Taking Your Business To The Next Level

I often get asked how can someone take their business to the next level? Today I am going to give you some examples of things I did that worked for me, and offer some pointers for the direction you could go in. These are from my perspective on the fashion industry. Sadly I’m not going to give you a magic formula to success but can start by saying that sheer hard graft plays a large part. 

What makes me qualified to talk about this? Well a few years ago I was maybe a lot like you. I was trundling along nicely and year on year the sales came in. Yes, I was probably getting a little complacent…. If things were looking quiet I would take out an ad somewhere or get some instagram star to wear our clothes and the sales would come again. But then things really slooooooowed down. My home life had been super busy…  Looking back I have no idea how I juggled things or got any sales at all but I did keep working. Then when the Winter kicked in and I had time to review the business, I was a little bit concerned that the sales were down on last year, and the clothes we were selling just didn't excite me anymore.

Make a Plan and Make Connections

It was definitely time for a change so I created an action plan (okay I wallowed about feeling sorry for myself first) but with the new year I felt a renewed energy and decided if nobody was going to wave a magic wand for me then I would have to fix things for myself. I started with a bit of customer research. I spoke to the clients that I already had to discover more about what they were looking for in clothing, what they wanted to buy that they couldn't. This is how I first heard of many of the brands we aspire to be like. I got in touch with some of the owners of them and though I totally cringe now reading back my initial email, it does show that the best approach is always a personal one. I’m not saying call someone up and ask to meet up and be BFFs forever… That is just creepy… but neither should you send an impersonal contact. Talk a bit about yourself and showcase some of your best work and ideas. Ideally what you need to do is form associations with people in your industry who are more powerful than you. Getting ideas and inspiration gave me the drive to launch our own in house line (which launches S/S 18!) 

At the time I didn’t know this but forming alliances with your peers is a sound business strategy and now I also believe it works the other way. If you believe in someone else’s talent who is newer than you that is also a good connection. If they have drive and ambition then they are only heading in a forward direction which is where you also want to be going. I used to know very few other small business wonders and now I know lots, and all of them slightly different in their experience, style and outlook. By connecting with lots of others doing the same thing as me but at differing levels, I get a bigger view of the industry in general.

Stand Out From The Crowd

You are never going to raise your game by being the same as everyone else around you. Have a good, long look at how your are presenting yourself to the world and decide what areas could be improved. When I decided my site wasn’t representing my brand well enough, I worked with a web developer to achieve a unique site that I felt really put across the brands style and ethos. I worked on the branding so that it is now very ‘on brand’. If you feel a rebrand is in order I would advise that you look inside yourself rather than all around at what everyone else is doing. It’s good to be inspired by others but if you go to the same designer and ask for the same website or blog template as someone in your field then you will blend in with them.

Get Some Help

Nobody that I know who is successful as a business wonder has done so without working long anti-social hours. Getting to the next level can mean having more income so I suggest investing some of it in paying people to do some of the jobs that can be outsourced (book-keeping, accounting, processing etc etc). This leaves you with more time to do all of the above and keep your business progressing. Ultimately you will get paid more but work less. Be prepared to open the doors and then be brave enough to walk through them.

Ways To Make All Bloggers Want (To Work With) You!

If you’re running your own business and not harnessing the power of working with bloggers then you’re missing a seriously big trick! With thousands (or for some people hundreds of thousands) of loyal monthly readers, getting your product or service in front of all those eager eyeballs has got to be a no-brainer. But bloggers are overrun with submissions so just how do you go about getting them to not only notice your pitch but actually want to write about you too? 

1. Contact them correctly

The “Dear Blogger” email is probably the bane of every blogger’s life. Not addressing someone by name when you email them is not only lazy, it’s darn right rude. Why would someone then want to go on to promote or help you if you can’t even be bothered to find out their name or personalise your email?

It’s pretty easy to decipher what a working relationship might be like with a brand through that very first email. When you write to a blogger without using their name (or using someone else’s name – whoops!) what you’re really saying is “I want to work with a blogger… any blogger… I actually don’t really care who they are or what they do, I just want to get featured on some blogs”. First impressions are of the utmost importance, and if you’re sending out these kinds of emails, it will just appear that your strategy is nothing more than ‘spray and pray’… spray everyone you can and pray that someone is bored enough to want to write about you. 

