How Is Blogging Useful For Promoting My Business?

I've had my two blogs at Google's Blogger since 2006. They used to call the blogs Blogspots. I bought my own domains for each a few years ago. I pay $12 per year each. I was following 126 blogs over the years. I found recently that most had stopped blogging around 2015, with a handful blogging up to 2017. 

I unfollowed those, ending up with 6 blogs and 2 of those are mine. So, it does seem that blogging is virtually dead in the handmades and creative community. There are, however, still creatives who have tossed around the idea of blogging. They are wondering today if they should start blogging. I will share my thoughts on this valuable marketing tool.

Blogging is work, especially if you care about the format of the posts and adding images. If you're blogging for joy, you'll keep at it. Being able to see statistics of who's visiting your blog may inspire you to continue. It can also discourage you if you only see a few people visiting every few months. The same with blogging for interaction from readers or to make money through monetizing. 

I don't care for most of the affiliate advertising that is available. I tried Amazon Affiliate Marketing for a short time but I did not have enough traffic so it didn't work out. I tried affiliate marketing through a couple of book sites like Abe Books, Alibris and Thrift Books. 

I just didn't take to it and I'm not a trendy, popular online influencer. I can't remember exactly which book affiliate I used, because it was so long ago. It's not easy generating comments and an income through blogging. I think that's why many who have those goals give up on blogging but a blog can be used in other ways. 

A blog can be useful for a number of reasons other than affiliate marketing. If you discover ways to use it to further your interests or brand, you'll keep blogging. I appreciate blogging because it's a place where you can say whatever you want, how you want and as often as you want. You can market yourself as often as you want and in whatever way you want. 

Unlike marketing on social media and other marketing platforms, no one will tell you what you can't do when you do it from your blog. You can use the SEO that you want to use. When blogging to market your products and services, you can share as many images as you want. Your product descriptions can be as long or as detailed as you want them to be. 

Most of all, you can add as many links in your blogs posts as you see fit. There are no annoying restrictions or constrictions. As long as you follow the TOS of the blogging platform that you are using, you are free to market yourself through the blog however you see fit. 

Though my creative friends and many others have fallen by the wayside in their blogging, I am so glad that I have not. I can't think of a single creative whose blog I enjoyed and was inspired by who is still blogging. Writing your own blog is a fun way to promote yourself and your brands! It can be very effective if you stick with it and learn how to use it to your benefit. At this writing, you can still do it for free at some sites and even still buy low-cost domains.

Substack (Substack helps anyone set up a blog and email newsletter. No tech knowledge is required. It’s free to get started on Substack.)

Blogger (recently sold their Blogger platform to Squarespace and I'm still here waiting to see what changes Squarespace makes over time)

Yola (2 websites with 2 pages each for free plan, have to design your own website through their templates and drag and drop)

Wix (unfortunately, only a 14-day free trial, have to design your own website through their templates and drag and drop)

Weebly (have to design your own website through their templates and drag and drop)

The Benefits Of Blogging For Business And Marketing

It is shocking how many crafters, makers, artists and other creatives have stopped blogging. I reviewed my blog reading list to see who was still posting. I ended up purging from 125 blogs to 6, and 2 of those 6 are mine. Most crafters hadn't posted since 2015. A handful had posted in 2017 and after that, none of the 125 bloggers that I was following had posted. Something happened around 2015 in the crafting/makers/creative community where people stopped blogging. I asked myself is blogging dead?

Here are some possible reasons blogging has all but stopped in our creative community. Do any of these reasons fit you?

1. There seems to have been a general loss of enthusiasm, disillusionment and disappointment about online selling. 
2. Seeing many listing websites come and go. The demise of ArtFire, Dawanda and others was depressing. While some creatives migrated to other venues, some gave up listing.
3. The postal system started to increase fees yearly, negatively impacting handmades income. Sellers had to raise prices often when they did not want to.
4. Life has become more busy. Can't find time to blog.
5. Sales have fallen off and can't find a way to increase them.
   

