From email marketing and social media to ecommerce and video, self-made fitness sensation and online personality Cassey Ho knows a few things about building an online business.
In fact, using her own handheld cameras and editing skills, Ho uploads her daily workout videos to her growing YouTube fan base of 340,000 subscribers. Her use of digital best practices has increased her online following to more than 35 million total video views and growing 4 million-plus each month. The 26-year-old is considered to be one of the Top Online Fitness Influencers, second only to Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels.
How do you leverage social media to acquire new visitors and keep current ones engaged?
CH: I make sure to post new content as often as possible, and I am always looking to try new types of workouts and exercises.
How do you use email marketing to engage users?
CH: Never try to sell anything! A newsletter should be personal, as if you're writing a note to a friend. Just keep it genuine and full of good information that people need.
What were some challenges launching the ecommerce side of Blogilates.com and how did you overcome them?
CH: Creating a product line takes lots of development time and testing along with tons of trust. You can't rely on yourself anymore - there are just too many pieces of the project to go at it alone, so you have to bring people in for help. I had to learn how to manage people and delegate tasks in order to focus on the overall picture. This was definitely a
Editor's Note: Blogilates' checkout is powered by highwire.
In terms of content marketing, do you follow an editorial calendar? How do you strategically place content on the site?
CH: I try hard to stay organized, and I definitely plan the content ahead of time. I have a calendar for YouTube video uploads so that fans can expect to see a video on a certain day. For the blog, I just try to write as often as I can which is about every other day.
How has the use of video grown your business and what advice do you have for other digital companies to leverage its power?
CH: I actually started with video, so I totally recommend to other businesses to try it out and use it. To me, video is the most personal way to connect with users, so I always try to have a new video posted every few days.
How has the use of contests/giveaways grown your business? How do you conceive these and execute them?
CH: People love free stuff! It's a great way to get fans excited and talking. If there's a product I love or maybe even something new I design, I'll announce a fun task for the fans to do and at random, I will pick a winner. People get really into it, and this actually helps build the community as well!
What can we expect from you and the site in the future?
CH: Get ready for a very special fitness community site that will connect hundreds of thousands of workout buddies from all over the world.