2. Get to know them

It’s important to get to know the bloggers before you contact them. Follow their blogs, read what they publish and interact with them on social media. Reply to their tweets and leave (non spammy) comments on their blog. Get to know them and try and get them to know you. That way, when it comes to pitching something to them you’re not just hitting them with a cold call, they might recognise your name or feel like they already know who you are. If they do they’re much less likely to just delete your email.

Similarly, if you’re actually reading and engaging with their blogs before you contact them, you can make your pitch much more personal and effective. Keep an eye on what they like, what they don’t like and the kind of things they’re already writing about. It would be a pretty embarrassing to pitch an idea to someone who’d just written about the very same thing last week wouldn’t it?!

It’s also vital that you’re pitching ideas that suit each blogger’s niche. There’s absolutely no point sending someone that loves high fashion and luxury a pitch about your new line budget sweats.

3. Don’t expect them to work for free

What?! You mean bloggers don’t just survive on freebies and the promise of ‘exposure’? I know, right, crazy – bloggers actually expect to earn money from doing their job, who would have thunk it?!

This seems to be a sticking point for a lot of brands and the amount of compensation many of them offer bloggers is laughable and often borderline offensive. Each blogger will have their own set of rules as to when a post or collaboration is paid for or not, but don’t start the proceedings by assuming that they’re going to want to write about you for free… or for a voucher… or a free gift. Some will, but most of the bigger and more established bloggers will not. You’ll be getting something out of an association with them so it’s only right and fair that they get something for their time and the exposure they can provide your brand too.

4. Don’t disregard newer or smaller blogs

A lot of brands or businesses will instinctively go for the bigger, higher trafficked blogs for their promotional efforts, but don’t disregard the smaller ones. In many cases it’s actually much more beneficial to have a really targeted and engaged audience (who are more likely to be invested in what the blogger actually has to say) rather than always going for the one with the most impressive numbers. 

Also, let’s not forget that the smaller blogs will also be a lot cheaper to advertise on and will probably be more willing to throw extra promotion your way. While the bigger blogs are overrun with content submissions, the smaller ones will be much more excited to receive yours and therefore be much more likely to feature you.

5. Think about time frames

If you’re working on a seasonal campaign, don’t email a blogger right at the last minute and expect them to be able to squeeze you in! Most bloggers work with an editorial calender and have limited spaces for sponsored content. Most get booked up at least a month in advance and for any non-paid for content they have a 2-6 week waiting time between receiving everything what they need for a post and actually blogging it. If you have a very seasonal item or an event you want them to attend or promote, don’t submit it and expect it to go up the next day! 

6. Offer them something new, unique or exciting

It sounds so obvious to me, but so many companies send bloggers the same old boring, re-hashed ideas and pitches. This just won’t fly! Bloggers a trend-setters, style-spotters and want to be seen to be sharing the next big thing.

  Have a think about what might entice a blog reader to convert to a customer. What do they already enjoy about the blog? What kinds of posts get the most reader engagement?

7. Think about what you want

You need to have an end goal in mind when it comes to working with a blogger so you can properly determine if the collaboration has been worthwhile. Similarly, it will enable you to voice this beforehand so you can work together to try and make this happen. A wishy-washy “yeah maybe I want to get some enquires” is not going to cut it. Be really specific and then come up with some ideas as to how you can make it a reality.

Don’t be afraid to suggest ideas or things that you think might work. A unique campaign will always go down a lot better with the readers and be much more exciting to work on for the blogger. Also listen to their ideas. The best bloggers know their readers back to front, they know what’s worked in the past and what hasn’t and they’ll likely be able to suggest ideas or angles that you’ve never thought of.

8. Be personable, but professional

It’s time to kick off those shoes and relax a little. Bloggers are generally very laid back and most are running this thing, on their own, from their bedroom or home office. Working with bloggers should be fun, so loosen up a bit.

Some of my favourite bloggers to work with are those that speak to me like a human being and so we talk like we’re old friends rather than trying to be all stuffy or hyper-professional. Of course don’t be over-familiar with your first email but keep things light, peppy and, most of all, fun. Ditch the generic press release and always keep it real.

It’s funny because as I was working on this post I saw a link to this article by Ash of The Middle Finger Project about how NOT to pitch to bloggers. I actually chuckled the whole way true because, oh lordy, she hit so many nails on the head. Before you even think about contacting bloggers to promote you, do yourself a favour and read it!

