This post is written by contributing author Genevieve Brazelton.
For many the thought of writing a blog seems daunting. It
takes time to write pieces worth reading. You have to think of something
interesting to say on a regular basis. What if no one reads it, are you wasting
your time?
I completely agree with the first two sentiments, but it
doesn’t have to be as much effort as you think and it is an investment in your
business. However my reaction to the last question is a resounding No! Sharing
your story is never a waste of time.
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| Photo courtesy of Portraits to The People |
It’s All About Story
For any small business, especially those based on art and
craft sharing who you are, what makes you different and what benefit you offer
to the customer is one of the best marketing strategies available to you.
We almost never buy from a place of pure need; we buy from a
place of want. We are looking for an experience, feeling or connection. A blog
is a way for you to create a voice, share your personality and connect quickly
and more personally. A blog is a way for you to stand out in the crowd by
sharing the details and story that makes you unique. You are starting a
conversation that both your peers and customers can join in on. All this allows
you to build trust and become their friend. Wouldn’t you rather buy from or
recommend a friend?
Yes, You Do Have Something To Say
You may be saying that’s all great, but I still don’t know
what I would have to say that would keep people interested. This is a tough
question, but there is an answer it just requires a little thought and
research.
Think of your target market, your ideal customer, the person
who will immediately buy everything you make. What do they really want from
buying what you sell? Do they value craftsmanship? Share details about how you
make your product and what inspires you. Do they want to feel like they’re
supporting a cause? Give them a peek into running a small handmade business,
your own and others. Are they striving to lead a sustainable life? Tell them
about your efforts to lead a similar lifestyle.
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| Photo courtesy of Portraits to The People |
If you can nail down a “want” of your target market and
address it with content, your own or others, they will turn to you again and
again. The content doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to be all yours, it
just needs to be compelling and/or engaging.
I’ll assume that since you read this blog you read others.
What makes you come back to them? You get something every time right? Maybe
it’s a piece of knowledge, a break from your busy day, or a laugh that you can
share. It might also be a voice that you can relate to or that feels friendly
and familiar. Think of your blog as an added benefit for the customer, kind of
like free shipping.
Now to take it one step further, besides the familiarity and
trust that a blog provides it also gives you a presence on the web and puts you
into the conversation. There’s a lot of strategy behind maximizing this
potential, but basically if you’re a part of the conversation your target
market will more readily flock to you than your competitors. The more
visibility you have the easier it is for them to find you.
Get Started Now
If it has ever occurred to you to start a blog I highly
recommend you do so. If you’re at loss for where to begin, start looking toward
the blogs you already love as models. What do you connect with, the voice, the
photos, the useful information? How can you put your own spin on one of those
approaches?
What are some of your favorite blogs? What keeps you coming back
to them?
Genevieve Brazelton endlessly researches the newest ideas in
creative and social media marketing so you don’t have to. Genevieve’s
strength is her keen outside perspective and sometimes infuriating logic
that puts structure to dreams and lays out paths to goals. She is also
the business side of Lightbox SF. Read more about her here.
Connect to Genevieve via twitter or facebook.
Connect to Genevieve via twitter or facebook.
I have a lot of blogs that I enjoy, but the only one I read every single day is Young House Love. They share a lot of useful information for DIY home renovating, but they also tell us a lot about their lives. And really, I can get the DIY info just about anywhere. I read it because I like them as people (and their baby is really cute).
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I'm talking about. They captured your attention with the little details and their unique voice.
DeleteThanks for sharing Paige!
Gen, your post is so, so, so very much on the spot and one can see that from all the comments. The details and the unique voice are so easy to find in other blogs and so hard to define in our own. It somehow reminds me of when we are able to criticize other people's lives but not manage to arrange our own. But in that there is also a lot of positivity and growth if we are observant enough and able to translate what we see into what we do. Awesome advice and great input by Paige!
DeleteI have only been blogging since last fall and I feel like I am in a constant state of self-doubt. I am beginning to realise that it takes time to find your voice. The important thing is not to give up.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't be more right. The blogs I love are written by people, like Sonya, who I connect with, on so many levels!
Thank you so much Genevieve for this fantastic post!
It's hard to trust in your own voice at first, but it really is what people respond to most.
DeleteDon't let the self-doubt win. Good luck Laurie and keep at it!
I love when people share tiny bits of their minds, I almost always am very surprised. Laurie, I find your blogging very consistent and to me you have a unique voice, filled with deep-felt love to natural yarns combined with a lot of knowledge about yarn and fiber.
DeleteBut Gen is right, it is hard to trust in your own voice. I wonder how long it takes until you start actually trusting it... Any ideas?
How long does it take to start trusting your voice? That's a question for a whole other post Sonya.
DeleteI've been writing at least once a week for two years now and these days I'm writing about 10 posts a month. However, I still don't always trust my voice. I questions whether what I'm saying is interesting, helpful, or even makes sense. It's human nature, we're all unsure sometimes, but those of us who succeed find a way to push through regardless.
Oh, another post, indeed. And I suspect it is going to be veeery long!
DeleteThank you for that, Gen. You got me thinking - although we always doubt ourselves regardless of our level of expertise, what we do might be helpful to others, and in fact it is. Knowing this might decrease our insecurities :)
Thank you for a thought-provoking discussion!
I found that once I really started writing on a regular basis that it became easier. I love what blogging has brought into my life in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteLaura
I couldn't agree more Laura! It does get easier with time and that's when the benefits start showing up.
DeleteLaura, I think we share the same approach. Once I started posting daily, I set into a working routine that provokes my creativity and I feel charged and inspired. The less I write, the less ideas I have (well, I guess you wouldn't exactly trust me on that point, judging from my latest bursts...)
