Before The Fashion Advocate was an online course platform and community for ethical, sustainable, circular and slow fashion brands, it was the largest online store for ethical and sustainable Australian and New Zealand fashion. And before that, it was a blog - an online daily diary of my fashion musings.
It felt natural for me to write about my passion, and I found it really easy to share blogs about issues in the fashion industry so that I could inspire people to help me change those issues. A blog was a way for me to share my purpose and rally my readers to think consciously about their wardrobes, and even though it was a creative outlet for me, I worked out very quickly that blogging also delivered big benefits for my broader business too.
When I launched the online store and added that to The Fashion Advocate mix, I didn't stop blogging, in fact I ramped it up, because blogging helped build my business. I know from firsthand experience that having a blog on your ethical or sustainable fashion website can dramatically increase your traffic and increase your sales, and more importantly, it gives you a platform to share your purpose, so if you're yet to add one to your website, this is your sign that it's time.
Here's how a blog helps to grow your business...
1. A blog helps you educate your customers.
A blog gives you a platform to educate your customers on the importance of ethical and sustainable fashion, why it's better for the environment, and why choosing ethically made clothing is a must. The content you share on your blog will help your customers understand the value of their purchases, so when you're asking them to pay $400 for an ethical and sustainable garment, they have an understanding of why $400 is worth it. Educated customers = easier conversions.
2. A blog helps you build trust and transparency.
Consumers are becoming more and more interested in sustainability, so by using a blog on your website, you can share your commitment to transparency and accountability. A blog gives you a platform to communicate information about your supply chain, your production processes and your sustainability initiatives, and transparency builds trust. Trusting customers = easier conversions.
3. A blog helps you strengthen your story and brand identity.
A blog gives you a free and easy platform to share your story and showcase your values. Consumers are often more likely to engage with brands that have a compelling narrative and that align with their own beliefs, so if you share yours through a blog on your website, you've got more of an opportunity to connect with your customers. A blog can humanise your brand too, and it creates a 'story' that customers can get behind. Connected customers = easier conversions.
In a nutshell, a blog is a free way to increase your sales and increase your impact. And if you're not a natural copywriter or have no idea where to start with a blog, don't stress. Adding a blog to your website doesn't have to be a huge new weekly task that takes you hours. It's 2023, and there as so many digital tools to help you with content ideas so you can easily create blogs for your ethical, sustainable, circular or slow fashion business.
Reach out to me and book a one-on-one strategy session, and I'll walk you through why having a blog is powerful for growth, I'll show how to set one up for your online store, and I'll share all the ins and outs of what to say and how to say it to use your blog for sales.
Claire x