9.  Present your ideas beautifully

As well as great stories and offers for their readers, bloggers always want great imagery to accompany their posts. Invest some time in making sure your ideas are presented in the best way. The most exciting campaign idea ever will probably fall flat on it’s face if the images used alongside it are dated, badly composed or just plain ugly. Online, people’s attention spans are short and a really strong image will always catch a blogger’s (and in turn their reader’s) attention before anything you have to say.

In a similar vein, make sure your email pitch looks good. Double and triple check for spelling and grammar errors and don’t embed high res images that will take forever to download. I also personally don’t like those image-heavy, template style emails as, to me, they always looks like a genetic newsletter or spam.

10. Think about an ongoing relationship

Some of the best blogger campaigns are not ones that are just one post, or one tweet, or one month of banner advertising. They are an ongoing drive that builds and gets into the reader’s psyche so they then want to buy. Instead of just looking for a quick fix, think about working on an ongoing relationship. Maybe you do a banner advert for a few months, then a sponsored post or giveaway. A few weeks later you could throw in some social media love and then wrap it all up with a post about how the collaboration worked out.

Bloggers that I regularly work with are always going to be my favourites because they’re loyal and a I ‘get’ what they’re about. It’s easier for us to come up with fun concepts because I know their blog inside out and I know what kind of reaction we get from their readers.

So here’s the cliff notes: If you want to work with bloggers think about a campaign idea that will engage their readers, excite them and ultimately get your product or service in front of as many pairs of eyes as possible. Come up with a new idea and pitch it beautifully. Ditch the generic press release and be personable but professional. A spray and pray email or an unoriginal styled shoot idea is never going to cut it and, ultimately, always keep it real.

 

 

Unplug!

We're going to get a little philosophical today as I’m thinking about lots of things that are happening, the things that come around, the times that are really set to test us. 

What I really wanted to say was that there’s a big wiiiiide world out there, one where the bitching, the mean comments and the cliques don’t exist… one where it doesn’t matter if this person doesn’t like you or that person thinks what you’re doing is wrong. So much more is going on in our lives, why does such trivial stuff like this matter? It can be amazingly liberating it was to unplug and switch off from the internet for a while. Not what people think, how many blog posts you have scheduled, how busy and ace your life looks like is on snap chat and instagram. Spending time with my best friend at the weekend made me realise  what mattered to us was that we were having a hell of a good time together and we really didn’t miss being chained to our computers or worrying that anyone was being mean about us online, that we were taking the perfect selfies, that everyone needed to see us having an amazing time on snapchat. We were just having fun. 

If you’re feeling like things are getting all too much I’d encourage you to take a break (and I mean a real break… like get away for a whole week – its AMAZING) unplug and have ridiculous fun with your friends. I did even for a few days and oh baby it was the best time ever. I’ve come back feeling refreshed and more inspired than ever.

Taking Risks Vs Being Reckless

I speak a lot about jumping in feet first, launching and learning and making mistakes to grow your business, but the truth of the matter is you can’t always lead with your heart. You have to weigh up the pros and cons of each major decision that you make so that you don’t end up losing it all.

While I am a firm believer in trusting your gut, I would never encourage anybody to do things with wild abandon. Don’t quit your day job until your baby business can cover your bills, have a plan and a back up plan, and make those big choices based on fact, not whimsy.

But the reality is that if you do nothing, you’ll gain nothing. There is always an element of risk when it comes to striking out on your own. It is essential if you want to move forward, do something different and stand out against your competitors. Risk is actually one of the very best, if not scariest, ways to expand our knowledge, offerings and confidence.

So how can you make sure you’re making good risky choices, not one that will destroy your business?

The difference is forward-planning. Having goals to work towards, projecting your income and having quantifiable ideas will all help keep you on track. I started Wonderland Clothing in 2010 but I didn’t quit my day job until 2013. As someone who struggles with patience this was immensely difficult for me! I wanted to strike out on my own as soon as I’d made my first £100! If it was up to me I’d have jumped in right away and figured it all out as I went along.

Luckily I had the opportunity to move back home (no bills etc!) I also have amazing family and friends and at the time a boyfriend who was a lot more risk adverse than me. All in all it worked out for the best. 

