What can you say to a customer in only 140 characters? Quite a lot, as many apparel vendors and boutique owners are discovering on Twitter.

Twitter is a Web-based text messaging service where people exchange the same sort of short message you might send from your cell phone, but distributed to all of your friends, not just one friend at a time. Using Twitter you can send short updates to your “followers,” other users who have chosen to receive your messages. Twitter is often called a micro-blog service because it lets people communicate in a similar ways to a blog, but only 140 characters at a time.

The service is very popular, and although most messages (known as “tweets”) are about the minutia of daily life, there are a growing number of businesses using Twitter to communicate with their customers. For instance, @Comcast uses it for customer service, the @BBC sends out breaking news, and @WholeFoods sends out news and product information.

The service is also popular in the fashion and apparel industry. @Coutorture tweets about couture events and products, Daria Muirhead of @BoutiqueCafe promotes her podcast for boutique owners, and @closetcaucus, a fashion editor, expresses her love of fashion. I write about apparel marketing issues as @Clarinova.

You too can use Twitter as an inexpensive way to build your customer base and communicate with your customers.

First, sign up for a Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com. Be sure to use a username that represents your business well and fill out as much information as you can in your profile. Don’t send any tweets until you’ve uploaded a picture—the picture is important to establish a connection with your followers.

Second, send a few tweets while no one is following you. You can delete the ones you don’t like (look for the trash can icon) while you get the hang of it. Make three or four tweets that other people can use to get a sense of what you are going to write about, so they can decide whether they want to follow you.

Third, after you have made three or four tweets that you like, invite some followers. Followers are the people who are listening to your tweets, so you want as many followers at you can get who are also current or potential customers. There are several ways to invite people, all of them available from the “Find People” tab at the top of the home page. To get your first set of followers, you can invite friends via e-mail or import addresses from your e-mail account or social networking account. But there is a third way to build a set of followers that involves following other people who may be interested in your tweet because you are interested in theirs. This process is a bit more involved, so it is described in a separate article.

To be successful with a mass-communication tool like Twitter, it is essential that you remember that you are part of a conversation, not a broadcast: you must be willing to listen first, then people will be willing to listen to you. This has always been true. Markets are conversations, but tools like Twitter make this conversation explicit, impossible to ignore, and very valuable to businesses that understand how to engage in it.

Eric Busboom is the founder and CEO of Clarinova, a Web technology company that improves the online visibility of apparel vendors. You can ask him for help with your Web problems by sending e-mail to eric@clarinova.com.

Email marketing has the highest return on investment than any type of marketing.  And the good part is you don’t have to be any type of marketing guru to get it right.

There are a lot of email marketing strategies that can take you over the top but lets just start with getting your emails delivered and opened.

Here are a few tips….

1.  Use an Email Marketing Software–Explore email marketing software such as constant contact and campaigner.  They can help you ensure deliverability and provide you with analytics to help understand the effectiveness of your campaigns.

2.  Do Not CC or BCC–For some this is a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many emails I receive where I see my precious email address on a long list of CC’s.  Most of the time I’ll find this CC clad email in my junk email folder.  A long list of CC’s or BCC’s from someone not on your contact list is an easy catch for any spam filter.

3.  Attachments are for Not for Marketing– People hesitate to open attachments from good friends and family yet alone hopeful marketers.  Give yourself a fair shot an send your emails in html using one of the online marketing systems I mentioned above.

As a new designer launching a line or a retailer opening a store, you already know how important the Web is for the future of your business. But setting up an excellent website can require a lot of effort, and probably a lot more than you can spare in the early days of your venture. Fortunately, there is a simple way to get started online: start a blog.

A blog is probably the easiest way to get online. Create an account at Blogger, and you can be communicating with your customers in a few minutes. Some examples of businesses making good use of blogs are Drakub Apparel and an antiquarian book store. In about 10 minutes, you can have a site like the one I created as an example for this posting.

Step 1. Get an account. Visit Blogger to create a new account. You will be ready to write your first post in about 90 seconds. After creating your account, you will have a blank blog post screen, ready for you to write. But first click on the Settings tab to set up your profile.

Step 2. Configure your account. Explore the Settings and Layout tabs to alter the layout and design. Adding gadgets through the Layout tab will let you add information about lines, store hours, and directions. Pay special attention to the “HTML” and “List” gadgets.

Step 3. Write content. Using your blog, you can announce new products, offer promotions, or let future customers share in the adventure of developing your business. Your customers are interested in what you have to say about your products and your business, so post frequently to maintain their interest.

Step 4. Promote your blog. Tell your friends about the blog. Collect the e-mail addresses of people who are interested in your business, and send them updates that include a link to your blog. (But do follow the laws regarding SPAM. )

In about 10 minutes you can give your business a Web presence and begin communicating with your customers, giving your business additional exposure and credibility.