DeleteThis is so true - blogging is time consuming but it is definitely a part of your business. Buying handmade is about supporting other artists and entrepreneurs and it is always helpful for a buyer to be able to put a story with that maker. That is part of what is special about handmade.
ReplyDeleteIt does get discouraging when you feel like your time is being wasted but you are totally right that you have to think of it as "an investment" in your business.
Have a super Tuesday - Brandi
We buy handmade precisely because it has a story so why not tell it.
DeleteAnd like any worthwhile investment it does take time to pay off, but once it does the reward is great.
Brandi, I have never considered my time wasted as far as blogging is concerned, even when I had 0 readers. But it was discouraging indeed talking to nobody. In fact, I was discouraged by myself and the fact that I couldn't attract readers. So, in that line of thoughts, Gen is completely right, it takes time. Even if you do what you do perfectly well, it takes time. The seeds are perfect too but they never sprout for an hour, right?
DeleteHi Sonya
DeleteI've just started blogging, I started with the idea of trying to provide information that I have found out about sustainable living and hopefully would be useful for other people. I kind of thought though that I didn't want to reveal too much about myself in case that biases peoples opinions about the thoughts I'm posting (Im 25, female and have found in the past that people can sometimes not take 'younger people' seriously).
But from what other people are saying maybe I should try to make it more personal?
I really like your blog btw, keep coming back and finding something interesting - do you have any tips for a beginner?!
Thanks, Rose
I have hundreds of blogs in my Google Reader and I've been blogging on and off since 2008, this post came at a great time because I just restarted my blog (today, actually!) and I'm really working to have more of a focus and understanding of what I want to do with it, rather than just having it for the sake of having it and writing whatever babble comes to mind. And you're right, blogging is very beneficial to business and offers a personal approach to what you do for a living.
ReplyDeleteMandy, thank you for your insight. Yes, blogging is very beneficial to our business but with time it becomes beneficial to our own psyche, so in that sense it serves a double purpose. Thus, having structure and focus is essential and so lucrative in the long run! Good luck with your restarted blog!
DeleteDefining a larger vision for your blog is a great way to keep motivated and inspired. It's hard to come up with topics if rely only on what comes to mind when you sit down to write. Knowing what you want to accomplish - exploring ideas, engaging with customers, sharing your process - gives you a "reason" for sitting down to write.
DeleteThank you for this post--even though I've blogged for years on and off (lately more off than on unfortunately because of time restraints) it's always really nice to have a kick to remind us of why we started it. It's so easy to get lost in all the things we have to do and forget to set aside those 30 minutes for updating and commenting.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Rachel. Though each of us is following their way, we often forget where we are headed. But those 30 minutes... I wish I could finish it all in 30 minutes a day!
DeleteEvery great task can be accomplished in small, forward steps. Just committing the time is a powerful decision. I find that readers respond really well to any sort of consistency, even that's only one post a month. Trust that if you're writing good stuff they will come back.
DeleteGreat tips on starting and keeping your blog going. I agree blogging is beneficial for your online business and for connecting with the art community. Blogging is my favorite part of my online business, and it has helped me grow as an artist and a writer over the last 3 years.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Everyday Inspired
Valerie, to me blogging morphed from a business aid into a completely separate business, it is important indeed!
DeleteConnecting with readers and peers is the reason I keep blogging. I love being able to share some insight that sparks a new idea or rekindles lost motivation.
DeleteLove these tips on why one should blog as an addition to your business...I also think blogging for a reason whether you focus on one thing or write on a variety of topics the key is to write about what you know and love and also about new things you learn and are inspired to share. When I began my blog I was also frustrated in the beginning because it felt weird to write something and click that button sending my words out into the ethers! But after almost three years blogging has become so much a part of my daily life and I cherish the connections I've made. To me they all feel like " real friends because we share so much in common... blogging especially! Blogging is a way for people to make a GOOD NOISE in the world while and helps people focus on the possitive... Gee, maybe I will write a post on the joys of blogging since it appears I feel so strongly about it! LOL!!! Sonya, as always your blog is thought provoking... That's what makes your blog special to me! Love it!
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspirational lady, Deb! I can see how passionate you are about blogging and one can say that going through your blog. You go girl!
DeleteBlogging is an oddly personal endeavor that you either love or hate. I'm so glad to hear you've found the love and inspiration in it.
DeleteGreat post! I'm a 'new' blogger and agree it can be very daunting. A lot of really good tips!
ReplyDeleteHolly, don't you ever loose time doubting in yourself. If you started it, you have the strength to see it through! You just write with your heart and we will be there to cheer you!
DeleteHolly, Congratulations for taking the first step. Just take it slow and trust that with each day it gets easier and more rewarding. Imagine where you'll be a year from now.
DeleteYou're right it is daunting. But with the risk is reward. As you all know it's an awesome feeling when you realize people are reading what you are writing and they are enjoying it and benefiting from it.
ReplyDeleteThomas, not only it is an amazing feeling to know that people are reading but it is also unearthly uplifting to realize that you can actually exchange ideas and inspire each other through blogging! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteIt is an awesome feeling to make a connection through your writing. I hope everyone experiences it at least once.
DeleteGenevieve - thank you so much for this post!
ReplyDeleteI used this as encouragement to start a "The Story of..." piece on my blog. I guess I never thought that I could be interesting for just being a stranger, but I realized that I am always interested in hearing about others, so maybe it works both ways!
I made sure to link back here - thanks again!
We all love stories. It's our way of connecting with each other. There are plenty of people out there who will be so happy you shared yours. I can't wait to read it myself.
DeleteThis just renewed my recently wanning interest in writing. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's the best comment I could have heard. So glad you're sparked to write again!
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