The term blog was coined in the late nineties, and is a portmanteau of the phrase web log. According to Wikipedia, a blog is “a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries or ‘posts’ typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first.” Blogs are usually focused on a single topic and written by a single author. The use of blogs has grown way beyond personal journaling and is now a common business promotion tool. Today, I’m going to blog about blogging in an effort to help you become more successful on Zibbet selling your handmade, fine art, vintage and craft supply items by blogging.
So you’ve decided to start your own blog. As with any activity that you undertake to promote your business, decide up front to make a serious time commitment. Search engines seem to like blogs as they are usually rich in content, so spending time creating high quality blog content can be very beneficial to your business. Posting regularly is important. While some “experts” suggest posting several times per week, I’d recommend posting something new at least once a week if possible. Regardless of how frequently you blog, establish a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
Now that you’ve decided to start a blog and you’ve set a blogging schedule for yourself, the next decision to make is where you’ll set up your blog. Blogger and WordPress are the best known sites for setting up a personal blog. However, other options are available. For a quick overview of some of those options, take a look at 5 Best Blog Sites Other Than WordPress and Blogger.
When choosing topics to blog about, you first need to establish a theme or point of view (POV) to build your posts around. From there, you can write posts on a variety of topics that are all linked together by your particular POV. Your readers, or “followers” as they’re called, will get to know you through what you write. It’s important to present a consistent image of yourself and your business so spend some time sorting through your interests before you start to write. Once you’ve decided on the theme for your blog, here are some examples of topics to consider:
Your products
Tutorials
Interviews of other entrepreneurs
Contests and giveaways
Product reviews
Announcements
Once you’ve started your blog, you need to let others know about it using tools such as Twitter, Facebook and social networking sites and forums such as Zibbet’s Community Hub. As you promote your blog you’ll begin to gain followers and develop a community around your blog. Keep your blog interactive and encourage your followers to participate by asking questions and leaving comments.
We’d all love to hear what you’ve found to work (or not!) when it comes to blogging. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Happy blogging and best wishes for much success on Zibbet!
Vicki is committed to assisting her fellow Zibbeters improve their shops for successful online selling. She is the owner of five Zibbet shops: LOC Design Studio, Denim and Pearls, A Stitch and a Prayer, Black Creek Crossing and Think Like a Fish. You can follow Vicki on Twitter and through her LOC Design Studio blog.
Tags: Blog, Blogger, Something to blog about, Success on Zibbet, WordPress
