What is mobile optimization?

Mobile optimization reduces the time it takes for your site to load on cell phone and iPad browsers and configures your site to look good on those devices. So, how do you make sure your blog is mobile-friendly?

Blogger

Google’s Blogger recently introduced a set of mobile templates, which re-format your blog when it’s accessed from a smartphone. To activate mobile templates on your site, go to Dashboard > Settings > Email & Mobile tab, then check the mobile template option and save.

WordPress

WordPress.com blogs have the advantage of two mobile themes that will automatically display when your site is accessed from a mobile device. Visitors will be able to see your posts, pages, and archives, as well as leave comments. You can access the settings from your Dashboard under Appearance > Extras.

Self-hosted (WordPress.org) blogs have a number of options for plugins that make a site mobile-ready. Some of the most popular include WordPress Mobile Edition, WordPress Mobile Pack, and MobilePress.

Tumblr

Mobile themes help your site load faster and display as much information about your site as possible on small phone screens.  If you haven’t already, take a look at your site on a mobile device (the Apple Store is always a fun place!) and see if you need to do anything to improve your readers’ experience.

What to include

1. A list of the ways you earn compensation–usually in the form of gifts and money–from your site. This could include advertising, product reviews, affiliate programs, etc.

2. Whether or not your content is influenced by advertisers. If you post about certain topics, shops, or products solely because you’re being compensated to do so, that should be clearly stated. It is considered ethical to mark those posts as “Sponsored” or “Paid content.”

3. If and how your opinion–not your content, but the way you feel about it–is influenced by paid advertisers or free gifts. If an advertiser is telling you what to say or insisting you use certain keywords in an editorial post, your “opinion” is being influenced. This is strongly discouraged because it’s often the result of a blogger being taken advantage of by a company. It’s best to say no to these types of offers!

4. Whether any affiliations–your employer, organizations you’re a part of, financial interests, family ties–influence your content and opinions. Many bloggers list the organizations and brands that might present a potential conflict of interest in the disclosure policy.

On GP

• Label ad space as “Advertising” or “Sponsors” so readers know who is paying you for space on your blog. If you mention sponsors and advertisers in a post, it’s good practice to note that in the post–it could be as simple as adding (sponsor) behind their name.

• In the case of product reviews and the like, it’s best to remain as impartial as possible. However, if someone is sending you free stuff, it can feel weird to say something negative. This is where a policy of only endorsing brands you really like–and preferably use–comes in handy.

• Post the policy on your sidebar, About page or add a separate Legal page–whichever works best for your site.

The easy way

Don’t feel like wading through all the legal mumbo-jumbo? Yeah, us either! Luckily, Disclosurepolicy.org has made it simple to generate a basic disclosure policy with a few clicks.

For the always-sparkling, always elegant friend like Kelly of The Glamourai, try:

1. Amilka Justice.Art print, $25  This black and white print of an original drawing is an old-Hollywood take on artistic grace.

2. Comet Salvage vintage leopard print faux fur coat, $98  To a true glamor girl, animal print is a neutral and works with both dressy and casual ensembles.

3. Elegantly Untamed Alonya iPhone cover, $300  Hi-tech meets haute glamour. Brilliant.

If you have a friend with colorful, feminine style like Kendi of Kendi Everyday, try:

1. Petette “Birds on a Branch” throw pillow cover, $24  Raspberry red suede with handcut bird appliques add cheer to any room.

2. Verabel The Color Study II locket, $54  This authentic vintage locket features original illustration “Color Study” by artist and designer Alyson Fox.

3. Laura Amiss “Never Enough” print, $13.50  This bright and bold print based on an original illustration says what we’re all thinking.

If you know a guy who appreciates modern, preppy style like Isaac of Isaac Likes, try:

1. James Anthony “Dirty Knees” print tee, $46  Skeletal figures from an 18th century book of human anatomy illustrations add edge to this tee.

2. Artfully disheveled Six Shooter tie, $89  From far away, it looks like a traditional print tie, but up close, the pattern reveals a series of guns. For the elegant gangsta.

3. Pulp Designs Mystery Man Shaving Kit, $38  Equipped with homemade cinnamon goat milk shaving soap, travel-size moustache wax, and an old-fashioned shaving brush, it’s perfect for a mustachioed mister.

Finding markets

Search the ever-helpful internets for “(your city) holiday market”, check with your local etsy street team, Yelp, and Craigslist, event listing sites like Festival Network Online and FairsandFestivals.net, or even your local Chamber of Commerce.

Fees and traffic

Most markets charge a fee to participate, usually anywhere between $15-$700. Smaller markets will charge a lower “booth fee,” while larger, more established events–which usually draw more traffic–charge more. If costs are high, see if the event will permit you to share a booth and split the rental fee. Ask the market organizers to provide statistics about past and projected attendance and average vendor sales if available.

If you’re in the US, you may also need a license or permit to sell–check with the local government to determine the requirements.

What to bring

Besides merchandise to sell, there are other things you’ll need to bring to set up your area.

Set-up

Most markets that take place this time of year don’t require a tent, but a table and chairs, rolling racks, and collapsible shelves are inexpensive basics for setting up. Make sure to bring bags for customers to carry your products home in!

Administrative

Since this is a sales venture, you should bring plenty of business cards, a calculator, pen and pad, a cash box and cash (for change). Each individual piece of merchandise should be clearly priced, and it’s a good idea to bring a mailing list sign-up so you can keep in contact with people interested in your stuff.

