This is meant to be a quick read with the goal of getting you up and blogging today. Don’t put it off – it’s too useful of a marketing tool not to utilize it. I know a lot of you think you need a “plan” before you start, but I think this is one of those areas where it’s ok to learn on the job. Just dive in, get started and you’ll pick it up as you go.
The Oxford English Dictionary added the word blog in 2003, defining it as “a frequently updated Web site consisting of personal observations, excerpts from other sources, etc., typically run by a single person and usually with hyperlinks to other sites; an online journal or diary.” So, think of a blog as an online, public journal. Although both a journal and a blog are somewhat personal, the journal just sort of sits, unread, unless you go back to read it. The blog is really a tool, with an audience, that has a constant stream of traffic and readers. A constant stream of traffic and readers equals a great boutique SEO tool to get people to your boutique website.
There are three main uses for a blog: personal expression, expert information (as in you are the expert and have information to share), and marketing. Within these three uses there are obviously variations and better blogs use a combination of these uses. Obviously, blogging requires writing, but it doesn’t require a literary degree, it’s pretty quick, often stream of thought writing that requires only a little editing. Pay some attention to getting important keywords in your blog posts and you can hit some of those first page Google searches you’ve been aiming for.
So, if you don’t have a blog (and I’m always amazed at how many boutique owners don’t have blogs, or have them but don’t use them), decide right now on a platform and setup your blog today. It really is that easy. And yes, it is nice if your blog has a pretty template that matches your online shop, but that is not a necessity, and there are plenty of plain, but tasteful blog templates for you to use until you can get setup with the matchy matchy.
When deciding on what blog platform to use, first consider that there are two different types: hosted and self-hosted. We’ll look at both so you can decide which is better suited for your needs.
Hosted
A hosted blog is one that you don’t have to have your own web-hosting for. It is software that is managed for you. You don’t have to update the software or worry about finding hosting or installing the software. It is the easiest way to get a blog up and going. My top choices for a hosted site are Blogger, WordPress and TypePad. All three let you get your blog up and going in a matter of minutes and all three allow you to customize your format, either using one of their pre-made templates or loading a template of your own. The upside to using a self-hosted blog is the ease of use, the downside is that you don’t own or have a license to the software, it is possible (though unlikely) that your blog could be pulled.
Self-Hosted
Self hosted means that you load a blog onto your own hosting. If you self host you are responsible for the technical aspects, including installing the software and performing upgrades. Although there are advantages, including using your own domain name for your blog and having complete control over it, if you aren’t up for the technical challenge, a hosted plan may be better for you. Top choices for self-hosted include WordPress (no, this isn’t a typo, WordPress has a stand alone and hosted version of their blog) and Moveable Type. If your hosting utilizes cPanel and Fantastico, you can usually install WordPress, among other blog choices, with a click of your mouse.
Once you have your blog up and going, keep in mind that in order to make it relevant to your business and keep readers coming back, you need to have some sort of marketing plan and you need to post consistently. That doesn’t mean you have to sit down every day and write, but you do have to keep a steady stream of content going to your site – whether that means you sit down weekly for an hour, or you spend a day once a month writing posts that you can set to publish throughout the month. And though you may want to have a blog just to blog, it really doesn’t make sense not to use it to drive traffic to your site or promote what your site is selling. This can be as easy as posting when you get new items or services in, but there are some other, easy ways that will gain your blog popularity. And remember, the more popular it is the more traffic you will get. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, here are some quick marketing ideas to get you started.
Offer Freebies – do you have something that you can give away, a tutorial, pattern, or single item that you give away in a contest. These freebies will drive lots of traffic to your blog and if you update regularly will keep people checking back. You can often pair this with a request that a user make a comment to enter, sign up for your feed or join your newsletter.
Coupons and Specials – if you offer coupons or specials to your blog readers on a regular basis, they will keep checking back for them.
Customer Pictures – add a space to showcase customers wearing your products or using your products and you’ll gain customer loyalty. Flickr offers an easy way to integrate this idea into your blog.
Add an RSS Feed – let your readers know right away when you post new material by adding an RSS Feed. My favorite is Feedburner – easy to use with great stats.
Interview someone – if you are running a boutique – online or brick and mortar – you probably have a lot of designers that you could interview. Doing it via email makes it quick and easy, and you end up with a great blog post.