My advice to you would be to test and validate your ideas first. Do some market research, find out if your product or service is actually resonating with people. Give out freebies and ask for feedback. Learn as much as you can about your industry and career path before you make any rash decisions. Hone your skills before asking people to pay for them. And always, always have some savings. All of these things will put you firmly in the driving seat, rather than finding yourself strapped into a rollercoaster that you can’t get off off.

Keeping organised is also imperative. You need to constantly be evaluating if things are working out the way you planned, and if not you must quickly adapt and shift your focus to come back into line with your goals. Having benchmarks to work towards are especially important, so you’re not just carelessly marching forward without taking into account where you actually want, or need, to go.

However in saying all this, there is only so much you can project or plan in advance. Once you have that solid plan in place, you really just have to take the first step and strike out on your own. Yes, it’s terrifying, but without that initial leap of faith you’ll never get anywhere.

To me, it always comes back to gut instinct. It’s not always quantifiable, but as an entrepreneur you’ll eventually learn how and when to listen to it. You’ll know when it’s steering you in the right direction and when it’s telling you to put the breaks back on.

Why You Should Be Selish!

Selfishness is never an attractive quality. Whether it’s a room full of toddlers fighting over the same toy or a friend who dumps you for her new boyfriend, selfishness is repulsive… or is it?

Sure, the word selfish has negative connotations, but today I want to encourage you to remember that it’s not always a bad thing to look out for number one… and especially so when you’re trying to run your own business.

David Allen, a work/life management system guru and author of ‘Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity’ once said “You can do anything, but not everything”. So often when we’re working for ourselves we want to be the biggest, the best, the most popular, the most sought after… we don’t want to be left behind, we want to get all the best clients, we want to win the awards and be recognised for what we do… and that’s great, but what does this mentality make us do? Take on too much and try to do it all, that’s what!

This doesn’t benefit anyone and taking this chaotic approach will not only dilute your product and the service you offer your clients (you can’t physically give the same level of service to 100 clients as you can if you only had 1) Cutting down commitments and allowing yourself to focus on a few things, and do them really well, is paramount to success.

You know the drill. It’s 9am Monday morning. You log in to your computer and you have 75 new emails. Your phone rings. It’s a client with an ‘urgent’ enquiry about her order. You have to pop to the post office to ship orders.. You have a meeting at 3pm with a potential new client… which, oh yes, has to be done by you… and definitely in person. You miss lunch, you’re late picking the kids up from school (again) and you forgot to pick something up for dinner. You’re overworked, over-commited and overwhelmed. ARRGH!

According to Allen, this is one of the biggest ‘silent traumas’ of workers everywhere. Plus, it’s got to be a million times worse for someone running their own business, where everything you do has consequences to how much money you have to feed your family. “We inhabit a world,” he says, “where there are no edges to our jobs and no limit to the potential information that can help us do our jobs better”. What’s more, in a highly competitive market like the fashion industry, that’s continually being reshaped by the internet, we’re even more tempted to take on more than we can physically handle to stay ahead of the curve. So how on earth do we know when to stay enough is enough!?

I’ve had a few people email me recently asking about how I manage my time. While, sure, I’m a busy bee, I am not always running to keep up with myself. I have time off. I watch crap TV. I go out for dinner. I have regular nights out with my friends. I go shopping. I take day trips to London. How? Well it’s actually quite simple. I’m streamlined, I’m strict with myself and I turn things down regularly. I’m totally selfish with my time.

Allen agrees, and argues that the real challenge is not managing your time but managing your focus. “If you get too wrapped up in all of the stuff coming at you, you lose your ability to respond appropriately and effectively”, he explains. “Remember, you’re the one who creates speed, because you’re the one who allows stuff to enter your life.”

 After I’d been in fashion and styling for a few years, external (and granted, at the time, very exciting) offers started to come in. “We’d love you to write a column for our magazine…erm…no sorry we can’t pay you but it will be great publicity for you!”, “Oh we’d love for you to come as a special guest to our event… we’d love you to take photos and write a report on this and this. Hey, you could even do a talk if you liked. No, we can’t pay you, but it would be great for all of us!”, “I’d love to have an advert on your site… How does a £50 voucher and a free pair of shoes sound?”

And no, I’m not making any of those up. And yes, at the time I accepted all these offers with an excited glee and a thrill to get started on my ‘exciting new project’. In time I realised the unpaid magazine articles were actually taking me at least a day to write, often more with the emails flying back and forth and last minute changes to briefs and deadlines. The ‘free exposure’ I was getting from attending swanky events was reaching a smaller number of people and no new work was coming in.

