10 blogging tips

10 blogging tips

10 Blogging Tips to Increase Sales

Anyone who has ever started a blog knows that the saying “build it and they will come” is a myth. It’s challenging to grow an audience from scratch. Attracting and keeping readers for your blog, as well as converting them into buyers, requires a strategy. Follow these 10 blogging tips to increase your sales, and you’ll see a positive change in your blog traffic and conversions.

Business Blog Strategies That Increase Sales

1. Post your picture and tell your story. Put your photo above the fold on your site, because people want to know, like and trust you. They want to see you, hear your stories and understand why you do what you do. If your story or reason “why” resonates with them, they are more likely to become a loyal customer.

2. Make videos. Post them to your blog after uploading them to YouTube. Why? YouTube is the third largest search engine. Plus, video is better at engaging your customers than the written word. Posting to YouTube will increase traffic to your website/online shop and convert lookie loos into buyers. Remember to optimize your videos for SEO in the title and description. Include your URL as text in the video and in the description.

3. Make your blog readers’ lives better. People want to learn new things and be entertained. As a creative business person, posting your inspirations and creative processes are a given. Now, consider what you could teach people. If you’re a jewelry maker, you might post about the qualities of different gemstones or how to shop for quality handmade jewelry.

4. Have an e-mail newsletter opt-in. An opt-in is a form you put on your blog where people can enter their e-mail address to subscribe to your newsletter. Sending a weekly newsletter is one of the best ways to stay fresh on your customers’ minds and get them coming back to your business blog/shop. Newsletters and opt-ins are other areas of your business that require a strategy, but are well worth the effort and don’t have to take much time.
5. Use your blog’s opt-in to understand your customers. Test various opt-in headlines and free information guide offers to entice them to subscribe. Using your newsletter provider’s tracking tools, you’ll know which headlines and free info speaks to them. Then you can use that knowledge to better craft your product marketing messages, which will lead to more sales.
6. Use Google Analytics. This allows you to track your daily, weekly and monthly blog traffic. It might not be fun, but it’s one of the best ways to understand what your readers and customers are most interested in. With analytics, you’ll know which pages/posts on your site are most effective and which ones need sprucing, as well as a host of other helpful information.
7. Display logos. Has your product been featured on a website? Create an “As Seen On” area of your site where you post logos from all sites that feature you. Don’t worry if they aren’t high profile blogs. Logos of any sort will give your brand a sudden boost in credibility.
8. Post favorable comments. Upload to your blog screen shots of Facebook and Twitter comments from happy customers and fans. This is solid proof to others that the testimonials you gather are genuine.
9. Befriend your community. It only takes one devoted fan to bring many more to your site. Reach out to the people who comment on your blog. Show a sincere interest in them, and let them know they are appreciated. Your first 100 fans are the core of your business. Turn them into friends, and you’ll have a small street team of marketers for your products.
10. Brand your business. Use your blog as an extension of your online shop to solidify your brand image. On your blog, repeatedly use the same colors and fonts used on your packaging, stationery and in your shop’s banner. A seamless look conveys that you’re a true-blue professional.

11.  Blogging is a great way to promote your business, build your brand, and boost your SEO rankings. There can be great benefits to keeping up with a consistent blog and building up a gradual loyal following. But what about when you don’t know what to write about? Here are some go-to ideas to use when you’re feeling stuck:

12.  _________ inspires me. Write about a book that inspired you, a hike you went on, or a challenging conversation that made you think. Every time you see something inspiring or experience an uplifting moment, take note! Every event and thought is worthy of a blog post.

13.  Treasury Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Friday Finds, etc. Once or twice a week, pick a day that is reserved for treasuries, or photographs, a style board, or a shopping guide. These are quick and easy posts to put up, and you never have to worry about coming up with something to say! Plus, you can stalk up on these kind of posts and schedule them ahead of time. Perfect for when you need a blogging break!

14.  Featured Sellers/Artist interviews. Invite other sellers to be featured on your blog. This is a great way to spread the love and promotion, plus as long as you have someone to feature, you’ll have something to blog about! Not to mention that these featured artists and sellers will often point their fans to your blog to see the post, directing even more traffic your way. These kinds of posts are a win-win for everyone!

15.  Milestone posts. Milestones are a great reason to write a blog post! Reach a certain number of listings in your shop? Write a post. Reach a number of blog posts? There’s a good post. There are many milestones to choose from, including number of followers, sales, Facebook fans, and so on. Use each event to your advantage and blog away!

16.  Tutorials. You’ve become an expert in your craft. Why not share some of your expertise by posting a tutorial on how to make a simple version of what you make? Plus, tutorials are GREAT pieces to promote on Pinterest and elsewhere on the web.

17.  Events. Blog about every event you ever attend. Be sure to bring a camera, or at least use the camera on your phone, so you can have some visuals to accompany your post. Events can include craft fairs you attend or are a part of, art shows, concerts, theater productions, vacation travels, sports games, and anything else you think might be interesting to your readers!

18.  Book/Movie Reviews. There are so many books and movies out there these days, and your readers will appreciate you offering your thoughts on what you watched/read. These kind of posts can also include reviews on television shows, local plays, and restaurants. As long as you occasionally engage in any of these activities, you have an opinion to blog about!

What I’ve learned from ________. Write about what you’ve learned from doing your particular craft. What you’ve learned from running a business. From being a mother. From riding your bike to work. From anything! You probably have plenty of experiences that you have learned a thing or two from, and your readers would love for you to share!

19.  My work is here! Is there a gallery, boutique, blog or website your products are being featured in? Write a post about it and point your readers into the direction they can head to check it out.

20.  Don’t tell anyone but… Readers LOVE to feel like they are being let in on a secret. So share those secrets! Posts like this give a feeling of being close and whispering into each others ear. Sharing a few embarrassing moments don’t make you look bad, they only make you relate-able.

21.  Free! Everyone loves free stuff. What can you give away for free from your blog? How about a free pattern? Printable? Images? Giveaway item? Turns out, if you give stuff away, people will keep checking back for more.

Current events. If you have an opinion on something going on in the here and now, why not blog about it? It’s understandable if you don’t want to get political on your blog, but there are plenty of other things happening in the world that you can write your take on. Depending on the tone of your writing, that could be the latest celebrity hookup, or the most recent natural disaster. Something is always happening, so there is always something out there for you to blog about.

22.  Showcase new products. Designing a new line of items for your Etsy shop? Post them on your blog and ask for readers opinions.

23.  Sales. Having a sale? Don’t forget to let your blog readers know! Better yet: give your readers a special coupon that can only be found on your blog. People love being rewarded and will feel like you appreciate them for reading.

24.  I remember when… Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are new at something. Save your readers some of the trouble by blogging about a mistake you’ve made (maybe when you were a new seller), and how you’ve rectified the situation. Everything from your once-blurry photos, to your previous no-returns policy is fair game.

25.  Any suggestions? After you’ve been blogging for awhile, go ahead and ask your readers if they have anything they would like you to blog about. Maybe they liked something you’ve blogged about before, but want to see you expand some more on the subject. Either way, it’s a great way for your readers to interact, and let you know how you’re doing!