One crafter said to me recently that back during the time when creatives were blogging the public couldn't get enough of handmades. I think there is still a love for handmades but other product types have flooded the market. Etsy's homepage is filled with digitals and printables, which I made the jump to because I love graphic design. POD sites are doing well and 3-D printed products are taking hold. Despite this, many handmades sellers are still doing well but they are not blogging. They are overlooking the greatest value of creating blog posts, advertising and promotion. 

Paying for online advertising is not affordable for most independent creatives. We are left with sharing through the few social media sites that are active. Social media, however, does not provide the value that it used to. People rarely interact anymore and there may be likes given but they lead to few sales. Any economically productive ways to market online have dwindled as well. So, why is blogging important for business? It gives us an easy way to draw potential customers and increase sales.

Consider These Benefits Of Blogging Then Ask Yourself Is Blogging Worth It

1. Can be used to market and promote without being flagged as a spammer. 
2. No advertising fees. 
3. Format, content and length of posts are controlled by the blogger. 
4. The frequency of posting is controlled by the blogger.
5. No limit on images in a post. 
6. No limit on links in a post. 
7. The type of SEO used, words or long-tail phrases, is controlled by the blogger.
8. Blog posts can be found by search engines. 
   

If you are blogging, you should continue and tweak your style and process. If you are a creator and you are not blogging but asking yourself should I blog, you should start. Selling competition has exploded over the past few years, since 2010-2015. Savvy blogging is a great way to successfully compete. The challenge is to:

1. Learn simple ways to start using keywords and phrases in blog posts, product listings, etc. The easy techniques in this book will guide you. Learning and using keyword search doesn't have to be expensive, tedious or frightening. In Simple Keyword Search That Even You Will Feel Like Doing, you'll learn to conduct fast, free and easy keyword phrase searches and add the results to your marketing content.
2. Choose a schedule to consistently prepare posts. You really can post as your schedule allows. Of course, the more frequently you post the better. You can choose to post once a week or twice a month but the key is to post every time you have set aside a time frame to do it. The goal is to be reliable to readers and potential customers. As you become adept at creating posts and are able to free up more time, you can increase your frequency. If you can never make more time, keep posting on your original time schedule.
   

Though I have been consistent with blogging over the years, I've known for some time that I'm too sporadic with posting. I've never given up that I will develop a good blogging schedule. Blogging as a marketing tool is invaluable when used with skill and commitment.

Here are some articles on the value of blogging that I found to be helpful:

 6 Reasons Why Blogging Is Important For Marketing And SEO by Kristi Hines

17 Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog In 2022 by Brian Dean

 How Long Should A Blog Post Be In 2022 by Lena Sernoff

Do People Still Read Blogs? The Truth About Blogging In 2022 by Rowena Zaballa

Do People Still Read Blogs In 2022? by Ryan Robinson

Truelist Blogging Statistics by Maja Josifovska

Learn Keyword Search To Use In Blog Posts, Product Descriptions And In Other Marketing Content

 

Simple Keyword Search That Even You Will Feel Like Doing

Payhip Video Tutorial: How To Set Up Cross-Selling

Payhip is a great place to sell digitals, physical products, courses, subscriptions and other products.

From Payhip:

Payhip is an e-commerce platform that enables anyone to sell digital products or memberships directly to their fans and followers. You can embed Payhip directly into your website or you can use our storefront to sell your work. Payhip takes care of everything. We're an all-in-one ecommerce solution for creators.

There is a robust store builder and new features are always being added. Maybe you should open a shop there. Visit the Help Center for more info.

Book Funnel Definition Sales Funnel Stages

A book or sales funnel is a marketing method designed to lead visitors and potential customers to a purchasing decision. It is composed of several processes that may include a landing page. While a landing/sales page and a book funnel can work together, they are also different. 

Some book funnel landing pages can be annoying with their in-your-face graphics, popups and extensive length. They lose the potential customer long before the visitor reaches the end. Landing pages, however, are only as good as the writer of the book funnel.

