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Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek
Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek
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So you think you can blog?

If you're reading this, chances are, you've been tossing around the idea of starting your own blog. It seems to be the thing to do. Many big-name demonstrators have fancy ones, and seem to be making money hand over fist. You love the idea of sharing your work with the world and getting lots of lovely comments. You've even thought of a name for it. But it's still freaking you out.

Wanna take a wild guess as to how many blogs there are out there in cyberspace? Apparently there isn't a good way to figure that out for certain, but those who keep track of these things estimate there are between 180-200 million blogs at the time of this writing. Blows the mind, no? Let's break it down a little bit. Some estimates say as high as 90% of those blogs have been or will be abandoned within a year of starting, many within three months. And a recent tracking of one company's blogs showed that over 75% of the blogs had not been updated in the last 120 days.

So what can we take from this? While the blogosphere is indeed saturated, there is no reason to think there is not a place in it for your papercrafting blog. A well-done blog with regular, interesting content does not have to be lost in a million voices. The proliferation of blogging, and the ease with which "anyone" can start one, is not a good reason not to start your own.

We must also conclude from those stats, worse than even the restaurant industry's start-up chances, that blogging must be much harder than it looks. It's very easy to begin, and much harder to proceed. It's often free (more on that in another article) and it's simple to start posting right away.

What is the problem, then? Time? No, most of us truly DO have time to blog. If we are honest with ourselves, we can skim some time off Pinterest or Facebook or Splitcoast and put together a short post with a photo of whatever we've been working on, in about ten to twenty minutes. We could ditch several deadbeats on our blog roll and spend that time working on our own blog. We could manage to find the time to do it.

I believe the problem is consistency. Whenever anyone asks me for my number one blog tip, I tell them what they do not want to hear. That if you do not provide content consistently, your blog is actually worse than useless. It's one of those 90% of blogs cluttering up cyberspace and making it harder to find the blogs of people who are actually doing the work and doing it well.

Ouch, eh? Well, they DID ask...

In blogging, consistency is everything. As in real estate, where the mantra is "Location, location, location," the banner cry of the blogger must be "Consistency, consistency, consistency."

The number one thing I look for on a blog is the date of the second post down.  I don't care if the first post was today and it was fabulous, if the second post was weeks or months ago, you lost me. I know you do not place a priority on posting fresh content and your blog is not worth my time. The single most annoying thing I can possibly discover upon visiting a blog is to find that every post begins with apologies for not posting more often. 

Honestly, I want to whip out my best Yoda impersonation: "Blog or do not blog. There is no try." It doesn't matter if you have a "good reason" for it or not. You cannot expect your readership to take a hiatus along with you. I promise you they have already moved on to a blog that has fresh content.

Consistency is the foundation upon which everything else you do with your blog must rest. If you do not post consistently, you can never hope to gain loyal followers. This was my biggest fear when I was considering getting into blogging four years ago. One of my worst faults is that I am primarily a "starter," not a "finisher." My enthusiasm tends to be high at the outset, and then settles as we continue on and may be non-existent by the time the project is over. So I was very concerned about the possibility of taking on one more thing and not following through with it.

Obviously, time has proven that I do have what it takes to blog consistently over a long period of time. I know it might seem odd to you right now, but trust me, there will be many days when blogging is not fun. Days when you have to scramble for content. Days when you just turned the computer off and the last thing you want to do is turn it back on. Many, many days when the technology issues will make poking pencils in your eye seem like a reasonable thing to do.

When the initial "honeymoon" period is past, and the reality of slowly building readership kicks in, are you still going to keep on? During the long dry spell before your blog begins to pay for itself, then to actually make a profit, will you be able to retain your enthusiasm? What about in the weeks where there is not a single comment? What about during the holidays when everyone is busy and readership drops to new lows?

You will never know unless you try. And that's why, in spite of all the potentially discouraging things I shared in this post, I DO hope you begin your blog. I hope you love it, like I do, and find yourself dying to blog so you can tell a thousand of your closest friends the coolest technique you just discovered. Blogging can be rewarding on so many levels beyond mere business.

But go into it considering it a commitment.

Because it is one--to the readers you have yet to gain.

Dream BIG, friend!

