How to become better at online retail blog writing

You are not supposed to say the quiet part out loud, but for the sake of this article, we will be saying it. Most online content is written for the sake of promoting a service, or for climbing search engine rankings.

Even blogs and videos seemingly that seem to have nothing to do with commerce, seek to promote a sponsored link.

A retail blogger is a writer that specialises in documenting, reviewing, and pushing certain products. This is not inherently bad or good; it ultimately depends on the product being pushed.

A well-tailored technique

Most retail blogs seem…organic. Those who make their living on the internet have learned that people are tired of the wooden, overly political, and rigid language of the corporate world.

This is why internet content creators often build up a relatable and down to earth image that seems more intimate than your average corporate manager. However, the situation is not so clear cut.

At this point, online content creators of any type are not just guys with laptops in their mother’s basements. They are professional marketers who build up this image, for reasons we mentioned earlier.

There are guidelines, rules, and techniques that must be employed even on retail marketing blogs. Here are just a few tips that could prove useful: 

1.   Inspiration is everywhere

A common human tendency is to look for advice only from those who share your job.

Retailer blogs can stand to learn a few things from other types of websites. For example, term paper writing services often have solid marketing campaigns, and their blogs are written with professionalism.

A common pattern emerges on the web: we have an industry that has found success (i.e., retail, essay sites, video games, etc.) and then a sub-industry of reviewers and bloggers start to capitalise on the traffic.

Sites such as MercuryNews.com makes a living out of talking about other people’s products, namely essay sites. Third party reviews are often more trustworthy.

So, as a retail blogger, do not stop your research at other retail blogs. Feel free to look at the methods of other domains of activity. Takes notes from their sentence structures, calls to action, email campaigns, and more.

2.   Make efforts to seem personable

Psychology has taught us that environment and clothing affect mood.

As a writer, you have to understand your target audience. People who are dressed up and going to town will react differently to a formal pitch, then those who just read blogs on their couch.

There is a time and a place to seem eloquent, but familiarity and comfort also have their place.

That does not mean that you have to come across as being condescending or intentionally dumbing down your language.

Write as if you were talking to a friend, and your readers will be much more receptive.  

3.   Get them to your blog in the first place

Retailer blogs are useless if nobody reads them.

You do not have to become a search engine optimisation specialist, but at least you have to understand the basics of how the web works.

At its rawest, the internet is a series of computers connected through cables and signals. However, when I want to see something, how do I know which of the billions of computers to access?

Well, this is why search engines are so important. They make it much simpler to access and find information. And, thankfully, how they search for info is not entirely a secret.

Search engine optimization is a method of writing, tailoring, and improving your content to make it easier for Google to find and index the page. Believe me, if your blog about 24 hour title loans shows up on the sixth page of Google search results, it will slowly die out.

Some companies specialise in SEO, but you can also learn the methods by yourself. This is an indispensable set of skills that you cannot afford to not have.

4.   Consistency

This bit of advice applies to any online content creator, from influencers to retail bloggers.

The most successful people online are those who manage to become a part of people’s lives.

Online content creators have become part of their follower’s basic routines. Some read blogs on the subway and others listen to YouTube while going to sleep.

Music or pictures, blogs, or videos; it almost does not matter what you produce as long as the reader has an emotional attachment to your product.

But how can this status be achieved? Well, you have to be consistent. Addictions are formed out of habits. A habit is repeated exposure to a certain stimulus. But how is your viewer going to grow fond of your writing, if you post every two months?

Or, as some bloggers, you post daily due to a spurt of creativity, and then vanish off the map.

Post on a regular schedule, as often as possible, just so you can give people their “dose.” Massive corporations already know this bit of human psychology and invest heavily in advertising and content.

This is why they sell you a yearly phone that’s almost identical to the previous one, instead of waiting a few years and marketing a product that’s twice as good. Out of sight, out of mind. Make sure you’re always doing something.

5. Presentation Matters

While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you’re still going to. So sometimes, it’s not just your writing, but it’s the presentation, too.

The presentation of your writing counts. You need to have gorgeous imagery, the fonts need to be pristine and match the ton, and you should even look at your WordPress theme too. Because if you write beautifully, but you have a clunky website, it’s just not going to work out.

6.   Networking

Networking is another vital skill in the 21st century. You have to do whatever is in your power to encourage people to share your content. Remember, not every reader of your retail blog is a tech savvy Millennial.

If you want your content shared, you have to make it easier for people to do so. Make sure that social media buttons are easily accessible. The icons are very recognizable, and this simple implementation will drive traffic.

Also, the best retail blogs will network with each other. Instead of seeing others as competition (which they are), you choose to cooperate for mutual benefits. Recommending each other’s content, sharing links, and even paying for shout-outs will ultimately benefit you.

7.   Track performance

How do you know if you are doing well? Was your latest post successful? Did the new reference land? You have the benefit of receiving almost instant feedback. Corporations used to pay millions for that.

Your business strategy can turn on a dime, if need be, and you have to take advantage of that flexibility. 

Some add-ons can track each view, or you can use your blog’s backend interface and a pen and paper. Regardless of how you choose to monitor feedback, it needs to be taken into account.

Conclusion  

To run an online retail blog, you have to do your job as a blogger.

Also, you need to know something about your audience, and how the internet works. Thankfully, this isn’t 2008, and other people have walked this path before you.

No matter what information you need, it is available for free, on the web.