Potential customers often need to be led on what to think and how to think it. Sometimes they seek but do not follow through when they find what they desire. Sales funnels can lead them through the steps to obtain what they are seeking, which are the published products that you and I are offering. Learn how to skillfully create effective book/sales funnels for your written products here:

Book Funnel Optimization: Essential Tips to Convert Leads into Paying Readers

 

Innovation, Adaptability, Persistance: David's Bridal

Consistently, we see innovation, adaptability and persistence as the kingpins of enduring business success. Those traits have made David's Bridal the lone, national, wedding dress chain today.

While David Reisberg decided to begin selling his privately-designed wedding gowns in 1945, innovation began 20 years later after he sold his south-Florida salon. In 1972, Phillip Youtie bought the boutique and around 1988, brought in the retail expertise of childhood friend Steven Erlbaum.

Stores at this time stocked only sample gowns in a standard size. Youtie and Erlbaum changed the store model in the late 1980s with this warehouse off Interstate 95 where they stocked designer gowns, discontinued dress and manufacturer overruns at below retail prices. This chain of bridal stores was like none of its kind. David’s Bridal was all about making a no-frills shopping environment for those who need an expensive wedding dress for a fraction of the price. Stores were not comfortable, but more plain and warehouse-like. Although there was little to no comfort in the stores, brides-to-be could expect a bargain.

Adaptability resulted in finding ways to acquire new stores:

Years later, as the business grew even larger and larger, small stores were starting to go out of business while more David’s Bridal stores were being put into the business. Between 1994 and 1995, 12 stores were added to the bridal corporation...In 2000, the May Department Stores Company bought David’s Bridal from Youtie and Erlbaum for $436 million. By this time, David’s Bridal was the largest retailer of bridal gowns and wedding-related merchandise.

Persistence

David’s Bridal is the largest American bridal-store chain...and the only nationwide competitor of bridal stores...One in four American brides are dressed by David’s Bridal.

Successive acquisitions and emergence out of a two-month bankruptcy did not kill the dream. While Mr. Reisberg worked faithfully for over two decades and did not financially enjoy the astronomical success of his brand, the point is this; David's Bridal endured through the innovation, adaptability and persistence of all who believed.

On October 11, 2012, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice announced the completion of its acquisition of David’s Bridal, Inc. in a deal that valued the company at $1.05 billion.

David's Bridal is currently in 49 states, 5 Canadian territories and the United Kingdom. As of 2018, it was worth $2.5 billion.

Opportunities to innovate surround us everyday and many of the commerce giants that we recognize are still owned by the innovators. Those who do not own their flagship brands have taken the fortunes made through them and built new ventures. You may not be seeking colossal growth for your brand but the methods that lead to this kind of proliferating success can help you to reach your goals. 

How can you innovate your brand so that it will stand out and attract a robust market?

Is your growth lagging for lack of adaptability to an ever-changing society?

Do you cling to pet projects and ideas that do not inspire persistence?

 

Sources:

David's Bridal Locations

David's Bridal - UK

PRNewswire - David's Bridal

The List - The Truth Behind David Of David's Bridal

The New York Times - David’s Bridal Files for Bankruptcy, but Brides Will Get Their Dresses

Wikipedia - David's Bridal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roberto Blake On Successful Brand Deals

When asked if he finds it more difficult, as a person-of-color graphic designer and Youtube creator, to obtain brand deals in comparison to others, he replied,

Not really but I’ve also built a system for brand deals...I also do better on brand deals than most Creators my size or larger regardless of their background, due to my ability to negotiate and package my deals.

While discrimination is often endured daily by many of us, his successful focus is on evaluating how to deliver more value to the clients/customers whom he does acquire.

While I'm not aspiring to produce and upload YT videos (the unpopular slideshows format works better for my schedule), I love Roberto's content. He's clear, engaging and relevant. This is not the first time that I've written about him. 

I like making a pit stop at his channel to see what he's currently sharing. I am also a graphic designer but I don't freelance. I prefer to design pre-made products and services. Roberto produces many videos with inspiring content that can apply to any creative pursuit.