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles | Permalink | Comments (3)

How not to blog

Recently I posed a question on my Song of My Heart Stampers Facebook page: "Have you stopped following any blogs lately, and why?" The ensuing comments were full of wonderful "what not to do's" and I thought that many bloggers could benefit from hearing what their former (or potentially former) followers had to say. I'll share some of those with you today, along with other comments I have heard during my blogging research.

Remember, these were followers at one time. People who discovered a blog and liked it enough at first perusal to bookmark it or subscribe. In some cases, they were subscribed for months or years before calling it quits. If it were my blog, I'd want to know why people were bailing out. No, you won't be able to please everyone, but are you unintentionally alienating some of your readership?

Here's what former followers have to say about the reasons they left:

  • I quit because they stopped using mostly Stampin' Up products
  • I quit because their site was full of blinkies and it was hard to see actual content
  • I quit because the person seemed negative and angry much of the time
  • I quit because it was more about their pets than about stamping
  • I quit because they didn't post regularly
  • I quit because her projects were quite sloppy and messy
  • I quit because they never responded to questions/comments
  • I quit because she started doing all/mostly all MDS
  • I quit because the person was so preachy with their life choices
  • I quit because they only posted CASE'd cards
  • I quit because she only does videos and I can't see those easily
  • I quit because they began to post only/mostly tutorials for sale/product shares
  • I quit because they only posted specials/news and never their personal work
  • I quit because her style was one-note and she never ventured outside it
  • I quit because she had music that would blare out and scare me half to death/wake up my kids
  • I quit because it seemed she made everything but cards

Because building readership and engaging with your audience is so crucial to a business blog, I'd encourage you to look at the behaviors mentioned above and try to objectively look at your own blog and see if any of these criticisms could be valid. It might be helpful to ask a friend you trust to take a look and give your her honest opinion.

Did you see something all of these reasons have in common when you read through the list?

They are ALL under your control.

Every single one of the above complaints is within your ability to change, if it is a behavior that you recognize could be true of your blog. Sometimes people complain about something that we can't or don't know how to change on our blog, due to technology limitations, time, or personal resources. But these common alienating factors listed by former followers are ALL within the realm of what is possible to change. Focusing on what we can change is always a better tactic than fussing over what we cannot.

Why should I change? you might be thinking about now. Don't I have the right to blog how and when and why I see fit?

Yes, you certainly do have that right. But your followers also have the right  to be turned off by unprofessional behavior or content that is unoriginal or doesn't fit their needs. Your willingness to adapt your blogging behaviors to better suit your audience is what, bottom line, separates the hobby blog from the business-generating blog. Which do you want?

I have lots more material on the topic of business blogging, so stay tuned for upcoming articles on that subject as well as practical tips on starting, decorating and maintaining a blog. Feel free to comment below and as always, if you have suggestions for future topics of discussion, I welcome them!

Dream BIG and blog hard!

 

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles | Permalink | Comments (4)

Setting goals for your stamping blog

What do you want from your blog? Do you know? Have you ever really thought about it beyond, "it's fun?"

"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them." ~Denis Waitley

I've been reading Typepad For Dummies (thanks, hubby!) and the authors give some good thoughts on goal-setting for your blog (interspered here with my own stamping-specific thoughts and paraphrases):

  • Consider what motivates you. Why did you start the blog? What keeps you going on days when you think, "I haven't posted today. I really should... but I don't want to?" You goal could be sales, connection with your customers, educating your downline, simple sharing, or all of the above.
  • Once you decide what you want out of your blog, it's time to evaluate whether or not you are doing that job or meeting those goals. Has it become a valuable source of information for your downline? Is it a place where your customers go when they need inspiration? Is it a jumping-off place for your DBWS, generating sales?
  • Break down those big goals into increments. Write them down somewhere so you can reevaluate those goals and decide if you need to take a new approach.
  • Try to transform intangible goals into tangible ones, and non-specific goals into specific ones. How will saying "I want to make money from this blog" play out in real life?
  • Deal in facts. Concentrate on subscribers, not page views--and definitely not comments. One comment for every 100 views is unfortunately not at all uncommon, and should never be taken as indicative of whether or not readers are enjoying your blog. Page views are great, but can be falsely inflating. One subscriber means one person.
  • Be aware of blog reading trends--slow down times, weeks where people's attention is drawn elsewhere by a big news event or major holiday. Don't get discouraged over a traffic dip that everyone is experiencing--not just you.
  • If you have multiple goals for your blog, consider an editorial calendar. This will cover what you write and when you write it. For instance, say you want to make sure you  mention the business opportunity once per week, along with regular posts targeted to the scrapbookers amongst your stampers. or you want to post a card sketch or color combo on a specific day of the week. Planning the week's posts out on an editorial calendar--or even just scrawled in your planner or a Post it Note stuck to the monitor--can help you stay on top of that general schedule.
  • Focus on what you can control. Other people's reading habits are not controllable, ultimately. Make it as easy as possible to get to, read, comment on and subscribe to your blog, of course-- but set your own goals and work towards those, letting go of what is beyond our control.