Cutting down my commitments (and erm… putting my styling prices up massively!) was paramount to how I progressed my business over the years. I worked with less people, I earnt more per project and I havd more time to focus my energy on the things that mattered to me and my business. The people who would pay for my time and services were the ones I really wanted to be working with… not just because they paid my bills, but because they really valued what I did and they wanted to work with me over anybody else. I’m never going to apologise for what I charged because I know I did a bloody good job for the people that choose to work with me.

I’ve let go of the guilt of saying no to people (which gets much easier to do when you realise how huge the benefits are). By turning down things I’ve been able to really knuckle down and focus on the things I want to do for my business… I started Wonderland with a few items in my spare bedroom, and now we are in the midst of launching our own in house line! 

I’m not saying you should never work for free and I’m certainly not saying you shouldn’t help other people. Especially when you’re first starting out, collaborations or working for exposure can be hugely beneficial, and helping someone with something for no other reason than to be selfless can, and usually will, come back and reward you in the long term.

But I ask you, what have you done to be selfish recently?

Measuring Success

How do you quantify success? Is it money in the bank? Is it making a difference? Is it being perceived to be a someone by others? I personally feel that it’s not one thing that makes any of us feel successful, it’s a combination of many elements. 

 

Being excited about work

And I’m not just talking generally here. Everyday I wake up dying to get up, log on to my computer and get to work. Even on the tough days I still love what I do. Running your own business is hard but oh boy is it worth it. How do you feel every morning? Are you looking forward to what your day might hold or are you dreading it? If the latter, what small changes could you make to your day to day tasks in order to feel better about it?

Money

Obviously I’m not some kind of martyr (far from it!) but who wouldn’t feel incredibly blessed to be making a decent salary from doing a job that they love? Of course it’s not the be-all-and-end-all and I’ve always said I’d rather be poor and happy than in a high earning career that I hated, but being able to indulge in the odd extravagance, whilst similarly earning enough to live off is a very satisfying feeling indeed! Travel too is something I never really put a lot of emphasis on, however recently I’ve realised that being able to travel for work is freakin’ awesome. 

Having time for yourself

The great thing about running your own business is that it’s yours to do with as you please. Sure, you have to think about things like costs and overheads and tax blah blah blah but ultimately the world is your oyster! I’ve never been one to conform and being able to do things my way, without having to answer to a ‘boss’ is the best. thing. ever. Being able to follow your own path and thrive is a sure fire way to feel successful.

Learning

No one has all the answers, not even me (I know, shock! horror! haha) but I actually never want to either. Sitting back and thinking ‘you’ve made it’ is not a way to measure success it’s a way to ensure (future) failure. Being in a career where I can constantly learn, progress and evolve is awesome. Resting on your laurels is never a good thing and jeez wouldn’t it get very very boring? All of you are in the same boat so I hope you’re all feeling pretty smug about that right now! Get out there and keep pushing yourself to improve. What skills have you wanted to sharpen? What goals have you been striving for? If you get nothing else from this article let it be this – always keep learning and always push yourself to improve!

Sometimes it’s incredibly easy to focus on how difficult running your own business is. However today I’d encourage you to look at the positives and the doors that have been opened to you and your family because of all the hard work you’ve put in. In any work you do, whether you work for yourself, are a home maker, or a multi national! You’re awesome, do you know that? What are you feeling successful about?

Do's and Don't Of A Small Business!

When you run your own small business there are oodles of people who’ll want to offer you well meaning advice. There are also books and websites a-plenty packed full of information. So needless to say it can all be very overwhelming! In my opinion though, these are some definitive dos and don’ts to follow if you’re aspiring business! 

1. DO be yourself and a passion in your brand. Share who you are as a person first and the right customers will automatically connect with you.


2. DON’T be scared to try new things.

3. DON’T worry about what other people think.

4. DO make genuine friendships within your industry. You’re much more likely to go further with a posse of friends who have your back and support you.

5. DON’T be afraid to ask for help.

 

6. DO practice, practice and practice some more.

7. DO document your journey on your blog for your business.

8. DO make a commitment to learning. Sign up for workshops and courses to keep your skills fresh. Make sure you apply what you’ve learnt afterwards!

