This post was most recently updated on August 6th, 2016
You really should “Run Your Blog Like You Would Run A Store.”
As someone who been both a blogger and a brick and mortar shop owner, I can tell you that the concept is the same.
First, you “set up shop.”
Like a shop owner has to go looking for retail space and then setting it up for business, you have to find the right blogging platform, get some hosting and get ready to do business.
Now, you can’t open the doors to your store until you’ve stocked the shelves with things your customers will want.
In the same way, you need to build your blogging business around valuable content that will encourage people to visit your site often.
As the stock in your store starts to get low, you need to replenish it.
Bloggers must keep a fresh, steady supply of good content flowing to their readers.
Now, if you always thought it might be fun to run a store, shop, boutique or some similar brick and mortar business, I’ll tell you this.
It’s not fun if you don’t attract customers.
Even when you do everything right, there comes a time when things just don’t go so well, not matter what you do.
No matter how great the quality of your “products on the shelf” are, if you don’t market them wisely, nobody will ever get to see them… much less buy them.
The same goes for your blog.
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No matter how great your content and information is, if you don’t get out there and meet people, invite them back to your site, and then build on your relationship with them… the content you work so hard to produce becomes irrelevant.
Do you run your blog like you would run a store?
It’s something you should think about.
Let me give you a visual case study to help you out, here.
Now… Picture This:
You always wanted to be a store owner.
A real store in the offline world.
One in which you could sell the products you always wanted to, whether it’s boutique fashions, exercise equipment or survival supplies.
For a long time, you’ve dreamed about it, wishing you could quit your job and work at it.
You wouldn’t even care if you had to work into the wee hours of the night, because you’d be doing something you really enjoy.
Plus, you’d be serving people, and that motivates you even more.
Then one day, you see a commercial “For Sale” sign.
“Hmm…Should I invest in this little place?” you ask yourself.
Something deep inside says “go for it.”
So you take out your savings, borrow some extra money and finally purchase or rent the shop.
Now the shop needs some repairs, so you get supplies and fix it up.
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You carefully select the colors to be painted on the walls.
Next, you purchase some groovy lighting so your products will display nicely.
Shelves and display counters situated just right.
Meanwhile, you’ve ordered inventory.
Boxes get delivered day in and day out, as you stash them in a back room until you’re done decorating.
The big day finally comes for you to actually stock those shelves and put things on display.
You do it so carefully.
Maybe you’re being a bit of a perfectionist, now, but you can’t help yourself.
You just want your customer to walk in and be “wowed” when they see such an impressive arrangement and decor.
You know what they say about great cooking… it’s 99% presentation.
Finishing touches… you decorate the window so people feel welcome to come in.
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There is an array of pricing too because some just want to wander around and buy something low end, while others will go straight to the highest priced item.
They whip out their credit card, not even thinking about the cost.
They just want to buy something that makes them feel special… something that will help them along whatever journey they are on.
Now you know you’re in business.
You even get to make deposits 🙂
Sweet.
Things are going just the way you planned.
But then something happens.
Something that never entered your mind.
Winter comes.
As the snow piles up, the foot traffic slows to a halt.
You have to cut your days and hours, just to save on heating costs.
Your very first winter and it’s a miserable one.
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It’s really having a devastating effect on your income.
So what do you do?
Just give up?
Go back to the day job?
Blame the weather or the realtor or the customers?
No, you’re going to make this happen.
You knew that things wouldn’t always go smooth.
You prepared for this.
From the minute you first opened your doors to the public, you started collecting names and contact information from everyone that came in.
Sure, you had to offered people some special discounts or promotions in exchange for that information, but you knew it would be a valuable asset, so you did it.
Meanwhile, you always talked to people when they visited your little shop, and engaged with them beyond just serving them at the counter.
A big part of building your business was always building relationships.
You valued your customers, and you did everything you could to have them value you, too.
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So then, one snowy day when the streets were empty, you knew exactly what to do.
You gathered up all the contact information you had stockpiled from your sign-ins, and you invited them to a party at your shop.
You cleverly created it around some kind of winter theme…like “light in the winter.”
You dig into your pocket to invest in the well known specialties of a local caterer and offer a champagne brunch to chase away the winter blues.
You position your inventory where people can’t ignore it, and you offer them a percentage off… just to help them chase the winter blues.
Voila… folks came out of the woodwork to attend your fun function, and you made more than enough money to offset the cost of your party.
Not only that, but people has so much fun, they asked if you could do it again during another cold, dark winter eve.
You really should “Run Your Blog Like You Would Run A Store.”
That’s the moral of the story.
You invest the time and money to make it work.
Buy your hosting, fix up the design to be inviting to visitors, stock it full of great and valuable content.
Build an email list!
You know winter will come.
Now in the blogging world, the “cold dark winter” can come many times, regardless of the time of year.
So boys and girls what can you do to have that “party” go on that everyone loves to attend?
What can you do to offer people something at a good price they are going to buy?
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You cannot focus on your blog all the time and depend only on that.
You need to think of the winter.
You need to always build your email list and engage with people there often.
Build relationships with your readers on your blog, on your email list and in social media.
When the time is right, you can invite them to your “party.”
“Hmmm… What’s the party?” you may be thinking.
The party can be a webinar, or just a contest or a request for people’s opinion.
Maybe you’d like them to answer a few questions that will help you better understand their needs, their challenges and their pain points.
This is all valuable information for you to stockpile to help you market and sell your products and services on your blog.
Be careful here.
You’re trying to build relationships, not trick people into buying something they don’t want or need.
If you only think of your blog as a cash register, you are going to have a lot more cold dark winter days than sunny bright ones.
However, if you see your blog as an opportunity to help people solve their problems, and you can earn some profits and commission for doing so, then my dear friends, you will start to see the big picture.
You will be running your blog like you would run a store.
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Putting sincere effort into your blog is like looking at an impressionistic painting.
When you get too close to it, you really can’t make out what the painting is.
But if you step back, you can see the whole picture.
The big picture in running a store is to understand it’s not about “selling”, it’s really all about marketing.
The same goes for your blog.
Have a clear marketing plan in place right from day one.
Good marketing, whether you’re running a blog or running a store… involves having a marketing strategy in place.
You can start with these foundation blocks…
- knowing your niche
- having an opt-in set up to capture contact info
- having a great sales funnel in place
- engaging with your followers both on and off your blog (social media means being social, means “engage”)
When you have your marketing strategy in order, running your store, or running your blog will be far more profitable.
Now picture this.
You go out and take a nice walk.
As you see some small businesses along the way, you go inside and browse around.
Ask yourself if you’re using some of the same marketing strategies you see store and shop owners employing.
Consider whether or not you actually “Run Your Blog Like You Would Run A Store.”
I’d love to hear what’s going through your head during this little walk around town.
Please share your thoughts in the comments below, and kindly share this article on your favorite social media sites.
See you soon,
-Donna
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