Help

You’ll need at least one other person to help take care of customers and watch the booth when you need a break. Portable snacks and a water bottle always come in handy, too.

Make it look good

This is the fun part! The type of merchandising permitted may change depending on the market’s rules and the amount of space available, but remember to stay true to your branding–use your logo and the colors on your site in your decor.

Signage

Make sure your business’ name is clear and legible from a distance. Try to hang the sign with your business name and URL above your table or booth so it’s visible regardless of the crowd.

Displays

If you sell clothing and accessories, display pieces on a dress form or mannequin, or prettify your set-up with colorful table cloths, baskets, boxes, or a backdrop. The more it looks and feels like an inviting boutique, the more people your booth will attract.

Stand out!

Nancy of brick-and-mortar shop Talk of the Town Vintage started out by attending markets and fairs, and often received attention for the hats she’d wear. People would stop by her booth just to see “the Hat Lady.”  You don’t have to have a gimmick, but a unique feature that draws attention never hurts!

Follow up

You’ll make contacts with customers and potential customers, in addition to connecting with other vendors–who can keep you in the loop about future opportunities. Keep in touch with your fellow vendors! Send a follow-up email, comment on their blog, friend them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or arrange to chat over coffee. Networking contacts are invaluable.

Mailing list

If you collect emails, add them to your mailing list and send a message welcoming new subscribers and asking them to join you on social networking sites. It also helps to remind new subscribers that they’re on your mailing list because they signed up at XYZ market.

Special projects

If people ask you about custom orders or special projects, make sure follow up with an email or phone call. They could turn out to be your best clients!

Editorial Calendar

Give potential partners and advertisers an idea of the type of content you create and which types of media you use (ie posts, videos, etc.) so they can see how they’ll most naturally fit into your content. Listing these options out–giveaways, product review, ad, etc.–can be helpful as well.

Rates

If you have an idea of your pricing structure, you have the option of including rates for advertising, sponsored posts, giveaways, text links, product reviews, and whatever other options you offer. Unless you have a lot of traffic–well over 100,000+ uniques per week–it’s best to sell your ad space based on flat weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly rates.

Press

Any press you’ve received–especially from well-known media outlets–is seen as social proof and general reinforcement of your awesomeness. Include positive quotes as well as screenshots and links (if the article is online) and scans (if the piece was in print).

Affiliations and social networks

Include and link other sites you write for as well as the social networking sites you use. You may also want to include any other pertinent experience or accomplishments that relate to your site or the industry you’re a part of. Anything that adds cache to your personal brand–for example, interning for a PR firm or design house–is a plus.

Contact info

This was one of the five must-haves listed in the issue, but it bears repeating: You must include contact information.

Include your name (people want to know how to address you) and email address or phone number in the media kit, on your site, and set up a Contact page as well. Offer both options to make it convenient for potential sponsors to get in touch with you!

Traffic is important!

If you don’t know your stats, install Google Analytics or another counter program, and use the three-month average in your media kit. You can also sites like Compete and Quantcast to help you determine your traffic.

Search engine rankings

Compile a list of keywords that you rank for that you can include in your blog media kit. Companies targeting those same keywords will be interested in partnering with you in order to improve their own ranking.

Growing your blog’s traffic is probably your number one priority in the beginning stages. The best way to gain exposure and increase your blog’s traffic is through networking. Get to know as many people in your niche as possible, and exchange links.

Interview!

An effective method of networking and increasing traffic to your blog is interviewing. That is, reaching out to someone who has expertise in an area relative to your blog (like a fellow blogger, fashion editor, stylist, etc.) and ask them a few questions. Choose a minimum of five and maximum of ten (depending on who it is) insightful questions to send to them. Once they send you back their answers, post them to your blog for your readers.

Most of the time, the person you are interviewing will advertise the interview on their site or post the link to their social network. This not only allows you to make a new friend in the industry, it also boosts your credibility. Remember, the goal should be to:

• Educate your readers
• Make new friends in your niche.

If you don’t already have connections with fashion editors or the hottest new designers, look for editors of the popular blogs in your niche that you read regularly and connect with them via email. Begin the e-mail referencing a recent post or endeavor they blogged about, or your favorite feature on their blog. Make a connection by referencing something they have done that has inspired you, or connect what they do with something you do similarly.

When reaching out to prospective interviewees keep the following in mind:

Remain professional at all times.

If you are reaching out to a big name editor or blogger who is accustomed to interview requests, you do not want to seem like a newbie—even if you are. Keep it simple, however, do not treat them like a buddy—yet. They could be your contact for a cool internship or opportunity with their blog.

Edify the interviewee from start to finish.

Do some research outside of what is on their blog, and include the details in your introduction paragraph. Highlight all of the cool things they are currently doing, and how they have inspired you. Flatter them, and they will most likely want to work with you again!

Proofread and proofread again.

Sending an e-mail with a lot of contractions and typos will turn the reader off, and diminish your credibility. Remember to proofread both when you send the initial e-mail, and when you post the interview to your blog.

Ask questions that will elicit insightful and useful answers.

Remember, the purpose is to help educate your readers, not just to show them you can get a great interview.

Think outside the box.

You don’t necessarily have to e-mail your interview questions. The interviewee may want to meet with you in person or chat over the phone. Be flexible with their preference. If you can meet them in person, that is even better!

Have fun!

The purpose of interviewing is to move your blog forward, however, have fun in the process.  Soon enough, there will be an email in your inbox from a blogger who wants to interview you.