9. DON’T underestimate the power of amazing branding. Invest in it when you can.

10. DO be personable on social media and your blog but don’t air your dirty laundry in public.

 

 11. DO take regular non-working holidays and breaks. They’re good for the soul.

12. DO make friends with bloggers and journalists.

13. DO save your taxes!

14. DON’T stretch yourself too thin.

15. DO something that you’re passionate about.

16. DON’T be afraid to make changes if things aren’t working or you aren’t enjoying it any more.

17. DO set goals but…

18. … DON’T put too much pressure on yourself

19. DO give back.

20. DON’T get obsessed with your traffic or social media stats. A smaller, engaged audience is much more beneficial.

 21. DON’T say yes to every opportunity that comes along.

22. DO have attention to detail.

23. DON’T follow the crowd.

24. DO have a scheduled logging off time… and stick to it!

25. DON’T beat yourself up for the things you get wrong. Learn from them
and move on.

26. DO work on personal projects.

27. DON’T always think of the money.

28. DO outsource the things you can’t – or don’t want to – do yourself.

29. DO look after your health. Eat good food and limit your alcohol intake.

30. DON’T worry about catching up with everyone else. Remember, people only show the best of the best online.

31. DON’T be afraid to share your personal story and experiences.

32. DO use social media but don’t feel like you have to use every platform.

33. DON’T be spammy.

34. DON’T sell out.

35. DO spend time with the people you care about.

36. DON’T listen to negative people… and never feed trolls. Always rise above it.

37. DO it for the love.

38. DO have some budget set aside for marketing. Having a great business is one thing, but if no-one knows it exists then you’re not going to get very far!

39. DON’T beg people for social media follows or likes.

40. DO attract and repel people by sharing your opinions. You don’t want to be forgettable or bland.

 

41. DO be inspired by people outside your industry and niche.

42. DO keep things simple.

43. DON’T underestimate the power of an incredible testimonial.

44. DO make customer service a priority.

45. DO ask for honest feedback from people you trust.

 45. DO ask for honest feedback from people you trust.

46. DON’T worry too much about the future. Focus on what you’re doing now.

47. DO strive to be the very best at what you do.

48. DO send thank you cards.

49. DO under-promise and over-deliver.

50. DON’T give up. You can do this!

Have I missed anything? I’d love to hear about your small business dos and don’ts in the comments!

Social Media: Tips and Tricks I have Learnt

Social media can make or break a brand and as a small business owner myself (www.wonderlandclothing.com) I thought I would give out any advice I have come across along the way! So today I thought I’d cobble together a few of my random social media musings into some kind of coherent form for you all… I’m not sure why, but so often people assume I know what I’m doing. OK, I may have some idea (sometimes) but I certainly don’t have all the answers.  

Quite simply, there is no quick or easy way to get more followers and you don’t get anything in this life for free (or without some hard graft!) This is a point made where you can buy ‘likes’ for your business pages! Instagram has culled many (but you can still buy them, but facebook and twitter it's easy peasy) and how many of you have been spammed on Instagram or any social media platform with 'like for likes' or 100 followers in an hour? I mean come on! Trying to ‘get people to follow you’ is the same as trying to force them to like you (in the real life sense, not the social media sense) If they don’t want to, it just ain’t gonna happen. 

Image Source

Obviously the social media platforms I run are for a business, they don't follow me per say they follow my brand, and why? well ultimately because they like the clothes that we sell, although one tip I have to say is don't spam people constantly. Brands to me (or people) who over post on any social network just make me want to unfollow them immediately. “But how do we get people to know that we exist so they follow us and read our whitty repartee and look at our gorgeous clothing/products in the first place?” Honestly? I don’t know. I can’t tell you how to be interesting and I can’t tell you how to be you…however you know what? The very best person to tell you the answer to this elusive question is…YOU.

So by this point you’re probably about to start throwing things at me whilst demanding your money back, but bear with me…I might not be able to give you a quick or simple solution but I am able to analyse some of the things I’ve done or noticed in and around this media we call social.

 Let people in! At the heart of it, social media is a way for your readers/followers/likers/customers to get to know you. Twitter in particular, breaks down the barriers and allows people to get to know the real person behind the blog/camera/shop front etc. People will follow (or unfollow) you because of that simple fact – because they like (or dislike) YOU. There’s no other trick than that. Be yourself and you’ll attract likeminded people who like you for (dum dum dum) who you really are. Instagram is the same, when people say 'ooh I really like this' then reply thanks, answer questions, be a person! There is NOTHING worse than someone who thinks they are too good to answer people (don't get me wrong, when you have 100k+ on any social network this is clearly hard work, and impossible) but a smaller blogger / shop owner? this where you can really sell yourself. I have had people say, I was thinking of buying this/that/the other but it was when you answered my question / liked my photo / said something nice that made me actually do it. 

