In part one of To Blog or Not to Blog, we talked about how a good blog can enhance the visibility of your spa brand, products, and services. Below is a recap of the article:

• Search engines lover blogs. They return to your website frequently to index new content (blog posts).
• People love blogs. People inherently trust blogs and enjoy interacting directly your company.
• Well-written blogs attract links and positive “press” from other blog sites. Incoming links help search visibility and improve traffic to your spa website.

Before you commit, here are a few tips to help you plan and launch your blog.

As with any new venture, getting started can be challenging, but with a small financial investment and decent planning, you’ll be ready to blog in no time.  On a high level, you should plan for the following:

• Get the blog designed and set up
• Decide on relevant topics and categories
• Create an editorial calendar ensuring the creation of compelling content

On a more detailed level, consider the following questions:

What will the blog theme be about? Yes, your blog needs a theme and it should be consistent with your spa products or services, yet different enough so that it doesn’t come off as another sales venue.  Come up with an angle that’s engaging for your audience.

Who will blog? Consider staff, therapists and brand evangelists (those customers who are crazy about your day spa). Theoretically, employees understand your brand best and should be able to control your message most effectively, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way.  If your therapists are unwilling or unable to blog, consider enlisting the aid of a blogger outside your company. Often times, they’re more trusted and better suited for the task.

What time commitments will a blog take? Blog posts should be updated frequently. Daily is ideal but a few times a week is acceptable. The average time spent on a blog post is 30-60 minutes. Additonal time will have to be spent reviewing blog comments and, of course, you'll have to spend time on other blogging sites. Let’s face it - you’ve got to make a name for yourself out in the blogosphere.

What does blogging cost? Many websites offer free blogs so the technical platform is relatively cheap. You may need help configuring settings and customizing an interface to work with your website. Other people need marketing help to generate ideas for the blog and those consultation fees should be factored into your budget.

Will a blog help my day spa? Yes, but only if you create and maintain a great blog. Remember, you need to write engaging, trustworthy content to build relationships with your audience. A poorly written blog may actually damage your reputation – or worse.  When considering whether a blog will help your day spa, the better question to ask is, “are your customers and prospects worth the effort?” If the answer is “yes” then call Spa Marketing at 860-655-2283 to get started.