Eric Busboom is the founder and CEO of Clarinova, a Web technology company that improves the online visibility of apparel vendors.

Many people struggle with the thought of blogging…starting with justifying keeping a blog at all.

Well let’s see…what should a blog do for you?

A good blog connects you to your customer base. It gives you a voice.  It makes you interesting and approachable.  Most importantly– Human.

Short and sweet blog posts can give readers an intriguing back-story about your company–further helping to build an emotional connection to your brand.

Did you travel to Barcelona for inspiration?  Discover an interesting new eco friendly material for your next collection?  How about highlighting your latest press coverage, celebrity sightings or humanitarian efforts? You’re already doing it…why not blog about it!

A young savvy intern or assistant may make the perfect blogger, that adds a whole new dimension to your company.

Blogging may or may not be for you but its absolutely worth checking out.

For more info on keeping a free blog visit:  www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com.

FBI founder, Frances Harder made an interesting point about naming your company, at the Brand Building Seminar, she hosted at the ASR show today.

“When launching your brand try to avoid using your own name,” she cautions her audience.  “What happens if you go bankrupt, or get bought out?  You’ve just lost your name forever.”

While it may be tempting to see your name in lights, considering the possible consequences may just lead you to change your mind.

But, hey…if you love your name so much….and can’t think of one for your business that you find just as interesting maybe you can call mom and dad for some tips.  Just an idea…

As the L.A. Shows come to a close it’s time to follow up. Even though the show is done you should still be in heavy sales mode.

• Mail. Send another postcard reminding buyers of delivery dates (you may want to use the ones you sent for pre-show promotion and attach a sticker with the latest available deliveries).

• Email. If a store took notes on your product shoot them a quick email to thank them and remind them of specific delivery dates. You also may want to send them a digital picture to get them excited again.

• Call. Many people believe telemarketing has gone out of style. It is becoming more and more rare and that’s exactly why it can be more valuable than ever. Giving buyers a call perhaps when their stores are less busy…right after they open.

Remember the game is not over yet! You’ll be surprised at what following up can do.

Most new designers are very cognicent about what stores they decide to sell to. At the critical time of an emerging business designers want to make sure that the stores they choose clearly represent the brand they aspire to become.

This in mind you must create a sales strategy to dedicate your limited resources to achieving goals that can be the catalysts to bigger and better things.  Therefore ….you have to prioritize.

In creating a sales strategy I suggest coming up with a Top 10 list of stores you want to associate with your developing brand name.

For example…Fred Segal. If you mention that you’re in Fred Segal to the average boutique owner they take notice.

There are other brand building boutiques with highly recognizable names such as Scoop NYC, ShopBop, Kitson, Intermix and Jeffery’s that can also be a big sprinboard into the contemporary maketplace.

These “incubators of talent,” so to speak set the stage for the types of stores that may become attracted to you.

By launching with brand building boutiques you are able to leverage their name to get into smaller boutiques throughout the country and the world. You could even attract big orders from large department stores that are looking for the next big thing.

There are a lot of trade shows out there…from MAGIC to Coterie to Project to Designers and Agents to FOCUS and the list goes on….

So how do you choose the show that is going to have the buyers you want to see???

Good Question…

Call them! These shows are businesses that are looking for customers.  Meaning looking for you.  So go to their website, get their number and ask to speak to a member of their sales department.

They can give you information as to the types of buyers, other exhibitors and show traffic.

Prior to investing in a show also request that the sales person give you a pass to walk the show so you can come to your own conclusions as to whether or not it is for your company.

As you think about creating your marketing plan for the coming season don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

With press for example…it could be extremely fulfilling to see your product in a magazine or on a celebrity but it’s important to note that press doesn’t always result in financial gain or even an increase in brand recognition.

That said think about a mix of marketing strategies that will help you accomplish your goals. You may decide to spread your marketing dollars across vehicles like the web, print or even promotional products.

Before you lay a dollar down for any marketing activity ask your self what you expect the return to be. It could be a specific dollar amount, a certain amount of traffic or something less quantifiable such as brand exposure.

This season it was nothing BIGGER than to get product placement in the Sex in the City movie. Most designers were obviously mentioned plus it was the most anticipated movie of the year. It was really the Oscar’s of product placement…a designer’s dream. Unfortunately, it’s the exception to the rule.

BUT…Don’t get me wrong…every little bit counts as part of your PR and marketing mix….but you have to work it!

Here’s what you can do:

–POST: Post any product placement shots you can get on your website…don’t forget to highlight your product.

–GET CREDIT: If you’re providing a lot of product see if the show will credit you at the end. This can’t always happen but it doesn’t hurt to ask right?

–WRITE ABOUT IT: Blog about it. If you’re featured in a popular show blog about it on your blog. Co-branding yourself with a popular movie or TV show even in a small way can have an impact on customer perception.