Use you icon photos to sell yourself also. Show who you are! Wonderland is a bohemian brand, so if we had a photo of a girl in a bandage dress, it's not representing us at all, same with a blog or just a person! Show of what you are about, it will make a difference! 

The best way I can articulate how I’ve found social media success, is that I’m genuinely interested in the people that follow me and what makes them tick. Despite what you might think, your social media is not about you… it’s about them. These people take time out of their day to read your words, look at your pictures and in order to attract (and keep) them you need to share things that will interest them. What things to they like to see/purchase/read?

I don’t think many people want to sit and home and only read about other people’s accomplishments. Instead of just showing off all the time, use your social media to help others. Become a source and people will follow you because the things you’re posting are genuinely interesting and relevant to them. Which leads me on nicely to my next point…

There is nothing more boring than reading the tweets or facebook updates or instagram posts of someone who only bloody writes about how great they are or just shares all the amazing things that they’ve done. The best ‘social media-ers’ are the people that equally share things that fall into the following three categories:

1. Promoting yourself (linking to your blog posts/sharing personal photos)
2. Promote other people (sharing things you love – i.e. being a source) - be it photos people have taken on instagram (reposting, sharing favourite small brands etc) reposting tweets, or blog posts etc
3. Making real connections (having conversations/replying to your tweets, instagram and facebook comments) 

DON'T SPAM PEOPLE! 

Could you imagine walking up to someone and shouting in their face…

“COME AND LOOK AT THIS THING I JUST DID” or “PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION” or “IF YOU COME DOWN THIS DARK ALLEY WITH ME I’LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING AMAZING FOR JUST $15″

If it would be a weird in real life, people will think it’s weird on twitter. Fact.

Don't beg for follows either, it honestly just comes across as a bit weird. People follow because they want to follow. Would you beg someone to be your friend IRL? no, so don't do it online. Organic, that's the best way. 

Also It’s quite an obvious thing to avoid when you think about it, but why do so many people think it’s OK to use their social media to moan moan moan? Moaning about clients, moaning about the weather, moaning about their doctor’s bill… First impressions count and are often lasting. If you constantly complain on social media, people will assume you are a negative person generally…and no one likes a sourpuss. Consider yourself unfollowed.

Learn from others who do you follow and why do you follow them? Thinking about what it is that you like about their instagram photos, tweets (facebook status, pins etc) can help you figure out the kinds of things your followers might like to see from you. Again, it sounds obvious now, but if you like it other people probably will too!

Another tip is knowing your audience! Things I post on facebook won't necessarily work on instagram. Instagram is obviously photo focused, so we post new arrivals (same on snap chat) and mix in some funny photos along with way. I am much more likely to speak to bloggers and people I may collab with on twitter, so we use it for conversational pieces. Facebook in many ways has had its day, but it still drives a lot of traffic to our site, in this respect I often post more sale items on there. 

Sharing different content on each platform will also encourage the people that are really interested in what I have to say to follow me in both places. WIN!

There is no magic answer or quick one-size-fits-all solution to social media success. However being yourself and helping others as much as you can will build a strong and loyal following. Whether you have 250,000 followers or just 25, it’s that loyalty that really counts.

Do you have any tips? 

You Will Be Judged

Seth Godin once said “You will be judged (or you will be ignored). Those are pretty much the only two choices.” What he’s saying is that you’ll either be judged for being different, new, or wrong… or you’ll be ignored for being the same, boring, or uninspiring. Your choice.

Sure, not everyone will ‘get you’ if you take a different route. They might not want to follow you online or go on to book your services. But your journey is not for them. Being the same as everyone else is boring. Being the same as everyone else means you’ll blend into the masses.

Remember, this is your chance and your life. Take control of it. Do things to make yourself happy. Ignore those naysayers and traditionalists. You, and only you, have the ability to drive your business, your career and your life, in the right direction for you. The buck completely stops with whatever you decide is the right path.

