year I lived in Minneapolis. For a small town Wisconsin guy it was a great experience. My wife and I ended up moving back to Wisconsin, but there are still things we do here that we loved doing in Minneapolis.
One of those things is walking.
I guess it starts in my childhood. I grew up way in the country in a small township. My mom was always a person that loved walking. She would take my brother and I out for walks in the evenings. I remember one time we were in our neighborhood. She was walking us around in our red wagon when a storm started blowing in. We were encouraging her to go faster so we could beat the storm. I think we just made it.
So even with that close call I grew up to like walking. My wife and I walked in the Twin Cities near our apartment. And we walk the neighborhoods near our home now. And we’ll even drive to downtown and walk around.
I came across this new app the other day that is really dedicated to walking and to walkers (not the scary people in The Walking Dead). The whole purpose of the app is to give pedestrians a better way to find their way around.
The app is Landmark.
Now I’ve traveled and have gotten lost plenty of times in cities. It’s true that most map apps are made for cars. An app made for walkers is a great idea. And they’re using really cool visions and photos to help people find their way. I think it’s a really cool idea.
And I also think they have a great opportunity with their blog. And they’ve already started doing some blogging. Here are my thoughts.
1. Adding A Human Side To Your Business
I love posts like the one Landmark did on their hometown – Washington DC. You know, people do buy things from businesses and they use apps, but this world is really about making connections with other people. In order to do that we have to share details about ourselves and listen to details about others.
That’s what Landmark is doing with this post. They’re proud of where they’re from. And this post gives people some insight into the vision for Landmark. They share stats that are really interesting in the walking industry and you feel like you get to know a little bit about the people behind the app.
It makes me want to visit DC and walk around…using the app of course. I’ve never been there so I’d probably get lost.
2. Sharing The Vision
I’m a big fan of business visions. I find that it’s useful for the business owner. I find that it’s useful for employees. The vision seems to keep everybody on task on what really matters when it comes to reaching the vision for the business.
But I also think the vision is important for users or customers. It kind of gives them an insight into your motivation. They learn about you and what your motivation is behind the service or product.
Landmark shared their vision with the very first post they published. I think it’s a great way for a startup to open up about their motivation and to let people get a little closer to the brand and the people behind the brand.
3. Sharing Media Mentions
I’ve talked about this before in previous Blog Analysis posts. Whenever your company is mentioned in media it’s good to share that on your blog. It doesn’t need to be a big post or anything like that. You can even have a section on your blog like a category or tag for mentions.
When you’re mentioned, it gives social proof to your target audience that others are noticing what you’re doing. People like doing things that others are doing. If you can show social proof you can win over more users and customers.
You can even expand on what the media said about you. Maybe they didn’t have time in the segment to get everything in. You could link to their post or video and then add what wasn’t included.
Here is an example on the Landmark blog. Theirs was an award, which is similar to media coverage.
4. Walking Tips, Hacks And Habit Changing Advice
Not everybody walks the same. If you’re doing it wrong I think it can lead to issues throughout your entire body. Issues with your feet, your back and more. I learned just recently that I wasn’t really walking with correct posture. Now I’m working on improving it.
Walking does have many health benefits. There is an opportunity for Landmark to dive into all of these tips, hacks and advice for pedestrians. They have the opportunity to become an authority on walking. Their app is going to do that in a big way by providing information on how people can walk the right way. They can share tips and more in-depth ways for people to walk more and to create walking habits.
These types of posts attract people online that are searching for general health information and tips about walking – all are potential users of the Landmark app.
5. Interviews
I think Landmark could also feature experts in the health and walking industries. They could do these in posts or in podcasts. Talk to the experts about how to walk the correct way. Get their expert opinion. Get their stats and studies.
And also get people that talk about making walking easier for people that live in cities and other locations. Maybe there is a city planner that could be on the blog discussing ways they’re improving the city for walking.
Conclusion
I think it’s a very cool idea to making walking easier for pedestrians especially those in unfamiliar areas. Most cities are pretty walker-friendly, but it’s still a challenge to get around when you’re in a new place. Landmark looks like a great new app and I think they’ve started something great with their blogging strategy.
Now I’m going to go ask my wife if she wants to go for a walk tonight after dinner.