Marketing Your Business Online
10.29.09- Filed Under Blogging, Business, Social Media
- 21 Comments
My husband Tait and I have been in Texas this week, visiting family and working our little tails off. On Tuesday, we headed up to Austin, where I spoke at the NEAWP convention…a group of Austin Wedding Pros who get together to talk shop, share inspirations and learn a few things about this forever changing industry. They were a great group and I had a complete blast.
The topic of my speech was How To Use the Internet to Grow Your Business. So today, I thought I would share a few of those tips! These are really basic starting points, great for people who are looking for that jump start into really using the web.
Designing your own business blog.
This is perhaps the most effective and simplest way to start using the internet to build your brand. Here are a few tips to get you started…
1. Design a blog that is simple, stylish and consistently updated. You want your blog to be a reflection of who you are as a designer/business owner/wedding professional. It is the perfect way to share your most innovative and recent work with your clients and you want to make sure that it really represents your style.
2. Ideally, you want to blog every day. But always remember that your business, your work, comes first. Blog when you have a few moments trying NOT to put pressure on yourself to write a novel or upload a hundred images. A single image and a brief description is enough to keep your clients interested and coming back for more.
3. Build relationships with other blogging vendors in your area to help grow your audience. Blogging has a strong community environment thus it’s good business to reach out to your competitors and your peers. Starting a local blog roll is the best way to reach out to your peers
Using Blogs and Online Resources to Advertise
In this day and age, putting your ad dollars online is a smart and effective way to make money. Here are some key points to remember…
1. At the click of a button, brides are carried right over to your site. They don’t have to earmark pages, remember to carry the copy over to the computer and type in the information. Advertising online is all about instant gratification.
2. Turn around time is fast. By finding the RIGHT blog or online site to advertise with, you’ll be able to see how effective your advertising campaign is almost immediately. Through traffic, inquiries and actual bookings, there isn’t that huge lag time that often exists with print advertising.
3. Just like advertising in a magazine, it’s important to choose the right publication when considering online advertising.
Using Blogs in Marketing Your Business
It’s now easier than ever to get your brand out there and establish a strong reputation by marketing your products online. Plus, it’s free! Here are some basic guidelines that will help you market more effectively online.
1. Know your publication. Understanding the types of content that a particular blog or website produces is key to getting your work featured. If the blog only writes about rustic, chic affairs, submit something rustic chic. If the blog, like ours, relies heavily on picture perfect details, make sure your details are spot on. Knowing the publication is key to getting out of the slush pile.
2. Package up your product neatly. By making it really easy on the blogger, you are automatically going to be pushed to the front of the list. Include up to 50 images, a comprehensive vendor list and a detailed description of the day. This will take the work out of the blogger’s hands so he/she can focus on your content. Plus, if your submission is declined, you’ve already packaged it up for another blog to review.
3. Do not submit to more than one publication at a time. It’s a BIG no-no and vendors will make a mental note of it for all submissions going forward. Just like magazines, bloggers LOVE to get an exclusive.
Using Social Media to Build Your Brand
We rely heavily on Facebook and Twitter to market Style Me Pretty. Both tools offer really effective ways of getting the word out there and establishing yourself as an authority. If you haven’t already jumped on board, now’s the time. Here are a couple of resources that will help you…SMP’s Twitter Etiquette Guide and our BACKSTAGE comparison of social media tools.
We could go on and on and on about using the web to help build your brand. These are just a few little gems that will help you get started!
[...] for all of you vendors and entrepreneurs out there…I wrote a little post on Marketing Your Business Online over on Backstage. Pretty basic, but info to keep in your pocket nonetheless. Related Posts… [...]
Abby.
In all honesty I think telling people how to start there own wedding blogs in a great idea. I love Style Me Pretty!
BUT.. have you ever thought that everyone will be doing it.. maybe even coming up with better content than you? Better vendors, contacts, and inspirations?
Your going to have A LOT of competition. I’m saying this because I’ve been reading your posts, and comments and it seems like your put a lot of effort, time and money into this and the last thing you need is everyone opening up blogs and people visiting your site less. Right?
It’s kind of like when everyone had a myspace. Soon after everyone jumped into facebook.
Anyway, just wondering why you decided to start “backstage”.
-Angelina.
She makes a good point.
But, I love knowing the secrets to blogging.
My friend is actually thinking of launching her own wedding blog! I think it will be a good one!
What exactly does it mean to “package your product” neatly? Is this for people with blogs? What vendor list?
and Images?
I need clarification please.
Angelina, I reckon it’s for three reasons:
1) it builds the network – draws more people to SMP – people who might not necessarily be drawn to a wedding blog
2) it builds the brand. you’ve always got to be thinking of ways to grow a business.
3) altruistic: it’s good to share….and it’s also encouraging when someone else does something entrepreneurial….