It’s easy for someone else to tell you you’re doing something badly. They have no further responsibility over your career other than sharing their unwanted opinions. If I’ve learnt one thing since starting my own business, it’s that not everyone’s ideas are worthy of acknowledgement.

Would you rather be judged for standing out, or ignored for blending in?

Advertising On Blogs: Tips For A Small Business!

As a business, especially when starting out advertising on blogs can be a perfect way to start, as budgets can be much  smaller - here our tips on how to successfully advertise your small business on blogs! 

Find The Right Blogs!

It’s vital that you pick the right fashion blog(s) to advertise on. (Or whichever niche your brand falls into)  You need to pick ones that promote the style of clothing (and or product)  that you want to work with as well as ones that reflects your own business ethos. Whether you choose to focus your advertising on one single blog or spread yourself over a few is of course up to you, however it is always vital to make sure the blogs you select can offer you the kind of potential customers you want. If you’re out of sync with what the readers of that blog are looking for you’ll be wasting everyone’s time! It goes both ways too as bloggers want to make sure they are offering their readers relevant links and content. 

It does seems to me that some businesses expect that they can whack an advert on a highly trafficked blog and that enquiries will just start rolling in. Sorry but it’s a little bit more complicated than that! Be targeted with your advertising and you’ll reap the rewards. Look into your niche! 

Image Source

Make Sure Your Site Suits!

This one is pretty simple! When Wonderland first started out we lacked a slight direction, so when it came to advertising it was a mixed bag. Since having the tag line 'It's always Summer somewhere' and having a more festival/boho vibe our branding changed, and therefore people came to our site knowing what to expect. If your advert doesn't reflect your product then chances are, sales will be lower. 

Make Sure The Price Is Right

There is no standard pricing structure across all blogs, the all their own prices by what they judge their blog real estate to be worth. Generally the more traffic a blog receives the more expensive the adverts. However it’s not all about being the biggest. As we’ve already determined, a small targeted audience can be much more beneficial than a huge one that doesn’t necessarily identify with what you do. A newer blog might attract a very specific niche of readers, and one that you’d like to be booking. Don’t be afraid to ask for Media Packs fom a selection of  bloggers and compare prices/stats/readership to make sure you can determine which is the right choice for you.

Image Source

Set Your Own Goals!

Before you start to advertise you should set yourself targets or goals in order to determine what you would like to get out of your investment. It sounds simple and obvious but only then will you be able to look at the results objectively and decide if the advertising is working for you.

Maybe you want to get 10 sales a month, or more hits, o a relationship with the blogger? Write these down and refer back to them when it comes to deciding whether to renew.

Banner Ads or Sponsored Posts

Most blogs offer a selection of banner ads (priced according to location and size) as well as sponsored posts. These articles are usually written by the blogger from information you provide them about your business. Both options will send traffic to your site but potentially in different ways. When I look at the number of clicks my banner ads get vs the sponsored posts they are not miles apart, however the traffic sent through a banner ad is usually spread out whereas the traffic from a sponsored post is condensed into one or two days. 

Stand Out!

If you choose the banner advert option it’s important to make yours stand out from the competition. It sounds obvious but if all the other ads on the site are very blue in colour, for example, try making yours bright red! There are often trends in popular types of images/editing/fonts/colours so when it comes to designing your advert make sure it is as unique as possible as well as a strong representation of you and what you do.  Be sure to make it very obvious what it is you do with the image that you choose. If you’re a company that specialises in prom dresses for example don’t have an image of a pair of shorts. It may be a beautiful photograph but customers who just glance at the ads may not realise what you specialise in  and if they’re on the look out for a prom dres they may pass you by.

Change it up!

If you feel your advert isn’t working, or it’s been the same for a while and your clicks are going down, ask the blogger if its OK to change the graphic. I would assume that this wouldn’t be too much of a problem as long as you’re not asking to change it ever other day of course! If this is something you think you might like to try, ask if this is possible before you book the ad just to make sure it’s an option.

Give It Time!

Generally blogs will give you options to book ads monthly but for longer periods of time they will incentivise you with a discount for paying for it all up front. Often one month alone is not really enough time to make a judement on if something is working or not. Readers will rarely click on an ad the first time they see it, but if the graphic piques their interest, they are more likely to click it the third, fourth or fifth time they notice it. If this doesn’t happen for you then try changing the graphic or rebook with a different advert option.

I hope this gives you some food for thought!