Chapter 7
Handmade Blogging Essentials
I have been blogging for over three years in the handmade scene. I recently just hit the 3.5-million-page view mark for all my combined blogs. And when I started, I didn't even know what the word blog meant.
Actually, if it weren't for my wife, Christina, I never would have started. One day, she said, “You should start a blog.” I really did not know what a blog was, and it seemed silly to me. I started my blog, and now my blog is one of my top sources of traffic that drives people to my Etsy shop. I never thought that would happen!
Blogging has changed my Etsy business because it's allowed me to connect with so many different people from all walks of life and places from around the world. Blogging isn't just about making sales; it's about creating a dialogue with your readers and customers—a dialogue that will hopefully turn into some sort of a relationship. Relationships will lead to sales and even repeat customers.
Blogging is a powerful tool because it allows you to reflect yourself in a digital world. Think of your blog as your online home. Just like when you invite someone to your home, having someone stop by your blog is very similar.
The ultimate goal is to get each person involved in a conversation and keep them coming back for more. To create conversation, you need to be consistently writing about the things that both you and your audience are interested in. Your blog is about you and your readers. Without readers, you just have ...