It’s wise to do things that the customer/client doesn’t expect. None of the competitors have a voice like SMP does – none of them will be doing a ‘backstage’. You have to be different in this business, surprise people.
There’s always a risk that people will take Abby’s ideas and develop their own angle on them. However, I’d venture to say that what Abby has created is unique as it is her voice, her style. In addition it is something that has c2 years headstart on anything else. This is valuable.
Abby, don’t doubt this new venture. It’s sound, a little crazy perhaps – but then no one ever got anywhere without being brave! Good for you – and thank you for sharing.
Emily do you have a blog?
Hi Guys! Sorry for the late reply…am visiting family.
I get asked this question all the time. Why backstage, why share secrets? Well, to be perfectly frank…I’m totally fine with everyone knowing how I do what I do. The barrier to wedding blogging is very low. It literally takes $15 a month, if that, to set up a decent blog. It’s what you do with it once you have it, that really counts.
It took us two years to get where we are today. So, on one hand, I totally support new bloggers, vendors working with other blogs, online wedding businesses finding inspiration in what we do. On the other, I am always looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Backstage also helps people to know who is behind the brand. To connect closer with us. That is HUGE for building a community and a loyal audience.
And lastly, it’s a little something for the vendors that provide us with so much. We have great relationships with our vendors and we owe them. Any knowledge that can help our vendors be more successful is ok in my book.
Jessica…to package neatly just means that when you submit a wedding, make sure you have all the components in one tidy email. That helps bloggers to get a wedding up quickly and with great content.
We really hope you’ll share what you know with us. We also hope you’ll give us feedback when we introduce new products.
We want this site to facilitate discussion on how to build a successful blog in the wedding space. We’ve all got something to learn.
Just wanted to chip in two cents here… Style me Pretty Backstage, and also Design*Sponge’s Biz Ladies – are both incredibly helpful resources, that I think build tons of brand loyalty!
I think that many people who visit SMP and DS are bloggers, but way too small to be a threat to the originators. Rather it seems like a brilliant and helpful decision to build blogging and the wedding/design industry overall.
Continued kudos to SMP for all of the wonderful content!
There are many ways to market your business, but not all methods deliver the same results to every business.
I guess you guys are totally right. I apologize
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
good read, solid stuff, thanks for sharing this.
I never added “Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one “.
Thanks for deleting my comment and adding your own!
Abby,
I love reading your business insight. Like you, I feel like if you are confident in your product and know that you’re the best at what you do, you’re not afraid of competition. There is plenty of room for everyone’s success!
Keep Sharing,
Jenny Steffens
Occasions by Jenny Steffens
I am an Event Planner that recently started blogging and I can appreciate all the hard work that you put into your site because although following your steps sound simple and uploading a few pics seem easy enough. That is not actually the case. Upkeeping a really nice blog that will keep bloggers returning time and time again can be close to a full time job. I sincerely appreciate the tips to just help me get mine off the ground.
Hi Jessica
I don’t have my own blog but in 2009 I started my own business and got married…..so SMP was a useful resource for wedding planning but also interesting to see another business develop. Although mine is in a completely different space (Finance), there are principles of doing business that apply to all disciplines.
Thanks!
Emily
Hi Abby,
I love your blogs so much i have them on my iphone homepage – would love if you could set up an icon for all us addicts out there
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_to_create_custom_apple_iphone_website_icon.html
Natalie, cute idea. Just might do that. We’re also playing with the idea of actually making our blogs easy to read on all phones and pdas.
A little offtopic reply, Im using the new google chrome browser, but it looks like your website is not displaying correctly… Just to let you know. Thanks.
Backstage is a wonderful way to connect with readers and build a community — while I love SMP, I am neither a soon-to-be bride nor a wedding vendor — I come to Backstage because Abby shares wonderful ideas on how to build up a note-worthy blog and in that way, has inspired a whole new market of readers!
Thanks for all of your great work, Abby & Tait, and I look forward to more great Backstage posts!
Morgan
PepperDesignBlog.com
Backstage Business is unbelievable. Over the past 2 years I have spent untold dollars on business coaching, seminars, newsletters etc. I have gleaned some useful information from all of this but nothing compared to the usable, inspiring and honest advice offered by Backstage.
Yesterday I felt as though I would never be able to realize my dreams of running a successful and profitable online blog/website but after poring over every single word you have written I now feel re-energized and ready to take on the world. Thank you so much.
Hi Team Abby and Tait,
As a relative newbie (2 years of having an official wedding planning business under my belt), and watching SMP grow leaps and bounds over time — I am just blown away by the open honesty and helpful advice that you two share with us readers. I have spent the past two hours reading through all the fun, different links hanging out on SMP and can’t thank you enough for your insights on work, life, branding, marketing, and of course inspiring me with all things wedding. Tonight I have laughed out loud and really thought hard about who I am and how I want to be perceived in the wedding world. I am ever so thankful and keep it coming – it is a fabulous stuff. Congrats to you!