Finally, I reccomend a SHORT (it's too easy to get carried away when viewing stamping blogs)and specific analytical browse through no more than four blogs. Look over the most recent posts and think about what their blogging goals might be. Are they working towards those goals? What are they doing/covering well? In what areas could some of them improve?

Just being aware of your blog as a tool to help you get somewhere is a huge step in the right direction. Being mindful of the blog's place in your larger business scheme will help you stay motivated to keep it up and turn it into an even more useful tool than it has been in the past.

Dream Big!

 

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles, Strategy | Permalink | Comments (2)

Blog Tips: Adding the Facebook "like" button to posts

All major blog platforms now have the capability to add a neat little Facebook "like" button to the bottom of each post. Do a quick Google search using a phrase such as "adding Facebook like to blog posts" and then select a tutorial that works for whatever blog platform you are using (Typepad, Wordpress, Blogger, etc).

It should only take five minutes or so to accomplish, and then every post you generate from then on will have that little universal icon for people to click on.

Why is this a good thing? I encourage you to do so for a couple of reasons. First, you will gain totally cost-free, effort-free advertising, beginning today. Every time someone "likes" a post of yours, it shows up on their Facebook wall and home feed as a link straight to your blog. Anyone who sees it can then click on it and visit you. What's not to love about that?

Secondly, it will provide feedback from a greater percentage of your readers. It's far easier to click a button than to leave a comment. It's just an unfortunate fact of blogging that only a tiny minority of your readers will ever leave a comment, no matter how easy you make it for them. The "like" button can help you remain encouraged and motivated to blog even when actual comments are few and far between.

Plus, the Facebook "like" button can only be POSITIVE feedback, right? There's no "dislike" button. So there are only upsides to adding this tool. Take advantage of this easily added widget to help promote your blog and spread the word that things are happening in your fun stamping business.

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles | Permalink | Comments (1)

Blog Tips: Free Promo Buttons for Demos

Whenever I am asked what my number one blogging tip is (other than post regularly and often!) I direct the questioner to www.laycockdesigns.com and the fabulous Michelle Laycock. Out of the goodness of her heart, Michelle provides beautiful, professionally designed sidebar buttons and badges for Stampin' Up demonstrators to use on their blogs--for free, and regardless of whether or not you use her design services.

I did have my blog made over by Michelle in the past and I was extremely happy with it. I have since moved on to creating my own banners and footers and such with My Digital Studio, but I highly recommend at least an initial set up by Michelle or another web professional specializing in stamping blogs, photo watermarks and signatures. Their fees are low and worth every penny. When I weigh the hours I spent trying to learn to do some of this stuff myself against what I paid for my blog makeover-- totally worth it!

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blog Tips: Related Post Recommendation Services

I've been using Linked Within on my stamping blog now for about six months and have seen a big increase in visitors staying longer on my blog. Very few just come and look at a single post and then leave anymore. This is desirable for blog owners, because the longer they stay, the more they see that they want to purchase. Even I find myself browsing more on my own blog!

A related posts recommendation service will add a "footer" across the bottom of each blog entry you post automatically. There are other services out there, but Linked Within is easy to install and completely free, plus it works with any blogging platform (Typepad, Blogger, Word Press, etc).

Linked Within gives you 3-5 "if you liked this, you may wish to visit such-and-such post" recommendations, complete with a thumbnail picture to pique interest. It draws recommendations from your entire blog, not just recent entries.

Give a related posts reccomendation service a shot and see if your readers don't increase greatly the amount of time they spend discovering hidden gems in your blog.

Posted in Blog Bells & Whistles | Permalink | Comments (3)

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