Check out his YT channel and website for great info on boosting the success of your brands.  

About Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake is dedicated to building the creator economy through helping creators and influencers build brands and businesses online. Learn how to monetize your creativity and skills, grow an audience, sell products, monetize YouTube videos, make money online, and build a personal brand. He has grown his Youtube channel to over 500,000 subscribers.

Find Roberto Online

Youtube Community

Youtube Channel 

Awesome Creator Academy 

Roberto's Youtube Starter Kit

Interested In Sponsoring Roberto Blake And Sharing Your Brand With His Viewers?

info@robertoblake.com

725 Ponce De Leon Ave
ATTN WeWork Roberto Blake 2nd Floor
Atlanta GA, 30306 

 

 

 

Optimizing The New Facebook Business Pages

In this still relevant, late 2020 post, Brandastic shares some points on how to make the new Facebook Business Pages work for your brand. 

Their focus is on changing how we use a Page. I like these 2 points:

• Focus more on educational rather than promotional content.
• Join and interact in FB groups with your business page. 

Read the full article here:

Are Facebook Pages Still Useful in 2020?

Another great post on optimizing Facebook Business Pages is this article from Tripepi Smith. The 2022 new pages transition is discussed and tips on optimizing the new design are shared.

Follower count is now rounded up and it seems that page likes are no longer displayed. Some business features, such as jobs and appointments, are no longer available.

Facebook’s New Pages Experience 101

 

 Steps To Creating A Facebook/Meta Business Page

Create A Free Business Page In Minutes  

What To Know Before You Create A Facebook Business Page

 

Are Like And Follow Chains Worth It?

I've succumbed to the temptation in the distant past. When I realized that true value was not achieved through these staged social interactions, I decided that my creative time is too prized and limited to devote to these types of games.

The reciprocation is false inflating of stats at worse and giving to get at best. The increased stats are not from potential customers who discover our shops organically or through our savvy marketing skills. Smart marketing has value and attracts potential customers without requiring reciprocation.

These social trains are not an authentic way to realize appreciation for our creativity. I doubt if most of the likers and followers ever darken our shop doors again after the initial rush. Why fool ourselves by basking in fake accomplishments? Why strive to receive a flurry of activity only to be ghosted the day after? Likes for likes and follows for follows are a lot of precious effort for hollow shop interaction and inauthentic stats. When we think about it, it's really being deceitful to our potential customers, isn't it? It's painting a contrived picture.

Our time is better spent improving our target marketing and SEO skills, and learning how to better promote our brands. Social media trains, blog hops and the like cannot successfully compete with intelligent growth. The effort devoted to improving business skills has long-reaching effects that guarantee long-range selling success. 

Here is some info on SEO, an area in which we can all improve.

SearchEngineLand says:

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” In simple terms, it means the process of improving your site to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in Google, Bing, and other search engines. The better visibility your pages have in search results, the more likely you are to garner attention and attract prospective and existing customers to your business.

SEO is a fundamental part of digital marketing because people conduct trillions of searches every year, often with commercial intent to find information about products and services. Search is often the primary source of digital traffic for brands and complements other marketing channels. Greater visibility and ranking higher in search results than your competition can have a material impact on your bottom line.

SearchEngineLand is chock-full of info on SEO, what it is, why it's important, how it works and how to learn it. 

Instagram On Desktop Now

Did you know you can now use Instagram from your desktop/laptop?

 

Even to create posts? I had left a few yrs ago and went back with a new acct this week and found out. So, we're no longer restricted to our smartphones.

 

Here's my link. If you're on Insta, consider following me if you like my shop, Printaphoria, and I'll return the favor. https://www.instagram.com/artsycrafterystudio/

Long-Tail Keyword Titles

According to WordStream, Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to a point-of-purchase or when they're using voice search. I try to use long-tail keyword titles in all of my listings. 

Short keyword titles can draw more views, but long-tail keyword titles can draw more sales.